Most estimates of the time required for safe isolation of radioactive wastes from the biosphere range from 100,000 to 1,000,000 years. For such long time spans, it is necessary to assess the potential effects of geologic processes such as volcanism and tectonic activity on the integrity of geologic repositories. Predictions of geologic phenomena can be based on probabilistic models, which assume a random distribution of events. The necessary historic and geologic records are rarely available to provide an adequate data base for such predictions. The observed distribution of volcanic and tectonic activity is not random, and appears to be controlled by extremely complex deterministic processes. The advent of global plate tectonic theory in the past two decades has been a giant step toward understanding these processes. At each potential repository site, volcanic and tectonic processes should be evaluated to provide the most thorough possible understanding of those deterministic processes. Based on this knowledge, judgements will have to be made as to whether or not the volcanic and tectonic processes pose unacceptable risk to the integrity of the repository. This report describes the potential hazards associated with volcanism and tectonism, and the means for evaluating these processes.

A summary of the activities in the 4th operational year is presented for the ORR. On-stream time at 30 Mw was relatively steady with 75.4 and 83.7% representing the lowest and highest quarters. Modification of the ball-latch mechanism of the shim-rod-drives is in progress. The primary cooling system bypass control valve was modified and a d-c pony motor was added at the No. 3 primary pump. This addition was made to increase the reliability of adequate water flow for afterheat cooling. A study of coreboiling detection is being conducted. (J.R.D.)

Light microscopy, bare-film radiography, secondary ion mass spectroscopy, electron microprobe and physical testing were used to examine beryllium specimens exhibiting a stratified, pitted, pattern after chemical milling. The objective was to find the cause of this pattern. Specimens were found to have voids in excess of density specification allowances. These voids are attributed, at least in part, to the sublimation of beryllium fluoride during the vacuum hot pressing operation. The origin of the pattern is attributed to these voids and etching out of fines and associated impurities. Hot isostatic pressing with a subsequent heat treatment close residual porosity and dispersed impurities enough to correct the problem.

This report is a review of the state-of-the-art for evaluating the potential impact of flooding on a deep radioactive-waste repository, namely, for predicting the future occurrence of catastrophic flooding and for estimating the effect of such flooding on waste containment characteristics. Several detrimental effects are identified: flooding can increase groundwater seepage velocities through a repository within the framework of the existing hydrologic system and thus increase the rate of radioactive-waste leakage to the biosphere; flooding may alter repository hydrology by reversing flow gradients, relocating sources of groundwater recharge and discharge, or shortening seepage paths, thereby producing unpredictable leakage; saturation of a vadose-zone repository during flooding can increase groundwater seepage velocities by several orders of magnitude; and flooding can damage repository-media containment properties by inducing seismic or chemical instability or increasing fracture permeability in relatively shallow repository rock as a result of redistributing in-situ stresses. Short-term flooding frequency and magnitude can be predicted statistically by analyzing historical records of flooding. However, long-term flooding events that could damage a permanent repository cannot be predicted with confidence because the geologic record is neither unique nor sufficienly complete for statistical analysis. It is more important to identify parameters characterizing containment properties (such as permeability, …

The practical application of heavy water purity determination by infrared absorption spectroscopy using standard laboratory equipment was demonstrated in connection with the operation of heavy water-moderated Special Power Excursion Reactor Test (SPERT II) Facillty at the NRTS. (auth)

The goal of Hadron Spectroscopy is to find the spectrum of states formed by color singlet arrangements of quarks and gluons. Ideally these spectral states are associated with poles of the scattering matrix of hadrons which are the decay channels of the states. For example the {rho} meson is the lowest q{bar q} s-wave, spin one color singlet state and decays into {pi}{sup +}{pi}{sup -}. Since the {rho}decays in a relative p-wave, one finds the {rho} pole in the I = 1 p-wave {pi}{pi} phase shifts. There are forces between quarks and gluons which do not manifest themselves as true resonances and thus cannot be described by a Breit-Wigner pole. I will give some examples that are not Breit-Wigner poles of the scattering matrix but are important bumps in meson production. 22 refs., 10 figs.

Studies of the oxidation and gasification of oil shale char were extended to an investigation of the effects of mineral catalysis. Six shales with differing mineral compositions were studied, including samples from the saline zone in the Western Colorado and from the Antrim shales of Michigan. Oxidation kinetics data, corrected for mass transfer effects, were compared for all six samples. A high assay shale from Utah and a sample from the saline zone were found to have the highest oxidation rates. By examining the data for shales which were water leached and thermally pretreated, it was concluded that both NaO and CaO act as oxidation catalysts. However, as a result of mineral decomposition experiments conducted with a sample from the C-a lease tract, it appears as though the ankeritic dolomite fraction will not decompose as long as there is a minimal CO/sub 2/ over pressure. Rather, low temperature silication reactions appear to take place once the temperature exceeds 925/sup 0/K. An extensive evaluation was also completed for the gasification of an Antrim shale from Michigan. Both the rates of CO/sub 2/ and steam gasification of the char were found to be markedly lower than that observed for a shale sample …

The potential impact of future geologic processes on the integrity of a deep, high-level radioactive-waste repository is evaluated. The following study identifies the potential consequences of surface erosion and deposition on sub-surface repository containment characteristics and assesses the ability to measure and predict quantitatively the rates and corresponding extent of these processes in the long term. Numerous studies of the magnitudes and rates of surficial erosion and deposition that have been used to determine the minimum allowable depth for a geologic repository (300 m - NRC Code of Federal Regulations, Part 60.122, Draft 10) are cited in this report. Measurement and interpretation of potential rates and extent of surficial processes in these studies involved considerable uncertainty, and the implications of this uncertainty on presently proposed repository siting criteria are addressed herein. Important concepts that should be considered when developing siting criteria to protect against deleterious effects arising from future erosion or deposition are highlighted. Erosion agents that could affect deep repositories are distinguished in this report so that their individual and combined impacts may be examined. This approach is recommended when evaluating potential repository sites in diverse environments that are susceptible to different agents of erosion. In contrast, agents of …

The design, operation, calibration, and performance of albedo neutron dosimeters are discussed. An albedo neutron dosimeter is designed to measure the flux of thermal neutrons which leave the body when a person is exposed to fast energy neutrons. The fast neutrons are scattered and moderated in the body, and many have lost most of their initial energy and emerge as thermal neutrons. The albedo neutron dosimeter is designed to detect this flux of thermal neutrons by using a thermal neutron detector. This could be any type of thermal neutron detector but in practical applications lithium fluoride (LiF) thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) are most frequently used. Various types of albedo neutron dosimeters are described. (WHK)

Using the general expression for the ponderomotive Hamiltonian, the quasi-static quasi-neutral density change caused by the ponderomotive force of a cold magnetoplasma wave of arbitrary frequency and polarization is obtained. This formula agrees with and extends previous results for unmagnetized and magnetized plasma.

The four experimental through-tubes provided in the Experimental Gas Cooled Reactor will extend directly through the core of the reactor and penetrate both the upper and lower pressure vessel heads. Each tube is anchored in an upper head nozzle and the bottom end is allowed to slide in a lower head nozzle. This lower nozzle is basically a T'' section that provides bottom access to the through-tube and a side access for the piping which connects the throughtube to the experimenter's cell. Due to differential thermal expansion of the through- tubes relative to the reactor pressure vessel, vertical movement of the through- tube within the T'' section will be experienced. At the same time a horizontal thrust applied to each tube by thermal expansion of the piping to the experimental cell will result in metalto-metal contact between each tube and the lower T'' section. Tests were conducted on three types of bearing material proposed for use on the through-tubes and T'' sections to minimize galling which can be expected to occur. Stellite No. 12 has been demonstrated to be an adequate bearing material for the intended application. (auth)

RODCON, a finite difference computer code, was developed to calculate the internal temperature distribution of the fuel rod simulator (FRS) for the Core Flow Test Loop (CFTL). RODCON solves the implicit, time-dependent forward-differencing heat transfer equation in 2-dimensional (Rtheta) cylindrical coordinates at an axial plane with user specified radial material zones and surface conditions at the FRS periphery. Symmetry of the boundary conditions of coolant bulk temperatures and film coefficients at the FRS periphery is not necessary.

Progress on the gas-cooled reactor program is reported. Separate abstracts were prepared for each of the 14 sections. (M.C.G.)

A system for generating detailed tables of gamma ray cross section data has been devised for use on the IBM7090 computer. This sy;tem obviates the preparation of large amounts of cross section data. It also provides a scheme for rapid access to these tabulated values. (auth)

Muons that result from the collisions of protons in the ISABELLE beams with other nucleons introduce important background or signal for experiments. Their ability to pass through the conductors and steel of ISABELLE magnets results in complicated trajectories. Some oscillate about quasistable orbits and are called ''trapped.'' A number of typical trajectories were plotted, and flux estimates were made with a Monte Carlo program, HALO. Trapping tends to reduce shielding requirements somewhat, but the effect does not appear to be a very large one from these initial investigations. More aspects need to be studied, and HALO appears to be a useful tool for doing so.

I have performed high signal-to-noise (SN /equals/ 300 to 500) observations of interstellar CH/sup /plus// at Lick Observatory and at CTIO of the reddened, early-type stars HD 183143, HD 24432, and HD 157038 in an effort to probe the existence of a /sup 12/C/sup 13/C abundance gradient in our Galaxy.

Screening criteria and specifications are recommended to aid in the evaluation of sites proposed for nuclear waste disposal in basalt and domed salt. The recommended new criteria proposed in this report are intended to supplement existing repository-related criteria for nuclear waste disposal. The existing criteria are contained in 10 CFR 60 sections which define siting criteria of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and ONWI 33(2) which defines siting criteria of the Office of Nuclear Waste Isolation (ONWI) for the Department of Energy. The specifications are conditions or parameter values that the authors recommend be applied in site acceptance evaluations. The siting concerns covered in this report include repository depth, host rock extent, seismic setting, structural and tectonic conditions, groundwater and rock geochemistry, volcanism, surface and subsurface hydrology, and socioeconomic issues, such as natural resources, land use, and population distribution.

In 1989 CDF collected data in special high beta runs with a trigger selecting elastic and inelastic events in order to measure the total cross section ({sigma}{sub tot}) and the differential elastic cross section (d{sigma}{sub el}/dt). Data were taken at cms energies of 300, 540, 1000 and 1800 GeV. A double arm magnetic spectrometer located along the beam pipe tags the particles scattered at very small angles and tracking detectors surrounding the interaction point reveal particles produced at larger angles. We discuss the status of the analysis of elastic and inelastic events with emphasis on the event selection and the background subtraction. 5 refs., 14 figs., 3 tabs.

An experimental arrangement consisting of an ultrahigh vacuum bell jar equipped with an internal sample isolation cell was used to investigate the hydrogenation of CO over Fe and Rh surfaces. This apparatus permitted both UHV surface characterization (Auger electron spectroscopy, low-energy electron diffraction) and high pressure (1-20 atm) catalytic reactions to be carried out. Small surface area (approximately 1 cm/sup 2/) metal samples, both single crystals and polycrystalline foils, were used to catalyze the H/sub 2//CO reaction at high pressures (1-6 atm). Reaction products were monitored with a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector. The surface compositions of the metal samples were determined before and after the reaction and the results correlated with the observed product distributions and reaction rates. In addition, the influence of various surface additives (carbon, oxygen, potassium) was also investigated. Iron was the more reactive of the two metals studied and was found to produce C/sub 1/-C/sub 5/ straight chain hydrocarbons but it poisoned rapidly. The catalytically active surface of both metals was covered with a carbonaceous monolayer. The carbonaceous monolayer was stable on the rhodium surface and produced C/sub 1/-C/sub 4/ hydrocarbons at a steady rate even after several hours of reaction. The …

A proposal is made for extending to processes involving baryons the ordered Hilbert space approach to the topological expansion. The proposal is based on a topological classification scheme for baryonic processes that is similar to one used previously for the lowest-order contributions, but is in terms of the minimum number of reggeon closed loops instead of handles.

A dual carbon-nitrogen biological model of the upper ocean has been developed, which has successfully allowed predictions of fluxes of carbon between atmosphere and the deep ocean to made. Regarding studying the carbon cycle in the ocean, the modelling has highlighted the need for a good understanding of the interactions between the carbon and nitrogen cycles, and also the importance of zooplankton grazing and levels of overwintering biological stocks. Problems have been encountered with the accuracy of prediction of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in the surface ocean, and the sensitivity of the model to zooplankton parameters, and those parameters which effect overwintering stocks (e.g. mortality parameters). The model has recently been incorporated into a physical General Circulation Model of the Atlantic Ocean. Future work will involve assessing the performance of the biological model in General Circulation Models, and making necessary refinements in order to improve its predictive ability. 1 ref., 1 fig.

A solvent extraction process is being evaluated for the secondary recovery of plutonium and americium from Rocky Flats waste streams. The bidentate organophosphorus compounds dihexyl-N,N-diethylcarbamylmethylene phosphonate and its dibutyl analogue have been shown to be selective extractants for the actinides from solutions of nitric acid. The results from laboratory test runs in which the organophosphorus extractants were used for processing secondary waste solutions will be presented. Solvent extractant properties and purification procedures are discussed.

ABS>The results are presented of critical water height measurements made on close-packed lattices of Spert III, highly enriched, plate-type, stainless- steel-clad fuel elements. Experiments were conducted with cores containing no control rods and with cores containing a single, fully-inserted control rod. The "clean critical" data obtained in these experiments were used to test the validity of various aspects of a four-group, diffusion theory analysis of the full scale Spert III reactor. The results of the analyses of the rod-free and single-rodded critical lattices show that for such stainless steel cores k/sub eff/ can be calculated to within 1% DELTA k and that the Spert III control rod worth is calculable to a few tenths % DELTA k. (auth)

The BCD Silicon strip Vertex Detector is constructed of 10 identical central region modules and 18 similar forward region modules. This memo describes a method of assembling these modules from individual silicon wafers. Each wafer is fitted with associated front end electronics and cables and has been tested to insure that only good wafers reach the final assembly stage. 5 figs.