The existing technology of lanthanide-actinide separations is discussed with emphasis on the difficulties to be expected if the currently practiced separation methods were to be applied to waste partitioning. All of the workable methods known are noted, and three out of the four have seen many applications for the last 20 to 25 years at our Laboratory and elsewhere. The fourth, developed at ORNL 16 to 17 years ago, has been applied to waste partitioning in Germany. Each of these methods depends upon complexing the actinides to a slightly greater extent than the lanthanides with either Cl/sup -/, SCN/sup -/, or aminocarboxylic acids. The separation of the complexed ions is accomplished with either liquid or solid ion-exchangers and, in principle, either can be used interchangeably.

The Shock Wave Data Center of the Lawrence Livermore Lab collects and disseminates P.V.E. data obtained with shock waves. It has been in existence since 1964. An extensive number of papers reporting shock data had become available by that time. This was so in spite of the fact that the technology was developed only during the 2nd World War. Collection and partial evaluation of this data was therefore of value to facilitate its use by our laboratory and others who were involved with science and engineering in the high pressure field. The pressure range of the data collected is quite extensive and extends from 1 MPa to 1 TPa. One very important difference between shock wave compression data and those obtained with static presses must be emphasized, since it is often not fully appreciated. The pressure-volume locus of shock wave states (Hugoniot), which is obtained by passing increasingly stronger shocks into samples with the same initial state, rapidly increases in temperature as the shocks get stronger and the pressure and compression get higher. As a consequence, this Hugoniot locus must have a lower compressibility than isotherms obtained under static conditions. In fact, if porous or otherwise expanded samples are used, …

Medium- and low-resolution field-ionization and high-resolution 70-eV electron-impact mass spectral data were obtained for thirty-eight gel permeation chromatographic (GPC) fractions obtained from a coal-derived liquid. Empirical formulas were deduced from the high-resolution electron-impact data. The field-ionization data were acquired for eventual calculation of quantitative distributions for the coal-derived liquid. The field-ionization mass-spectral data obtained for the GPC fractions from a Synthoil sample are being converted into quantitative compositional data. In conjunction with subcommittee ASTM D-2, a blend of aromatic hydrocarbons obtained from twelve crude oils was analyzed.

In more than 17 years of studying underground nuclear explosions, LLL has developed containment procedures that include a stemming plan. Stemming plans can be divided into either layered or continuous forms. There are marked differences between standards for these forms. The materials used in the continuous plan must meet more stringent specifications; as a consequence, they are more expensive. Both plans have been successful since the Baneberry Event. Both plans must meet the following requirements: provide a plug sufficient to match the overburden density of earth; contain radioactive gases at the lowest possible depth; minimize the generation of noncondensable gases (such as CO/sub 2/); minimize gas flow rates during the early post-detonation stages when cavity pressure is high; and be compatible with the experiment and its diagnostics. LLL experience in developing containment procedures is reviewed, and the reasons for the adoption of LLL's continuous stemming plan are reported. (LCL)

Document issued by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in Austin, Texas, providing an interpretation of Texas law. It provides the opinion of the Texas Attorney General, John L. Hill, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Qualifications of Director of Training of Board of Vocational Nurse Examiners.

The LLL Laser-Fusion Program includes an active experimental effort to measure the distributions in energy, space and time of pulses of soft x-rays (.2 to 10 keV) radiated by laser-induced plasmas. Requirements for high resolution in these measurements clearly preclude the use of conventional x-ray diagnostic techniques. The following examples from our program of advanced x-ray instrument development are described. (1) Wavelength-dispersive spectrographs with fractional-electron volt resolution at several keV and imaging systems with 3 micron resolution over a 100 micron source. (2) Advanced solid state x-ray sensors that recover data from these instruments in a more expedient manner than photographic film. (3) Microcomputer-controlled stand-alone spectrograph data systems and minicomputer-based integrated systems that can deal with the large array of data generated by the high resolution instruments. (4) An electrostatically-deflected x-ray streak camera with moderate spectral and spatial resolution and a timing resolution of better than 15 ps.