From abstract: "An apparatus is described which automatically separates a flow of drops into a series of equal samples."

Report of uranium findings from a reconnaissance of the Gallup NTMS quadrangle through water, sediment, and water samples collected from streams, springs, and wells.

From summary: This report contains data collected during a geochemical survey for uranium in the Torrington National Topographic Map Series (NTMS) quadrangle of east-central Wyoming (Fig. 1) by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) as part of the nationwide Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR).

From introduction: This report contains data collected during a geochemical survey for uranium in the Torrington National Topographic Map Series (NTMS) quadrangle of east-central Wyoming (Fig. 1) by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (LASL) as part of the nationwide Hydrogeochemical and Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR).

Report describing chemical analysis of 62 water and 620 sediment samples during a follow-up geochemical survey to search for uranium in the Pueblo quadrangle.

Abstract: Studies were made of the air-borne contamination present during the operation of reducing plutonium tetrafluoride powder to the metal. Equipment design changes were made and operation technique changes were made until the amount of contamination present during operations was well below tolerance levels.

From abstract: "This report discusses a special handling procedure devised to prevent contamination of high-purity gold while processing the metal from cast billet to final sheet. Gold of 99.99% purity was cast into rectangular billets and rolled into sheet whose final dimensions were 48 by 12-1/2 by 0.015 inch...As a final step, the sheet was annealed dead-soft in preparation for subsequent forming operations."

Abstract: "Measurements have been made of the cross sections for the reactions Id-6(n, dn)He-4 and Li-7(n, tn)He-4 over an incident neutron energy range of 5 - 14 MeV. The energy and angular distributions of all reaction products were determined."

Exponential rise times, T, of neutron flux in an Oy-Tu assembly have been measured for a set of points essentially equally spaced reactivity-wise in the interval between delayed and prompt critical corresponding to [infinity] > T > 5 seconds. The relationship between positive period and reactivity thus obtained is used to decide (preferentially) between two currently used but divergent collections of delayed neutron data, specifically with respect to the relative abundances of delayed neutrons in the different decay periods. Results of other reactivity measurements supplementing the positive period data are also given.

This technical report summarizes the apparent hematological changes in 10 individuals, exposed to total-body gamma radiation in near tolerance amounts, over a period of four and one-half years. Two control groups, in addition to the exposed group, were used for comparative purposes. Control group I received essentially no gamma or beta radiations. Control group II received exposures at least a factor of 10 below those of the exposed group. The average total leukocyte count, absolute neutrophil value, and absolute lymphocyte value, were determined for each individual and for all groups. Analysis of data indicates a significant depression of the absolute lymphocyte value of the exposed group as compared with those of the control groups.

This technical report is a sequel to LA-596, "Efficiency for Very Slow Assembly" by K. Fuchs. Herein are given estimates of temperature rise and pressure developed as a result of active material slowly being driven supercritical. Marginal assembly rates can thus be determined for both metal and solution assemblies above which the disassembly by thermal expansion is explosive in the sense that the active material or containing vessel is ruptured.

This technical report describes the preparation and properties of plastic bonded RDX mixtures containing approximately 30 weight percent RDX. These mixtures may readily be prepared by a method adaptable to existing ordnance plant equipment. they are roughly comparable to Compositions A and B in sensitivity and explosive performance, but are much stranger physically than these or similar explosives.

A neutron burst from an untamped cylindrical Oy assembly occurred at the Pajarito Remote Control Laboratory at 1800 hours on 18 April 1952. The circumstances causing the burst and a description of the assembly involved are given There was no personnel hazard. Normal operations could have been resumed on other assemblies withing two or three hours after the burst. No evidence of damage to the oy was observed. It was determined that the burst resulted in 1.5 x 10(16) fissions in the oy. Also reported are some results of the computations and post-burst tests and a discussion of probable time behavior of power level during the burst.

The procedures used in the complete and permanent disassembly of the Los Alamos Fast Reactor are described.

By utilizing lithium spherical shell transmission and multiplication measurements, the Li7(n,n'y)Li7 and the He6-production cross sections, it is possible to deduce that the 14-Mev Li (n,n'a)T cross section is 325 ± 75 mb. A spectrum for neutrons degraded in energy between 0 and 12 Mev is also given.

The fluorometric method for determining microgram quantities of uranium dissolved in concentrated sulfuric acid was reinvestigated for the purpose of measuring any interference caused by plutonium in uranium samples. No plutonium fluorescence, and therefore no positive errors due to plutonium, were observed. Limited transmittance of hexavalent plutonium in sulfuric acid at 513, and especially at 360 millimicrons, produces variable negative errors in uranium determinations.

The reported procedures for the polarographic determination of uranium, vanadium, and titanium in plutonium were investigated to ascertain if they could be used to determine other common metals in plutonium. It was found that the procedure using hydroxylamine hydrochloride to reduce plutonium to the (III) oxidation state could be used to determine bismuth, platinum, rhodium, copper, tin, lead, thallium, iridium, and cadmium. The procedure using zinc and zinc amalgam in hydrochloric acid to reduce the plutonium to the (III) oxidation state is quite limited, but it might be used to determine molybdenum.

The quantitative estimation of submicrogram amounts of boron in zirconium hydride using a colorimetric procedure is described. Solution of the sample in sulfuric acid or hydrofluoric acid and subsequent distillation of methyl borate without boron loss or contamination is shown to be possible. Using the curcumin color reaction, quantities of boron as low as 0.01 microgram can be detected. The method should apply equally well to zirconium metal and compounds, providing they can be dissolved under conditions that do not result in loss of boron and if the resulting solution will permit the quantitative removal of boron by distillation as methyl borate.

The initial growth of irregularities on an interface between two compressible fluids is studied for impulsive (i.e., shock) acceleration. It was found that the ultimate rate of growth is roughly the same as that given by the incompressible theory, if the initial compression of the irregularities and of the fluids is taken into account.

The total amount of oxidation which occurs up to a given time when a metal is subjected to a continuously increasing temperature has been studied by Fasseli and coworkers. A constant rate of increase as well as the linear and parabolic oxidation laws were assumed. The present report extends the analysis to include to the cubic and logarithmic growth laws. The notation for the nth order exponential integral functions which is used here simplifies the equations and the calculations.

It is proposed to reduce the initial wall hangup and consequent plasma contamination of a stabilized pinched discharge by reducing the Bz pressure difference across the current sheath to nearly zero at early times. Two methods for accomplishing this are proposed, both involving multistage programming of the Bz system.