In Furnace No. 1 during this quarter, experiments were conducted in which the total argon purge rate in this furnace was decreased. A number of extremely significant changes in the crystallographic structure and electronic quality of the ribbons were observed in these experiments. Ribbon segments were grown in which the equilibrium defect structure was no longer present and the electrical properties improved to the extent that cells of 50 cm/sup 2/ area having AM1 efficiencies over 11% could be prepared. In Furnace No. 3A, the final five-ribbon demonstration run was performed. The furnace performed nearly flawlessly over the 15 hour run during which approx. 30 meters of 5 cm wide ribbon were grown at a rate of approx. 3.3 cm/min from each of the five cartridges. Initial evaluation of a small lot of 45 cm/sup 2/ solar cells of approx. 9% (AM1) efficiency. Subsequent to this final multiple demonstration run, the furnace was converted to be operated with three 10 cm width cartridges, plus a melt replenishment unit. This conversion is now complete, and the first growth runs using one cartridge and the melt replenisher have produced approx. 4 meters of 10 cm wide ribbon at a growth rate of …

This paper applies present observational and analytic knowledge on effects of plasma beam interaction wth the magnetosphere to the plasmasphere contamination problem of the argon ion engine exhaust expected to be deposited in the magnetosphere during the construction phase of the Satellite Power System. Effects of plasmasphere, ionosphere, and radiation belt modifications are discussed.

From November 1978 through March 1979 the California Geothermal Resources Board held four workshops on the following aspects of geothermal development in California: County Planning for Geothermal Development; Federal Leasing and Environmental Review Procedures; Transmission Corridor Planning; and Direct Heat Utilization. One of the objectives of the workshops was to increase the number of people aware of geothermal resources and their uses. This report is divided into two parts. Part 1 provides summaries of all the key information discussed in the workshops. For those people who were not able to attend, this part of the report provides you with a capsule version of the workshop sessions. Part 2 focuses on the key issues raised at the workshops which need to be acted upon to expedite geothermal resource development that is acceptable to local government and environmentally prudent. For the purpose of continuity, similar Geothermal Resources Task Force recommendations are identified.

Research on soil and litter arthropod food chains, concerning measurement of nutrient flow using radioisotope techniques and investigations of the role of soil arthropods as regulators of the ecosystem-level processes of decomposition and mineralization of nutrients is described. Laboratory measurements of radiotracer turnover by predaceous macroarthropods are reported, as well as the status of research with microarthropod turnover of radioactive tracers. Implications of results are evaluated in context of current understanding of nutrient flows along arthropod food chains. The interactions of soil fauna and mycorrhizal fungi are also under investigation. Field work has been completed on granitic outcrop projects, and a synthesis of results is summarized. Input-output budgets revealed that granitic outcrop island ecosystems are essentially in balance as regards nutrient flows. The ecosystems showed a strong resistance component of stability, as opposed to resilience, following an applied chemical perturbation and a natural one (drought).