A scheme of glucose degradation has been validated by the use of intermediates of known isotopic composition. In this scheme: glucose {yields} lactic acid {yields} CO{sub 2} (C-3,4) + acetic acid {yields} CO{sub 2} (C-2,5) + acetone {yields} iodoform (C-1,6) + acetate (C-1,6; 2,5), it was found that (a) in the oxidation of lactic acid, approximately 4.7% of the acetic acid was oxidized to CO{sub 2}; and (b) under the conditions prescribed, BaCO{sub 3} from the degradation of Ba acetate contained approximately 1.5% of the activity of the methyl group.

This quarterly report discusses the following topics: (1) the metabolic properties of plutonium and allied materials; (2) biological studies of radiation effects; (3) biological effects of radiation from external and internal zones; and (4) health chemistry.

The procedure for estimation of heats of formation of compounds is illustrated by discussion of compounds of several of the elements of the actinide series. The procedure is particularly suited for lanthanide and actinide elements because of the similarity of the ionic radii and types of bonding.

A process hns been developed for impregnating graphite with U/sub 3/O/ sub 8/ in connection with the proposed use of such material for fuel rod elements in the Daniels' High Temperature Pile. The process as developed consists of five steps: Fabrication of the graphite in the desired shape; Pretreatment of the graphite by boiling in water and then firing in helium at 800 deg C; Impregnating the graphite by first evacuating the pretreated material and then admitting an aqueous uranyl nitrate solution whose concentration is etermined by the final uranium content desired in the raphite; Drying the impregnated graphite slowly under quilibrium conditions; and Conversion of the uranyl itrate to U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ by firing in helium at 800 deg C. By this process fuel rod elements have been made which contain as much as 19% U/sub 3/O/sub 8/ distributed uniformly throughout the graphite. The considerations leading to the choice of this process are discussed in this report, together with the alternate procedures which were investigated. (auth)

As work on the Columbia Basin irrigation project on the Columbia River is in the initial stages, the question of the effect of this project of the mineral content of the Columbia River has been raised. As an increase in dissolved mineral matter would seem to be likely, it was felt that quantitative estimate of the magnitude of this increase would be important, specifically with reference to the retaining of the demineralization plant at 100-D Area. Accordingly, a study has been made of the probable effect of the irrigation project on the chemical characteristics of the Columbia River.

It has been suggested in the past that special numbers of neutrons or protons in the nucleus form a particularly stable configuration.{sup1} The complete evidence for this has never been summarized, nor is it generally recognized how convincing this evidence is. That 20 neutrons or protons (Ca{sup40}) form a closed shell is predicted by the Hartree model. A number of calculations support this fact.{sup2} These considerations will not be repeated here. In this paper, the experimental facts indicating a particular stability of shells of 50 and 82 protons and of 50, 82, and 126 neutrons will be listed.

None

Much of the cloud chamber work has been directed toward obtaining the angular distribution of protons bombarded by deuterons from the 184-inch cyclotron. The observations have been restricted to those protons arising from neutrons of energy greater than 65 Mev. The cloud chamber used for this work is of 16-inch diruneter and employs a magnetic field of 14000 gauss. The chamber is filled with hydrogen at a pressure of 1/2 atmosphere; the vapor used is water and alchohol. Nearly 800 proton tracks were measured and calculated before analysis of the data indicated that the measuring procedure should be revised. They gave the angular and energy distributions shown in Figures 1 and 2. The discrepencies between the theoretical and experimental energy distribution of the neutrons shows that serious errors were being made. As a first check of possible sources of error, random parts of the data were remeasured. They indicated that errors in the measurements of the angles were being made that gave a mean deviation of about {+-} 2{sup o} in the beam angle and {+-} 4{sup o} in the dip angle. These errors were largest at large scatter angles. In addition, a more serious error occured in the measurements …

This is a monthly progress report on the following programs: (1) 184-inch Cyclotron; (2) 60-inch Cyclotron; (3) Synchrotron; (4) Linear Accelerator; (5) Experimental Physics; (6) Theoretical Physics; (7) Isotope Research; (8) Chemistry; (9) Medical Physics; and (10) Health Physics and Chemistry.