A high efficiency photoionization detector using tetraaminoethylenes in a gaseous state having a low ionization potential and a relative photoionization cross section which closely matches the emission spectrum of xenon gas. Imaging proportional counters are also disclosed using the novel photoionization detector of the invention. The compound of greatest interest is TMAE which comprises tetrakis(dimethylamino)ethylene which has a measured ionization potential of 5.36 +- 0.02 eV, and a vapor pressure of 0.35 torr at 20/sup 0/C.

A nuclear fuel processing solution containing: (1) hydrocarbon diluent; (2) tri-n-butyl phosphate or tri-2-ethylhexyl phosphate; and (3) monobutyl phosphate, dibutyl phosphate, mono-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, di-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, or a complex formed by plutonium, uranium, or a fission product thereof with monobutyl phosphate, dibutyl phosphate, mono-2-ethylhexyl phosphate, or di-2-ethylhexyl phosphate is contacted with silica gel having alkali ions absorbed thereon to remove any degradation products from said solution. The principal impurities removed from TBP solvent by the process of this invention are monobutyl phosphate, dibutyl phosphate, UO/sub 2//sup 2 +/, Pu/sup 4 +/, and fission products of plutonium and uranium complexed with monobutyl phosphate or dibutyl phosphate. Nitric acid is also removed from the TBP solution by the treated silica gel. Conventional adsorption column techniques are applicable for the process of the invention.

A conductor and method of making the conductor are provided for use in winding electrical coils which are cooled by a fluid communicating with the conductor. The conductor is cold worked through twisting and reshaping steps to form a generally rectangular cross section conductor having a plurality of helical cooling grooves extending axially of the conductor. The conductor configuration makes it suitable for a wide variety of winding applications and permits the use of simple strip insulation between turns and perforated sheet insulation between layers of the winding.

A general study of the application of static VAR compensators (SVC's) to high-voltage transmission systems has been performed. Considerable emphasis has been placed on improvements to synchronous stability, and it is shown that SVC's can provide significant benefits in terms of damping for unstable modes of oscillation and increases in transient stability limits. This report includes descriptions of static VAR compensators, technical and economic comparisons of different compensators, compensator models for system studies, comprehensive study procedures, study results for two small-scale systems, and guidelines for SVC application.

High-intensity, short-duration x-ray pulses are necessary to diagnose the compression of laser film targets. Present target designs are such that backlighting sources ranging from a few thousand electron volts to 100 keV will be necessary. The desired source durations range from a few tens of picoseconds for flash radiography to several nanoseconds for streaked backlighting, and the source occurrence must be tightly synchronized to that of the target-irradiating laser pulse. For the latter reason, a laser-induced x-ray pulse is preferred. An initial study of the K lines of Ti, Ni, and Zn as possible backlighting sources was conducted. The conversion efficiency of laser light into line radiation was obtained as a function of laser intensity, pulse length, and wavelength. A threshold laser intensity for x-ray line production was identified. Information was obtained on the size and duration of the x-ray emission source, in relation to laser parameters. The experimental results, and their impact on backlighting capability for high-density laser function targets, are discussed.

The FFTF (Fast Flux Test Facility) is a liquid sodium cooled, fast flux reactor designed specifically for irradiation testing of fuels and components for liquid metal fast breeder reactors. The Department of Energy and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission require that all pertinent documentation for maintenance, operation, and safety of the FFTF be readily accessible and retrievable, both during initial startup and for the lifetime of the plant. That amounts to a lot of information which has to be retrievable. The indexing system finally developed is called the DALIS system, short for Document and Location Indexing System. This system was designed by an engineer (Michael Theo) for use by engineers. DALIS uses descriptiors and keywords to identify each document in the system. The descriptors give such information as document number, date of issuance of the document, the title, the originating organization, and the microfilm or hardcopy location of the document. The keywords are words or phrases that describe the content of the document and permit retrieval by means of a computer search for documents with the stated keywords.

A weekly publication, the Texas Register serves as the journal of state agency rulemaking for Texas. Information published in the Texas Register includes proposed, adopted, withdrawn and emergency rule actions, notices of state agency review of agency rules, governor's appointments, attorney general opinions, and miscellaneous documents such as requests for proposals. After adoption, these rulemaking actions are codified into the Texas Administrative Code.