Two essays are included in this booklet. Their titles are ``The Dynamics of the NPT Extension Decision`` and ``North Korea`s Nuclear Gambit.`` The first paper discusses the conference to be held in 1995 to review the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which will decide whether the treaty shall continue in force indefinitely, or shall be extended for an additional fixed period or periods. Topics relevant to this discussion are: Arms control issues, the nuclear test ban, the limited test ban treaty, the French nuclear testing moratorium, former Soviet nuclear weapons, Iraq, North Korea, nuclear-weapon-free zones, security, controls on nuclear weapon materials, peaceful uses of nuclear energy, safeguards, politics, and organizational and procedural issues. The second paper examines short, medium, and long term issues entailed in Korea`s nuclear proliferation. Topics considered include: Korean unification, North Korean politics, the nuclear issue as leverage, and the Nuclear Non- Proliferation Treaty.

Element-specific magnetic hysteresis measurements on heteromagnetic materials have been achieved by using circularly polarized soft-x- rays. Dramatically different Fe and Co hysteresis curves of Fe/Cu/Co trilayers were obtained by recording the magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) at their respective L{sub 3} white lines as a function of applied magnetic field. The data resolve the complicated hysteresis curves, observed by conventional magnetometry, and determine the individual magnetic moments for the Fe and Co layers. Fine hysteresis features, imperceptible in the conventional curves, were also observed, demonstrating a new application of circularly polarized soft-x-rays in the investigation of magnetic systems.

Many, if not most, of the world`s commercial nuclear power plants have been the subject of plant-specific probabilistic safety assessments (PSAs). A growing number of other nuclear facilities as well as other types of industrial installations have been the focus of plant-specific PSAs. Such studies have provided valuable information concerning the nature of the fisk of the individual facility and have been utilized to identify opportunities to manage that risk. This paper explores the risk management activities associated with three diverse facilities to demonstrate the versatility of the use of PSA to support risk related decision making. The three facilities considered are a DOE research reactor with an extensive operating history, a proposed DOE research reactor in the advanced conceptual design phase and an offshore unmanned oil and gas installation.

The Savannah River Technology Center created a second instance of its ORACLE based PEN LIMS to support site Environmental Restoration projects. The first instance of the database had been optimized for R&D support and did not implement rigorous sample tracking, verification, and holding times needed to support regulatory commitments. Much of the R&D instance was transferable such as the work control functions for backlog reports, work assignment sheets, and hazard communication support. A major enhancement of the regulatory LIMS was the addition of features to support a {open_quotes}standardized{close_quotes} electronic data format for environmental data reporting. The electronic format, called {open_quotes}AN92{close_quotes}, was developed by the site environmental monitoring organization and applies to both onsite and offsite environmental analytical contracts. This format incorporates EPA CLP data validation codes as well as details holding time and analytical result reporting requirements. The authors support this format by using special SQL queries to the database. The data is then automatically transferred to the environmental databases for trending and geological mapping.

The investigations with the anion exchange resin Reillex{trademark}-HPQ is continuing along several different paths. The topics of current investigations that are reported here are: The sorption behavior of chromium(VI) on Reillex{trademark}-HPQ from nitric acid solutions and from sodium hydroxide/sodium nitrate solutions; sorption behavior of F{sup {minus}} on Reillex{trademark}-HPQ resin in acidic sodium nitrate solution; sorption behavior of Cl{sup {minus}} on Reillex{trademark}-HPQ resin in acidic sodium nitrate solution; sorption behavior of Br{sup {minus}} on Reillex{trademark}-HPQ resin in acidic sodium nitrate solution; and the Honors thesis by one of the students is attached as Appendix II (on ion exchange properties of a new macroperous resin using bromide as the model ion in aqueous nitrate solutions).

In support of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory`s (LLNL`s) Uranium Atomic Vapor Laser Isotope Separation (U-AVLIS) Program, a laser atomic absorption spectroscopy (LAS) system has been developed. This multi-laser system is capable of simultaneously measuring the line densities of {sup 238}U ground and metastable states, {sup 235}U ground and metastable states, iron, and ions at up to nine locations within the separator vessel. Supporting enrichment experiments that last over one hundred hours, this laser spectroscopy system is employed to diagnose and optimize separator system performance, control the electron beam vaporizer and metal feed systems, and provide physics data for the validation of computer models. As a tool for spectroscopic research, vapor plume characterization, vapor deposition monitoring, and vaporizer development, LLNL`s LAS laboratory with its six argon-ion-pumped ring dye lasers and recently added Ti:Sapphire and external-cavity diode-lasers has capabilities far beyond the requirements of its primary mission.

The Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry at LLNL has installed a new 64 position AMS sample changer on our spectrometer. This new sample changer has the capability of being controlled manually by an operator or automatically by the AMS data acquisition computer. Automatic control of the sample changer by the data acquisition system is a necessary step towards unattended AMS operation in our laboratory. The sample changer uses a fiber optic shaft encoder for rough rotational indexing of the sample wheel and a series of sequenced pneumatic cylinders for final mechanical indexing of the wheel and insertion and retraction of samples. Transit time from sample to sample varies from 4 s to 19 s, depending on distance moved. Final sample location can be set to within 50 microns on the x and y axis and within 100 microns in the z axis. Changing sample wheels on the new sample changer is also easier and faster than was possible on our previous sample changer and does not require the use of any tools.

Letter opinion 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, Dan Morales, regarding a legal question submitted for clarification;Whether a county clerk may collect a records management and preservation fee on a document filed in an adverse probate action(ID# 20909)

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.

The purpose of this paper is to compare reflection factors for weak shocks from various surfaces, and to focus attention on some unsolved questions. Three different cases are considered: square-wave planar shock reflection from wedges; square-wave planar shock reflection from cylinders; and spherical blast wave reflection from a planar surface. We restrict ourselves to weak shocks. Shocks with a Mach number of M{sub O} < 1.56 in air or with an overpressure of {Delta}{sub PI} < 25 psi (1.66 bar) under normal ambient conditions are called weak.

Progress was made in the following areas: radioinduced segregation (modeling and experiment), deformation of irradiated microstructures, stress corrosion cracking of irradiated microstructures, and development of an apparatus to determine the role of deformation on the radiation microstructure in-situ. Materials used were based on Ni-Cr-Fe and 304L.

The roughly 0.5-km{sup 2} (0.2-mi{sup 2}) Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (WHVP) site is located in the Pasco Basin in south-central Washington State at the US Department of Energy`s Hanford Site. The HWVP site is planned for use as a waste treatment facility for treating the high-activity fraction of waste currently stored in underground storage tanks on the Hanford Site. In order to determine the pre-construction chemical properties of the proposed construction site soils and to enable the HWVP to segregate these, as necessary, from any impact of HWVP operations, a soil baseline sampling plan was written and implemented. The report describes the baseline sampling plan.

The uranium-0.8 wt % titanium (U-0.8 Ti) alloy is often used in weapon applications where high strength and fairly good ductility are necessary. Components are immersion quenched in water from the gamma phase to produce a martensitic structure that is amenable to aging. Undesirable conditions occur when a component occasionally cracks during the quenching process, and when tensile specimens fail prematurely during mechanical testing. These two failures prompted an investigative analysis and a series of studies to determine the causes of the cracking and erratic behavior observed in this alloy. Quench-related failures whereby components that cracked either during or immediately after the heat treatment/quenching operation were sectioned for metallographic examination of the microstructure to examine the degree of phase transformation. Examination of premature tensile specimen failures by scanning electron microscopy and x-ray imaging of fracture surfaces revealed pockets of inclusions at the crack origins. In addition, tests were conducted to evaluate the detrimental effects of internal hydrogen on ductility and crack initiation in this allay.

The objectives of this project are to test novel fullerene based catalysts for application in methane activation. Fullerenes are a recently discovered allotrope of carbon that have been found to possess unusual properties, some of which may be ideal for methane conversion to higher hydrocarbons. The project is divided into three technical tasks. Task 1 deals with the synthesis and characterization of the fullerenes and fullerene soots, Task 2 with the testing of the catalysts, and Task 3 with the evaluation of the results and technical reporting requirements. This quarter we prepared fullerene soot and conducted experiments to determined its reactivity towards methane, hydrogen, and ethylene. The results are summarized: (1) Soot containing approximately 12-14 wt % fullerenes was prepared by the discharge method of Haufler et al. SRI is in the process of developing methodology to produce large scale amounts of fullerenes and fullerene based materials and is working with a private company to that end. In order to provide a background of fullerene soot and describe some of these methods we have included Appendix A. (2) We conducted some preliminary experiments in order to determine the temperature regime at which fullerene based soot would begin to be active …

An active neutron interrogation system utilizing the differential die-away technique (DDT), was built to assay fissile material in small waste packages for a variety of matrices. Within minutes the system can make a ``go/no-go`` decision for sorting low-level waste (LLW) from transuranic waste (TRUW). It can also provide gram-level accountability of weapons-grade (WG) Pu in TRUW providing lumps of self-shielding fissile material are absent.

The initial work on the synthesis of MTBE during CO hydrogenation shows that MTBE cannot be formed directly on metal sites and likely requires the presence of an acid site. However, MTBE can be made successfully when an acid site, provided by the zeolites, is present in the vicinity of the methanol-synthesis metal sites. When i-butylene was added during CO hydrogenation over a composite catalyst consisting of Li-Pd/SiO{sub 2} and a hydrogen-zeolite, MTBE was formed in measurable amounts. The major by-product of this reaction scheme was isobutane and the dimer of i-butylene. In general, ZSM-5 was found to be superior to LZ210-12 HY zeolite. CO hydrogenation over a bifunctional PdNaY catalyst shows that branched hydrocarbons as well as MEOH can be made successfully at the same time. Addition of i-butylene over this catalyst only (i.e. without other zeolite) results in the formation of trace amounts of MTBE.

Newsletter focusing on pecan disease and pest control in Texas, including prevention, identification, treatment, and educational opportunities.

Generating and returning imagery from great distances has been generally associated with national security activities, with emphasis on reliability of system operation. (While the introduction of such capabilities was usually characterized by high levels of innovation, the evolution of such systems has followed the classical track of proliferation of ``standardized items`` expressing ever more incremental technological advances.) Recent focusing of interest on the use of remote imaging systems for commercial and scientific purposes can be expected to induce comparatively rapid advances along the axes of efficiency and technological sophistication, respectively. This paper reviews the most basic reasons for expecting the next decade of advances to dwarf the impressive accomplishments of the past ten years. The impact of these advances clearly will be felt in all major areas of large-scale human endeavor, commercial, military and scientific.

Microprobe techniques using scanned, focused MeV ions are routinely used in Livermore for materials characterization. Comprehensive data analysis with these techniques is accomplished with the computer software package IMAP, for Ion Micro-Analysis Package. IMAP consists of a set of command language procedures for data processing and quantitative spectral analysis. Deconvolution of the data is achieved by spawning sub-processes within IMAP which execute analysis codes for each specific microprobe technique. IMAP is structured to rapidly analyze individual spectra or multi-dimensional data blocks which classify individual events by the two scanning dimensions, the energy of the detected radiation and, when necessary, one sample rotation dimension. Several examples are presented to demonstrate the utility of the package.

Newsletter focusing on pecan disease and pest control in Texas, including prevention, identification, treatment, and educational opportunities.

The Department of Energy`s (DOE) Computerized Accident/Incident Reporting System (CAIRS) is a comprehensive data base containing more than 50,000 investigation reports of injury/illness, property damage and vehicle accident cases representing safety data from 1975 to the present for more than 150 DOE contractor organizations. A special feature is that the text of each accident report is translated using a controlled dictionary and rigid sentence structure called Factor Relationship and Sequence of Events (FRASE) that enhances the ability to retrieve specific types of information and to perform detailed analyses. DOE summary and individual contractor reports are prepared quarterly and annually. In addition, ``Safety Performance Profile`` reports for individual organizations are prepared to provide advance information to appraisal teams, and special topical reports are prepared for areas of concern such as an increase in the number of security injuries or environmental releases. The data base is open to all DOE and Contractor registered users with no access restrictions other than that required by the Privacy Act.

Vehicles powered by fuel cells operate more efficiently, more quietly, and more cleanly than internal combustion engines (ICEs). Furthermore, methanol-fueled fuel cell vehicles (FCVs) can utilize major elements of the existing fueling infrastructure of present-day liquid-fueled ICE vehicles (ICEVs). DOE has maintained an active program to stimulate the development and demonstration o fuel cell technologies in conjunction with rechargeable batteries in road vehicles. The purpose of this study is to identify and assess the availability of data on FCVs, and to develop a vehicle subsystem structure that can be used to compare both FCVs and ICEV, from a number of perspectives--environmental impacts, energy utilization, materials usage, and life cycle costs. This report focuses on methanol-fueled FCVs fueled by gasoline, methanol, and diesel fuel that are likely to be demonstratable by the year 2000. The comparative analysis presented covers four vehicles--two passenger vehicles and two urban transit buses. The passenger vehicles include an ICEV using either gasoline or methanol and an FCV using methanol. The FCV uses a Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell, an on-board methanol reformer, mid-term batteries, and an AC motor. The transit bus ICEV was evaluated for both diesel and methanol fuels. The transit bus FCV runs …

The Electric Power Monthly is prepared by the Survey Management Division; Office of Coal, Nuclear, Electric and Alternate Fuels, Energy Information Administration (EIA), Department of Energy. This publication provides monthly statistics at the US, Census division, and State levels for net generation, fossil fuel consumption and stocks, quantity and quality of fossil fuels, cost of fossil fuels, electricity sales, revenue, and average revenue per kilowatthour of electricity sold. Data on net generation, fuel consumption, fuel stocks, quantity and cost of fossil fuels are also displayed for the North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) regions.

Objective is to understand the mechanisms governing nonequilibrium plasma atomistic or molecular deposition of hard face coatings. Laser diagnostic methods include coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) and laser-induced fluorescence. TiB[sub 2] and diamonds were used as the hard face coating materials. Diborane was used as precursor to TiB[sub 2].