A complex pattern of active faults occurs in the southern Amargosa Desert, southern Nye, County, Nevada. These faults can be grouped into three main fault systems: (1) a NE-striking zone of faults that forms the southwest extension of the left-lateral Rock Valley fault zone, in the much larger Spotted Range-Mine Mountain structural zone, (2) a N-striking fault zone coinciding with a NNW-trending alignment of springs that is either a northward continuation of a fault along the west side of the Resting Spring Range or a N-striking branch fault of the Pahrump fault system, and (3) a NW-striking fault zone which is parallel to the Pahrump fault system, but is offset approximately 5 km with a left step in southern Ash Meadows. These three fault zones suggest extension is occurring in an E-W direction, which is compatible with the {approximately}N10W structural grain prevalent in the Death Valley extensional region to the west.

This report covers the activities of LBL's Accelerator and Fusion Research Division (AFRD) during 1982. In nuclear physics, the Uranium Beams Improvement Project was concluded early in the year, and experimentation to exploit the new capabilities began in earnest. Technical improvement of the Bevalac during the year centered on a heavy-ion radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) as part of the local injector upgrade, and we collaborated in studies of high-energy heavy-ion collision facilities. The Division continued its collaboration with Fermilab to design a beam-cooling system for the Tevatron I proton-antiprotron collider and to engineer the needed cooling components for the antiproton. The high-field magnet program set yet another record for field strength in an accelerator-type dipole magnet (9.2 T at 1.8 K). The Division developed the design for the Advanced Light Source (ALS), a 1.3-GeV electron storage ring designed explicitly (with low beam emittance and 12 long straight sections) to generate high-brilliance synchrotron light from insertion devices. The Division's Magnetic Fusion Energy group continued to support major experiments at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and General Atomic Co. by developing positive-ion-based neutral-beam injectors. Progress was made toward converting our major source-test facility into a long-pulse national …

The alkali metal thermal to electric converter (AMTEC) is an electrochemical device for the direct conversion of heat to electrical energy with efficiencies potentially near Carnot. The future usefulness of AMTEC for space power conversion depends on the efficiency of the devices. Systems studies have projected from 15% to 35% thermal to electric conversion efficiencies, and one experiment has demonstrated 19% efficiency for a short period of time. Recent experiments in a recirculating test cell (RTC) have demonstrated sustained conversion efficiencies as high as 10.2% early in cell life and 9.7% after maturity. Extensive thermal and electrochemical analysis of the cell during several experiments demonstrated that the efficiency could be improved in two ways. First, the electrode performance could be improved. The electrode for these tests operated at about one third the power density of state of the art electrodes. The low power density was caused by a combination of high series resistance and high mass flow resistance. Reducing these resistances could improve the efficiency to greater than 10%. Second, the cell thermal performance could be improved. Efficiencies greater than 14% could be realized through reducing the radiative thermal loss. Further improvements to the efficiency range predicted by systems studies …

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