Excitation functions have been measured, using a 38-Mev alpha-beam and a 19-Mev deuteron beam for the following reactions: Bi({alpha},2n)At{sup 211}, Bi({alpha},3n)At{sup 210}, Bi(d,p)Ra E, Bi(d,n)Po{sup 210}, and Bi(d,3n)Po{sup 209}. The results are summarized in Figs. 4 and 5 and Tables I and II. A new isotope of astatine, At{sup 210}, has been identified; this isotope has a half life of 8.3 hr., decaying by K-capture to Po{sup 210} with the emission of a 1.0-Mev gamma-ray and a few conversion electrons.

In an attempt to detect a possible influence of the atomic electrons on the radioactive decay constant of Be{sup 7} they have measured {lambda}{sub Be}-{lambda}{sub BeO} and found (-3.0 {+-} 1.8) 10{sup -4} {lambda}{sub Be}. They describe also a method to measure mean lives of radioactive substances in a time short compared with the mean life.

The dark fixation of carbon dioxide by green algae has been investigated and found to be closely related to photosynthesis fixation. By illumination in the absence of carbon dioxide followed by treatment with radioactive carbon dioxide in the dark, the amount fixed has been increased ten to twenty fold. This rate of maximum fixation approaches photosynthesis maximum rates. The majority of the radioactive products formed under these conditions have been identified and isolated and the distribution of labeled carbon determined. From these results a tentative scheme for the mechanism of photosynthesis is set forth.

This paper reports on 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) Isotope Separation Program; (8) Chemistry; and (9) Medical Physics.

The authors have produced and identified two new series of alpha-particle emitting radioactive elements; one is a 'collateral' branch of the actinium (4n + 3) radioactive family and the other is collateral to the thorium (4n) family. The series are of considerable interest in that they are the first whose early members lie on the neutron deficient side of beta stability. They have been produced in high yield of irradiation of thorium with deuterons of energy about {sup 80}Mev in the Berkeley 184-inch cyclotron. So far as the present observations are concerned both of these series begin with isotopes of protactinium (atomic number 91), although progenitors with higher atomic numbers are to be expected and will possibly be produced and identified. These protactinium isotopes are Pa{sup 227} and Pa{sup 228} formed by d,7n and d,6n reactions respectively.

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.

In the course of a rather cursory examination of the elution of tetra-positive ions from the cation exchange resin Dowex 50 with hydrochloric acid solutions, the authors have discovered a very effective method of separating zirconium from hafnimu. In view of the great labor involved in preparing even reasonably pure hafnium compounds by existing methods, they feel that this procedure will prove very valuable to those interested in obtaining hafnium compounds free of zirconium. Although the conditions which give satisfactory separation were first worked out using microgram amounts of material and the radioactive tracer technique, the run described here, involving milligrams of material, illustrates the applicability of the method to the production of significant amounts of pure hafnium and zirconium.

Magnetic susceptibilities per gram atomic weight of elements 92 to 95 in most of their oxidation states were measured on 0.1 ml of solution which was 0.007 to 0.09 M in heavy element. The values obtained (all paramagnetic) in c.g.s. units x 10{sup 6} were: U(IV), 3690; Np(VI), 2060; Np(V), 4120; Np(IV), 4000; Pu(IV), 1610; Pu(III), 370; Am(III), 720. The results could be interpreted only on the basis of electronic configurations 5f{sup n}, even though susceptibilities were generally lower than the theoretical values and lower than experimental values for corresponding lanthanide cations. The lower values should be expected as a result of the Stark effect produced by fields of anions and of water dipoles. Failure of the Russell-Saunders approximation to the coupling between electrons may account for some of the error in the theoretical calculations. Wider multiplet splitting in the actinides accounts for the fact that the susceptibilities of Pu(III) and Am(III) are many-fold lower than those of Sm(III) and Eu (III) respectively.

The decay scheme of a 4.2 second neutron emitter has been investigated in detail. Chemical and physical evidence shows that it is N{sup 17}, which emits beta rays to a broad excited state of O{sup 17}, which then breaks up into a neutron plus O{sup 16}. The energy spectrum of the neutrons is determined by measuring the energies of the O{sup 16} recoils in a proportional counter. The neutrons have a most probable energy of 0.9 Mev, a 'half width' of less than .5 Mev, and an upper limit of about 2 Mev. {beta}-recoil coincidences are observed, as predicted by the Bohr-Wheeler theory, and the {beta}-ray energy is measured by absorption. The beta rays in coincidence with neutrons have an upper limit of 3.7 {+-} 0.2 Mev. Beta-rays directly to the ground stat of O{sup 17} are not observed because of high background effects, but should have an energy of 8.7 Mev. Some evidence is presented to show that energy is conserved in the {beta}-n transition through the broad excited state in O{sup 17}.

All of the available evidence leads to the view that the 5f electron shell is being filled in the heaviest elements giving rise to a transition series which begins with actinium in the same sense that the rare earth or 'lanthanide' series begins with lanthanum. Such an 'actinide' series is suggested on the basis of evidence in the following lines: (1) chemical properties, (2) absorption spectra in aqueous solution and crystals, (3) crystallographic structure data, (4) magnetic susceptibility data and (5) spectroscopic data. The salient point is that the characteristic oxidation state (i.e., the oxidation state exhibited by the member containing seven 5f and presumably also by the member containing fourteen 5f electrons, curium and element 103) is the III state, and the group is placed in the periodic table on this basis. The data also make it possible to give a suggested table of electronic configurations of the ground state of the gaseous atom for each of the elements from actinium to curium inclusive.

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.

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.

Although the overall reaction of photosynthesis can be specified with some degree of certainty (CO{sub 2} + H{sub 2}O + light {yields} sugars + possibly other reduced substances), the intermediates through which the carbon passes during the course of this reduction have, until now, been largely a matter of conjecture. The availability of isotopic carbon, that is, a method of labeling the carbon dioxide, provides the possibility of some very direct experiments designed to recognize these intermediates and, perhaps, help to understand the complex sequence and interplay of reactions which must constitute the photochemical process itself. The general design of such experiments is an obvious one, namely the exposure of the green plant to radioactive carbon dioxide and light under a variety of conditions and for continually decreasing lengths of time, followed by the identification of the compounds into which the radioactive carbon is incorporated under each condition and time period. From such data it is clear that in principle, at least, it should be possible to establish the sequence of compounds in time through which the carbon passes on its path from carbon dioxide to the final products. In the course of shortening the photosynthetic times, one times, one …

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

The synthesis of sucrose from C{sup 14}0{sub 22} by green algae has been investigated and the intermediates separated by the method of paper chromatography. It is shown that sucrose is the first free sugar appearing during photosynthesis. It is apparently formed by condensation of the glucose-I-phosphate and a fructose phosphate. A series of radioautographs of paper chromatograms of extracts from plants which have photosynthesized for different periods of time has been prepared. The results indicate that 2-phosphoglyceric acid is the first product synthesized from C0{sub 2} during photosynthesis.

It has been found that the carbon dioxide obtained from the decarboxylation of singly-carboxyl labeled malonic acid is impoverished in the C{sup 14} label and that the acetic acid formed is correspondingly enriched.

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

This progress report discusses activities at the P Division for the month of November 1948. All piles operated at 275 megawatts (MW) throughout the month except for outages listed under Area Activities in this report and except that F Pile operated at a reduced level during the first half of the month. This operation at reduced level was incident to the leaking process tube reported last month. A total of 81.4 tons of metal was discharged from the piles during the month. The 300 Area canned a total of 150 tons of acceptable slugs during the month to establish a new production record. On November 29 the operating schedule for the Melt Plant was changed from a three-shift to a two-shift, six-day week schedule. The backlog of material largely had been worked off and the new schedule is adequate for processing the current accumulation of scrap.

Quantities of the order of ten million to 100 million radioactive particles per month were emitted from the stacks over a period of several months. High activity in the range 0.1 to 3..mu..c was probably confined to large carrier particles of corrosion debris from iron ductwork in the separations plant ventilation air system. This report discusses chemical, physical and radiochemical properties of the particles, and possible biological and health effects of exposure to them. (ACR)

This report summarizes the contamination observed at the Hanford Works and vicinity for the period October, November, and December, 1947. Trend charts showing trend of contamination for the various sampling locations are only included where a true trend can be established for the three month period; a thorough analysis of all trends will be considered in detail in the annual report from this section. The report is divided into the following topic sections: Meteorological -- dissolving data; beta contamination in the air and the radiation levels in air; alpha and beta contamination in the Columbia River; beta contamination in the rain and snow; alpha and beta contamination in drinking water; beta contamination on vegetation; and alpha and beta contamination in Hanford Wastes. An appraisal and review of all the results is considered in detail for each section. Statistical analysis is used whenever possible to determine significant values and differences in levels of contamination measured.

This report summarizes the radioactive contamination measured at the Hanford Works and immediate plant areas for the quarter April, May, and June, 1948. Topics discussed are: Meteorology; airborne contamination; contamination in the Columbia and Yakima Rivers; and contamination in rain, drinking water, vegetation, and in Hanford Wastes.

Following the shutdown of the B Pile in March 1946 a method was devised for monitoring the sub-critical reactivity such that any significant change in neutron flux would be detected. This report summarizes the status of the unit until its start up in July 1948.

This report is a short communication concerning the performance of pilot plant sand filters at Building 292-B at Hanford Atomic Products Operation. (VC)

This report compares the activity and disintegration energy of fission products from metal under two conditions of exposure: 200 Megawatt-days integrated exposure over a period of 180 days, and 400 Megawatt-days integrated exposure over a period of 360 days. (JL)