This is the University of California, Radiation Laboratory monthly progress report for May 1948. It discusses the following: (1) 184-inch Cyclotron Program; (2) 60-inch Cyclotron Program; (3) Synchrotron Program; (4) Linear Accelerator Program; (5) Experimental Physics; (6) Theoretical Physics, (7) Isotope Separation Program; (8) Chemistry Departments; (9) Medical Physics; and (10) Health Physics and Chemistry.

The following outline of the requirements for the Redox Production Plant design is transmitted to the Kellex Corporation by the General Electric Company to be used in carrying out the assignment directed by Work Authority C-187-C. This outline briefly describes the critical features of design and emphasizes the General Electric desires for certain types of process and engineering design. The purpose of this transmittal is to outline the minimum requirements as to process flow sheet and design criteria to initiate the carrying out of this assignment by Kellex Corporation. This document was originally produced on May 22, 1948 and was declassified on July 28, 1994.

Determinations of the density and coefficient of thermal expansions of postum (Polonium 210) were attempted on 20 curies of polonium as obtained from production foils.

The operation of the Fast Reactor is considered in terms of normal equilibrium conditions and normal shut-down. The proposed loading, control rod adjustment and subsequent "floating" operation are discussed. Safety devices and interlocks are described. Temperature and reactivity changes are examined with respect to various system failures, phase changes, and "flashing" of the reactor. Slow changes due to faulty slug cooling are also considered. The calculations were initially based upon 10 kw operation. Performance tests of the mercury system now indicate that 20-kw operation may be feasible. (D.E.B.)

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This progress report discusses activities of the P Division for the month of April, 1948. The D and F Piles operated at 275 megawatts throughout April except for scheduled outages. Each operating area had an extended outage to remove a portion of the brick from the wall which runs across the rear edge of the top of the unit and to replace the vertical neoprene seal between the front face and the experimental side shields. This program described in detail under Mechanical Experience. The B-Pile was maintained in standby condition with a water flow of 10,150 gallons/minute. The 100 Area discharge rate continued at 60 tons per month. The exclusive use of lead dipped 4 inch slugs fabricated from alpha rolled or alpha extruded metal was started effective April 1. Work was stated April 12 in the 300 Area on a program of decanning 160 tons of 8 inch gamma extruded triple-dip canned pieces which were not considered good risks for pile operation. The slug recovery operation was placed on a 2 shift per day schedule on April 19 to expedite this work so that the metal can be recast and rolled at the earliest moment. The 300 Area canning …

Operation of the 100F pile is reported on. Ongoing construction is described; detailing population and occupancy. Visitors and the Schenectady report are discussed. A copy of the June 4 letter from Carleton Shugg to Carrol L. Wilson pertaining to flooding of the Columbia and Yakima rivers is included.

This brief report provides recommendations on handling of radioactive materials in the laboratory

A theoretical discussion of the formation and steady state kinetic behavior of metal complexes is provided.

The radioactive amino acid's synthesized from C{sup 14}O{sub 2} by green algae both in the light and in the dark after CO{sub 2}-free preillumination have been separated and identified using paper chromatography and radioautography. The radioactive amino acids identified were aspartic acid, alanine and smaller amounts of 3- and 4-carbon amino acids. This finding as well as the total absence of radioactive glutamic acid substantiates the mechanism for reduction of CO{sub 2} previously postulated by members of this laboratory.

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This quarterly progress report describes four programs namely (1) The Metabolic Properties of Plutonium and Allied Materials (2) Biological studies of radiation effects, (3) Biological effects of radiation from external and internal sources, and (4) Health Physics and Chemistry. Progress for each program has been separately indexed and abstracted for the database.

This report gives a short summary of each of the following programs: (1) 184-inch Cyclotron Program; (2) 60-inch Cyclotron Program; (3) Synchrotron Program; (4) Linear Accelerator Program; (5) Experimental Physics; (6) Theoretical Physics; (7) Chemistry; (8) Medical Physics; and (9) Health Physics and Chemistry.