The following document describes the usage and results of sending pulsed beams of electrically charged particles with electrically wide range of pulse lengths and pulse repetition rates.

The most important component required for the Astron experimental facility is a high energy, high current, pulsed electron accelerator. A thin cylindrical layer of high energy electrons trapped within an axially symmetric magnetic field is the key feature of the Astron thermonuclear device. The trapping magnetic field is constant in time. Therefore, it is not possible to inject electrons and trap the electrons in this field unless during the injection phase a part of the electron energy is absorbed by some friction process. This is accomplished by means of eddy currents generated on suitable passive circuits by the current of the injected electron bunch. This method has ben described elsewhere. However, in order to achieve an effective loss mechanism the current of the injected electron beam must be over one hundred amps. Such high current beams are difficult to handle except if the electron energy is high enough so that the electrostatic repulsive force is compensated to great extent by attractive magnetive forces. Hence the electron energy required is 5 Mev or higher. Other requirements on the electron layer yield the same result.

Report documenting standard x-ray diffraction powder patterns for various compounds, intended to replace previous data or provide information for new substances. It describes the methods and, for each substance, outlines any previous data as well as information about the sample used and structural data, with a table of diffraction patterns.

Report giving the tensile and impact properties of structural materials that were experimentally determined at temperatures from 20 to 300 ºK. Tensile properties of a few materials were also determined at 4 ºK. The properties experimentally determined were the yield strength, tensile strength, elongation, and reduction of area, the stress versus strain curve, and the impact energy. The test equipment and procedures are described. The individual data are presented in tables, and the average results are displayed in graphs.

An approximate Boltzmann equation, known as the single relaxation model is studied here. This equation is linearized and the fundamental solution is considered. Following N. Grad, the solution, asymptotic in small values of the ratio of mean-free-path to distance from the origin, is sought. It can be shown that the fundamental solution itself gives the asymptotic description of the flow field past an object. This solution gives the asymptotic description when the distance from the origin is much greater than either the mean-free-path or the body size. This is true independently of the Knudsen number.

A prototype instrument has been designed and built which demonstrates an ultrasonic pulse echo technique of measuring metal thickness in the range .010 to .080 inches. Extension of the range of measurement on the thick side appears straightforward, however, transducer frequency response considerations may limit the extension of the method for very thin sections. The instrument is based upon the principle that sections, when driven by pulses of vibratory energy, resonate at frequencies dependent upon the thickness of the section.