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The concept of the external-fuel thermionic converter, in which the fuel surrounds an inner emitter annulus, is introduced and the major advantages of its use in a thermionic reactor are discussed. In-core reactors, ranging from 15-ekW to megawatts, can be designed based on external-fuel converter modules of fixed emitter and collector dimensions. Sizes and weights of typical reactors in this power range are shown.

The three-dimensional ideal gas flow in the shock layer of a blunted supersonic cone at an angle of attack is calculated using two asymptotic solutions. The first solution calculates the steady state flow in the subsonic nose region by obtaining a time-dependent solution of the hyperbolic equations using numerical techniques. Internal, nonboundary points are calculated using a Lax-Wendroff numerical type technique. Boundary points, shock and body surface, are computed using a time-dependent method of characteristics. When a steady state solution is reached the flow properties on a surface of constant {theta}, (where the Mach number is everywhere > 1) are used for initial data for the afterbody solution. The afterbody solution, using polar coordinates (r, {theta}, {phi}) assumes at r{sub 0} an arbitrary set of initial conditions provided by the nose region solution and computes the downstream flow as a function of {theta}, {phi}, and r until an asymptotic state independent of r develops. The interior mesh points are again calculated using a Lax- Wendroff type technique and the boundary points by a method of characteristics. This report covers the coupling of the time-dependent and radius (r) dependent solutions. Instructions are given for the operation of the resulting Fortran code. …

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Drosophila melanogaster adults are irradiated and then mated to flies containing genetic markers and/or crossover suppressors in all chromosomes. Appropriate genetic schemes are followed to obtain balanced stocks of entire treated genomes. Each chromosome of each genome is observed for visibles, lethals, detrimentals and sterility factors. Tests are made for translocations involving any combination of chromosomes. All chromosomes of each genome are examined cytologically for possible deficiencies, inversions, transpositions, etc. and to determine the break points of the translocations. It is believed that a study such as this will give us a far better idea of the overall magnitude of radiation-induced genetic damage and a better insight into the nature of this damage, expecially the inter­-relationships between the different kinds of genetic alterations, than has heretofore been possible with studies of selected types of damage in selected chromosomes or loci.

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Measurements of radioactivity in 277 children were completed at the fourth Pasco Elementary School on February 16. Whole-body counting of children at the fifth elementary school began on February 21, following lectures to 12 classrooms in grades one through six. Analysis of pheasants, quail and chukar shot locally revealed that only birds collected in the vicinity of the Columbia River contained detectable P{sup 32} and Zn{sup 65}. In decreasing order of concentrations the three species ranked chukar > pheasant > quail. Heads of the birds consistently contained more of these two radionuclides than the edible flesh by factors varying up to 20. A ca5% sample of local hunters was drawn from Washington State Game Department records in February. A questionnaire designed to gather data on hunting and consumption of game birds by local residents will be mailed to these 657 people in March. The results will aid in defining the importance of game-bird consumption to local environmental radiation doses. Diet distributions of Richland and Benton City elementary school pupils were computed this month. Consumptions of various foods were determined for various age groups of boys and of girls.

Analysis of Columbia River temperature trends indicates conformity with those previously reported. Despite unusually high average temperatures, the temperatures of the upper and lower extremes continued to converge on the mean. The construction of the John Day Dam is expected to have little temperature effect other than a delay of ten days in the timing of the annual temperature peak. Measurements of radioactivity in 465 children were completed at the third Pasco elementary school on January 12. Whole-body counting at the fourth school began on January 24, following lectures to the staff and 17 classrooms. The whole-body counter was recalibrated for K{sup 40} and Zn{sup 65} in late January. Only small modifications in the calibration factors over those currently employed are expected. Washington State Game Department personnel have supplied sufficient pheasant and quail samples shot near the Columbia River for comparison of radionuclide content between species and collection of these samples has been discontinued. The Department of Game continues to supply ``road-kills`` for radiochemical analysis in exchange for x-ray data on the number of birds which contain shot. A game-bird questionnaire for mailing to a statistical sample of Tri-City hunting license holders was drafted in January.

This document reports on direct AEC sponsored programs (Columbia River studies); assistance to Douglas United Nuclear (N-Reactor); assistance to Atlantic Richfield Hanford Company (Purex Process, B-Plant, Z-Plant); and technical assistance to the Hanford Plant (environment, dosimetry).

The document is presented to provide general management requirements for Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) and contractor design and development quality assurance programs to assure the required quality level of the various items required for the FFTF. The document is applicable as imposed by the contract to FFTF contractors and subcontractors. The document is also applicable to PNL design and development activities related to the FFTF.

A progress report is presented on the activities at LRL in connection with electron-ring accelerators. A two-stage compressor unit (employing only low-intensity beams) has been built, and operated with a 4-MeV 100-mA linac as an injector. Electron rings have been formed and compressed from 20 cm radius to 7 cm radius. A three-stage compression unit has been constructed and is now under test with the high intensity (200 A) 3.3-MeV beam of the Astron injector. The apparatus is described. Design work on a magnetic expansion unit is reported.

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The reaction pp {yields} {pi}{sup +}d resulting from the high energy cosmic rays incident on the interstellar hydrogen gas gives rise to secondary deuterons. Since the total cross section for this reaction is appreciable only at proton kinetic energies of 600 MeV, the deuterons have a very small spread in energy. It is estimated that the flux of deuterons from this mechanism should be easily discernible from deuterons produced by other reactions and copious enough to be detected at the earth. The narrow deuteron energy distribution could provide an energy calibration for the study of the existence of a postinjection acceleration.

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An important limitation on the design of an inpile thermionic reactor is the fast neutron irradiation damage to the insulators, which is expressed quantitatively by the energy weighted neutron flux, or damage flux. The behavior of the damage flux has been investigated for a set of hypothetical critical assemblies containing different types of fuel and different amounts of moderator. It is shown that for a given fuel, the damage flux is reduced by moderating the neutron spectrum, and for a given amount of moderator the damage flux is reduced by increasing the amount of fuel in the fuel pin. Some effects of damage flux considerations on reactor design are also shown.

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