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A pile oscillator was designed, constructed, and operated at the Battelle Research Reactor. This pile oscillator cycles a specimen and a standard in the same container through an annular ion chamber located in the thermal column. This almost simultaneous oscillation of the standard and specimen eliminates errors caused by power drifts or fluctuations. The use of a continuous graphite rod for the container or carrier reduces undesirable scattering effects of the carrier. The oscillator was calibrated using the cross section of gold foil as a standard. Effects of geometry on measured cross sections were investigated. In general, larger samples gave higher apparent crosssection values than thin foils of comparable cross sections. Most measurements to date were made on powdered-metal samples. Values obtained at Battelle are presented and compared with values from Oak Ridge on similar samples. At present the sensitivity of the oscillator is limited to total absorption cross sections on the order of 1 mm/sup 2/ for accurate crosssection data. The limit of the accuracy of the measurements is approximately the accuracy to which the absorption cross section of the standard sample is known. An analysis of the errors indicates that cross sections on the order of 1 mm/sup …

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As part of the over-all program of investigation of the rheological properties of aqueous thorium oxide slurries, a capillary-tube viscometer was designed for routine determiation of shear diagrams of slurries over a temperature range of 30 to 85 deg C. A particular feature of this viscometer is the vertical oricntation of the capillary tube which minimizes the effect on the results obtained with dilate, rapidly settling slurries. (auth)

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This report describes the development of work that began as an investigation of photosynthesis and that continues in this direction, but which has as a new product some entirely strngly results. Photosynthesis, the process upon which all life on earth today is ultimately dependent, achieves the conversion of electromagnetic energy from the sun into chemical energy in the form of plant material by the reduction of CO{sub 2} from the atmosphere with the liberation of O{sub 2} to the atmosphere. It has been possible to describe in some detail the way in which the plant accomplishes the reduction of carbon dioxide, using radioactive carbon as a tracer. The status of the present knowledge, and how they attained it, together with some prospectus of the future and what we can look forward to, is the principal theme of this discussion.

A compilation of available data on the spectra of thorium is presented, including energy levels and classified lines with Zeeman effects and isotope shifts, as well as certain data on unclassified lines. The present status of knowledge of these spectra is discussed. (auth)

The status of the research and development of the Yankee Power Reactor is briefly summarized. (For preceding period see YAEC-66.) (M.H.R.)

An investigation of trim from the HRP Dump Valve Test Loop revealed that performance improved with increasing poppet hardness. From this it was hypothesized that deformation of softer poppets increased the poppet-seat contact area, thus reducing the closing pressure. The deformation areas of a number of poppets were measured and the closing pressures calculated. A plot of closing pressure against leak rate showed a fair correlation and tends to support the hypothesis. (auth)

The recent Windscale incident has emphasized the need for available light aircraft and proper instrumentation for aerial surveys following a release of large quantities of airborne radioactive materials. Early tests (1951 and 1955) are reviewed, and the program now in effect at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory is presented. (auth)

Results are given from studies on: mechanical properties of Zircaloy-2; preparation of Al--U alloys; effects of N, Ca, Zr, and Mo on electrical properties of UO/sub 2/; effect of chloride, fluoride, and sulfate contamination on corrosion of type 304ELC stainless steel in boiling HNO/sub 3/; density of Mallinckrodt slag and MgF/sub 2/-base materials; development of gamma-phase U alloys; preparation of U--Nb alloys; oxidation of Nb and Nb alloys in dry air at 1000 and 1200 deg C; thermal expansion of UBe/sub 13/ and UC; phases and compositions in C --N--U system; creep of arc-cast Ta during exposure to high- temperature Nas pressure bonding of PWR fuel platess evaluation of UC as reactor fuels and fabrication of UO/sub 2/ fuel pellets for NMSR loop tests. (For preceding period see BMI-1259.) (T.R.H.)

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Shielding Computer Program 04-0 is available for computing reactor- shield weight and fast neutron and gamma ray dose rates in and around complex resctorshield assemblies. Reactor and shield geometries are described by combinations of regions formed by rotating rectangles or trapezoids about the reactor axis or by translating rectangles parallel to the reactor axis. Compositions are expressed as volume fractions for each material in the reactor- shield assembly. A cylindrical coordinate system is used to describe the location and dimensions of a volume source. Source distributions are assumed separable and may be described by cosine functions. A modification of the Albert- Welton theory of neutron attenuation is used for fast neutron dose rate calcuiations. Combination of buildup factors is used with exponential attenuation to compute gamma ray dose rates. The program requires four magnetic tape units and two frames of magnetic core memory on an IBM 704. Magnetic drum memory is

An analysis of the temperature structure in the CCR-2 fuel elements and coolant stream at the position where the maximum fuel element surface temperature exists is presented. Results were obtained by numerical methods on the IBM 704 digital computer. The effect of variation in channel size is shown, and a method of data correlation is suggested. Preliminary conclusions are presented as to the effect of temperature structure on the design and testing of gas cooled reactor fuel element configurations. In view of the rate at which gas cooled reactor work is proceeding results of the calculations are being published in their current incomplete form. The study is continuing in an effort to refine the calculations, and experimental data will eventually be available with which to verify the analytical conclusions. (auth)

Various heat transfer mechanisms which have been previously proposed are analyzed in the light of recent experiments. Evidence is presented in favor of a liquid-vapor exchange mechanism and against the widely accepted "micro-convection" mechanism. The vapor-liquid exchange rnechanism is shown to explain the insensltivity of boiling heat flux to the level of subcooling. A "Reynolds Analogy" for nucleate boiling is presented in some detail. A procedure is given for calculating the superheat at which the liquid bulk velocity ceases to contribute to the heat flux. An expression for the growth of a vapor bubble in a highly superheated liquid is deduced. A method is presented which allows the deduction of correlations for nucleate boiling which give the dependence of heat flux on superheat and system pressure. Two such correlations are presented and results are compared with experiment. It is shown that one correlation yields the heat flux for different liquids varying from water to mercury, without necessitating any change in constant or exponent of the correlation. (auth)

Shielded enclosures equipped with viewing devices and remote-hauling equipment for use in experiments and processes involving radioactivity are referred to as hot cells. The hot cell includes the biological shield enclosing the working space, viewing devices, special ventilating equipment, and special equipment for use in the hot cells, such as manipulators, cranes, machine tools, and measuriag devices. A hot cave is the same as a hot cell. A junior hot cave is a small-sized hot cave. A summary is presented of pertinent data on hot cells in use at various AEC installations. (C.H.)

A formal mathematical description of the time dependence of activity in the maln coolant loop of a pressurized water reactor resulting from the discontinuous release of core contalned fission products is developed. The description accounts for the deposition, re-solution, and demineralization of activities due to one, two, and three member mass chnins- A description of the IBM-650 WOLONTIS Code No. S0168, which numerically evaluates the various activities discussed, is given in the appendix along with the input data and results for a pair of exemplifying problems. (auth)

This bibliography is a compilation of titles to unclassified reports, journal articles, and conference papers. The individual papers are divided into sections according to the year in which they appeared. (M.H.R.)

The results of an experimental investigation of heat transfer to a high velocity, vortex air flow are presented. Heat-transfer coefficients have been observed for vortex flow in tubes which are larger thaa those for linear turbulent flow at a given flow power dlssipation per unit surface area. Comparisons are drawn between air in free- and forced-vortec flow within tubes having length-to-diameter ratios of 11.7 and 20.0, respectively. and linear turbulent flow in identical tubes. For the observed range of flow power disslpation, the freevortex flow system is characterized by a heat-transfer coefficieut one to two hundred per cent larger than that calculated for linear turbuleut flow at the same pumping power. The forced-vortex flow system exhibits a superiority over linear flow only at high flow powers. (auth)

From the standpoint of erosion, a long dump line may be preferable to a throttling dump valve to achieve the pressure drop from the HRE-3 slurry blanket to the dump tank. Extended length HRE-3 dump lines in which the maximum average velocity is 20 fps, the smallest allowable line size is 1/2 in., and the time for dumping is 10 minutes are investigated. Twenty-six parallel 1/2-in. Sch. 80 pipes, each 725 ft long, or four parallel 1 1/2-in. Sch. 80 pipes each 2,000 ft long are required. To avoid localized velocities considerably higher than 20 fps as a result ef flashing, these pipes can be submerged in a 25,000 gal pool of water initially at 135 deg F and with 40 deg F allowable temperature rise. It can be concluded that if the velocity, line size, and dumping time are limited to the values listed above, use of restrictor piping to achieve the pressure drop is not very practical. If higher velocities and flashing are allowed, a cursory study indicates that for an average velocity in the range from 100 to 200 fps, one 1 1/4-in. (or smaller) line of less than 250-ft length could be used. Flashing would occur, …

For presentation at the American Chemical Society's Nuclear Technology Symposium, Boston, Apr. 5-10, Information is presented from studies with materials and conditions simulating those expected in anm aqueous homogeneous reactor for the formation of insoluble corrosion and fission products in aqueous UO/sub 2/ SO/sub 4/ solutions used as a reactor fuel. Sulfate salts which become insoluble as the temperature inereases deposited preferentially and reversibly on hot walls. Oxides from hydrolysis of sulfate salts deposit on any surfaces while insoluble corrosion products released into the solution show variable degrees of circulation. (auth)

The compound RbU/sub 6/F/sub 25/ has a hexagonal crystal structure with the parameters a/sub o/ = 8.195 plus or minus 0.002 A and c/sub o/ = 16.437 plus or minus 0.002 A. This compound is believed to be isomorphous to KU/sub 6/F/sub 25/ and KTh/sub 6/F/sub 25/. (auth) uranium hexafluoride -chlorine trifluoride -hydrogen fluoride from a knowledge of the behavior of the three binary systems. The conditions under which chlorine trifluoride and hydrogen fluoride could be removed from uranium hexafluoride by fractional distillation are discussed. (auth)

These two parts were issued separately, but are cataloged as a unit. The two compounds Na/sub 4/U/sub 3/F/sub 17/ and Na/sub 3/Th/sub 2/F/sub 11/ were found to have a face-centered cubic structure. From parameter dimensions and intensity values these two compounds appear to be isomorphous. Na/sub 5/U/sub 3/F/sub 17/ has an identical cell size with alpha -Na/sub 2//UF/sub 6/. A group of three compounds (Rb/sub 2/ThF/sub Rb/sub 2/ZrF/sub 6/, and CsZrF/sub 6/) were reliably identified as being uniaxial by use of their optical properties. These compounds were tentatively indexed on the basis of data obtained from powder x-ray spectrometer patterns found to best fit a hexagonal unit cell. (W.L.H.)

The study of interactions and decay of K mesons continued, using the 10- inch liquid hydrogen bubble chamber and emulsions. Four emulsion stacks were exposed for two internal groups and twenty-three stacks were exposed for seventeen groups from outside the Laboratory. Interactions of pi /sup -/ mesons were observed with a 30-inch propane bubble chamber and with emulsions. Ten emulsion stacks were exposed to neutral-particle beams and one stack to the internal 6.2-Bev proton beam. The 30-inch propane bubble chamber and emulsions were used to study the interactions of antiprotons. Eighteen target bombardments in the internal proton beam were made for the chemistry group. Successful tests were completed of two static-electromagnetic velocity spectrometers for the separation of highenergy particles. One was of coaxial construction, the other of parallel-plate construction. (For preceding period see UCRL-6114.) (auth)