A device and method are described for optically pumping a gaseous laser using blackbody radiation produced by a plasma channel which is formed from an electrical discharge between two electrodes spaced at opposite longitudinal ends of the laser. A preionization device which can comprise a laser or electron beam accelerator produces a preionization beam which is sufficient to cause an elctrical discharge between the electrodes to initiate the plasma channel along the preionization path. The optical pumping energy is supplied by a high voltage power supply rather than by the preionization beam. High output optical intensities are produced by the laser due to the high temperature black-body radiation produced by the plasma channel, in the same manner as an exploding wire type laser. However, unlike the exploding wire type laser, the disclosed invention can be operated in a repetitive manner by utilizing a repetitive pulsed preionization device.

A load switching circuit for switching two or more transformer taps under load carrying conditions includes first and second parallel connected bridge rectifier circuits which control the selective connection of a direct current load to taps of a transformer. The first bridge circuit is normally conducting so that the load is connected to a first tap through the first bridge circuit. To transfer the load to the second tap, a switch is operable to connect the second bridge circuit to a second tap, and when the second bridge circuit begins to conduct, the first bridge circuit ceases conduction because the potential at the second tap is higher than the potential at the first tap, and the load is thus connected to the second tap through the second bridge circuit. The load switching circuit is applicable in a motor speed controller for a wound-rotor motor for effecting tap switching as a function of motor speed while providing a stepless motor speed control characteristics.

Measurements of rheological properties have been continued. Measurements at relatively low temperature (450 K) showed that a coarser coal grind shows substantially lower viscosity. It was also shown that coal and solvent obtained from the Fort Lewis plant give slurries of much higher viscosity than slurries from our reference coal and solvent. At higher temperatures (540 K) substantially the same relationships were shown. The effect of solvent-to-coal ratio was also found to be very great. Differential scanning calorimetry gave some low reliability specific heat results and showed indication of a probable heat effect at about 500 K. No indication of exothermic reaction with hydrogen was found.

A wide range of phenomena is observed in heavy-ion collisions, calling for a comprehensive theory based on fundamental principles of many-particle quantum mechanics. At low energies, the nuclear dynamics is controlled by the mean field, as we know from spectroscopic nuclear physics. We therefore expect the comprehensive theory of collisions to contain mean-field theory at low energies. The mean-field theory is the subject of the first lectures in this chapter. This theory can be studied quantum mechanically, in which form it is called TDHF (time-dependent Hartree-Fock), or classically, where the equation is called the Vlasov equation. 25 references, 14 figures.

A technique is developed for introduction of a boundary condition applicable to relaxation computations for magnetic problems with axial symmetry and with no sources (currents, or magnetized material) external to the boundary. The procedure as described in this note is restricted to cases in which the (toroidal) boundary will surround completely the region of physical interest but will not encompass the axis of rotational symmetry. The technique accordingly provides the opportunity of economically excluding from the relaxation process regions of no direct concern in the immediate neighborhood of the symmetry axis and hence can have useful application to annular magnetic devices with axial symmetry. The procedure adopted makes use internally of the characteristic form of the vector-potential function, in a source-free region, when expressed in toroidal coordinates. The relevant properties of associated Legendre functions of half-integral degree are summarized in this connection and their introduction into the program POISSON is outlined. Results of some test cases are included, to illustrate the application of this technique for configurations with median-plane symmetry. 8 refs., 9 figs.

Recent developments in six areas of tandem-mirror theory are explored. Specifically, FLR terms (including electric-field drift) have been added to our 3-D paraxial MHD equilibrium code. Our low-frequency MHD stability analysis with FLR, which previously included only m/sub theta/ = 1 rigid perturbations, has been extended to incorporate moderate m/sub theta/, rotational drive, finite-beta effects on wall stabilization, and the well-digging effect of energetic electrons by using three computational techniques. In addition, we have examined the microstability of relativistic electrons with a loss-cone distribution, emphasizing the whistler and cyclotron-maser instabilities. We have also studied techniques for controlling radial transport, including the floating of segmented end plates and the tuning of transition-region coils, and have quantified the residual transport in a tandem mirror with axisymmetric throttle coils. Earlier work on the effect of ECRH on potentials in thermal-barrier cells has been extended. The transition between the weak- and strong-heating regimes has been examined using Fokker-Planck and Monte Carlo codes; an analytic model for the potentials relative to the end wall has been developed. Finally, our investigation of drift-frequency pumping of thermal-barrier ions has demonstrated that pumping is optimized when the magnetic fluctuation is perpendicular to both the unperturbed field and the …

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.

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.

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, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether the city of Austin may assess a capital recovery fee on state construction projects

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, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether purchases for a county health district must be made by the county purchasing agent

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, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification: Whether a person appointed as conservator, supervisor, or liquidating agent under article 852a, V.T.C.S., is a state employee for purposes of chapter 104, of the Civil Practices and Remedies Code

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, Jim Mattox, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification; Legality of a contract between a physician and a referral service

A Lysholm engine, or helical screw expander, is currently being evaluated at the University of California, Berkeley for staging with a conventional turbine in geothermal energy conversion. A pneumatic closed loop, proportional-integral control system was implemented to control the Lysholm engine's exhaust pressure for performance testing of the engine at constant inlet/outlet pressure ratios. The control system will also be used to control the exhaust pressure of the conventional turbine during future testing of the staged Lysholm-turbine system. Analytical modeling of the control system was performed and successful tuning was achieved by applying Ziegler-Nichol's tuning method. Stable control and quick response, of approximately 1 minute, was demonstrated for load and set point changes in desired exhaust pressures.

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.

An apparatus and method for measuring the flow velocities of individual phase flow components of a multiphase flow is disclosed. Signals arising from flow noise disturbance are extracted from the flow, at upstream and downstream locations. The signals are processed through pairs of matched filters which are matched to the flow disturbance frequency characteristics of the phase flow component to be measured. The processed signals are then cross-correlated to determine the transit delay time of the phase flow component between sensing positions.

Weekly report of the Texas Crop and Livestock Reporting Service on turkey poult numbers in Texas and compared with other states. It includes compiled statistics across six consecutive weeks during two years for turkey eggs set and poults hatched.

Weekly report of the Texas Crop and Livestock Reporting Service on broiler chick numbers in Texas and compared with other states. It includes compiled statistics across six consecutive weeks, from the week ending June 8 to the week ending July 13, during 1984 and 1985 for broiler eggs set, chicks hatched, and chicks placed.

Construction has started on a facility to immobilize high-level radioactive waste in borosilicate glass at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant. Type 304L stainless steel is generally sufficient for supply tankage and service lines. It is used as the reference material in chemical reprocessing of reactor target and fuel tubes. Type 304L, however, has unacceptable stress corrosion cracking resistance in solutions containing formic acid and chloride. Scouting tests were performed on twelve commercial nickel-based alloys in simulated process solutions containing halides, sulfates, nitrates, mercury and formic acid. Mercuric ions and halides interact in acidic environments to increase pitting and crevice attack. Alloys with combined chromium plus molybdenum contents greater than 30 percent, that also contain greater than 9 percent molybdenum, were most resistant to pitting and crevice corrosion. Based on this testing, Alloy C-276 has been selected as the reference process equipment material, with Inconel 690 and ALLCORR selected for specialty areas.

The cold support concept for the ARIES TF coil design was developed further. This concept not only works for aspect ratio 6 and 4.5 machines, but it also works for ITER. Beryllium was added to the two blanket concepts to improve energy multiplication and reduce COE. During the quarter a US-Japan steering committee meeting was held to discuss the US-Japan ICRH tube tests. They reviewed and approved the proposed X2242 ICRH tube improvements. Ed Cheng attended IAEA meeting on the International Fusion Evaluated Nuclear Data Library (FENDL). The first version of FENDL should be ready for use by mid-1990. Exposure of 12 well-characterized graphite tiles in the divertor region of DIII-D continues. Work has been initiated on the laser ellipsometry technique to be used for in situ on-line measurement of erosion and redeposition in the DIII-D divertor. A Neutron Interaction materials (NIM) report has been drafted compiling published and unpublished data on manganese-stabilized austenitic steels. These steels are being considered for the ITER.

The quality of education in our schools, particularly our high schools, and appropriate Federal actions to improve educational quality have become a major political issue. A number of reports on education with recommendations for change have been issued, among them A Nation At Risk by the National Commission on Excellence in Education. These reports are critical of how our Schools are functioning and call for improvement in areas such as teaching, curriculum, and standards for student performance and behavior. Some issues raised by these reports are whether these changes are needed, how these changes might be implemented, and what might be the roles of different- levels of government in this process.