The recent production and identification of isotopes of elements with atomic numbers up to six higher than the target element through bombardment with hexapositive 120-Mev carbon ions made it seem worthwhile to apply this technique to the transuranium region. Accordingly, small pieces of natural uranium metal (about 0.5 mil thick and 205 cm by 0.6 cm area) were irradiated in the internal carbon ion beam in the Berkeley 60-inch cyclotron. Following the irradiations, the uranium was dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid containing hydrogen peroxide and a transplutonium fraction was isolated through the use of lanthanum fluoride, and lanthanum hydroxide precipitation steps followed by the ion exchange adsorption column procedure in which concentrated hydrochloric acid is used to separate the tripositive actinide elements from the rare earth elements. The transplutonium fractions in hydrochloric acid were evaporated as weightless films on platinum plates which were placed in the ionization chamber of the 48 channel pulse analyzer apparatus in order to measure the yield and energies of any alpha-particles which might be present. In the best experiment at about one hour after the end of the 90-minute bombardment, some 50 disintegrations per minute of the distinctive 7.1-Mev alpha-particles of Cf{sup 244} were observed …

The X-ray Spectrum Produced by 322 Mev Electrons Striking a Platinum Target. The differential energy spectrum of the photons produced by 322 Mev electrons striking a 20 mil platinum target was measured by observing the energy of 3467 pairs produced in a one mil thick lead foil in a Wilson cloud chamber in a magnetic field of 10,000 gauss. The spectrum is found to agree with that predicted by the Bethe-Heitler bremsstrahlung theory using a Thomas-Fermi model with suitable corrections for the thickness of the target. The energy of the 322 Mev electrons was determined by the spectrum of the photons observed in this experiment. Apparatus used and the experimental data and results obtained are reported fully in UCRL-660.

This progress report discusses the activities of the P Division for the month of January 1950. The B, D, F and H pilan operated throughout the month except for outages listed under Area Activities. Power levels were as follow: B pile -- 275 megawatts (MW) D pile -- 305 MW, F pile -- 275 MW increased to 305 MW during the month, and H pile -- 275 MW increased to 330 MW during the month. The piles operated with a time operated'' efficiency of 88.8%. A total of 53.07 tons of metal at an average of 91.2% of the current goal concentration was discharged from the piles during the month. A new record canning yield of 93.9% for 4 inch canned slugs was established during January.

Monthly activities for the following studies are given: (1) pile graphite monitoring; (2) graphite burnout and chemical studies; (3) graphite physical properties studies; (4) controlled temperature exposure; (5) thermal conductivity of gases; (6) damage mechanism study; (7) special exposures; and (8) experimental graphite program.

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This document provides the required definitive scope design for dissolver equipment capable of nuclear safe processing by geometry of E-Metal and certain other fuels enriched to a maximum of one per cent U-235 equivalent. Using only a single dissolver installation of this design, it will be possible to process the current E-Metal monthly commitment in less than two weeks (five-day week). The proposed dissolver system is to incorporate design flexibility required to permit conversion to Zirflex processing of NPR fuels.

This report presents a brief review of reports concerning radiation hazards in the event of various reactor accidents. Conclusions regarding tolerance distance are reported.

This report contains brief discussions on reactor physics on: metallurgy; production piles; separation plants; plutonium recycle program; and cross section measurements.

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To reduce manpower burn-out rates resulting from contamination on tools and equipment which are used to remove process tubes, a method for decontaminating, evaluated. The referenced document reported the results of a small scale test designed to remove film from inside the process tube prior to removal of the tube from the reactor. A more conclusive test was also outlined. The purpose of this document is to report the results of the larger scale test.

Nuclear safety is recognized as being of prime importance in the conduct of manufacturing operations here at HAPO. Responsibility for this safety is shared by the Engineering and Manufacturing Departments, with the former defining the hazards and the required precautionary limits, and the latter translating these specifications into effective operational controls and practices. The Manufacturing Department has just completed a thorough review of its position with respect to nuclear hazards control, and the results of this analysis are presented herewith. All three of the plant Sections are involved and have been included in this review. However, the hazard potential and control requirements are clearly the greatest in the Reactor Section where operations are approaching closer and closer to rather uncertain absolute ceilings for safe operation, as the power levels and output of the comparatively fixed facilities are pushed higher and higher. Accordingly, the situation there has been given primary emphasis in the review and in this report.

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This is the sixth of seven reports to be issued on the parametric studies of reflector-island moderated and core moderated solid fuel element reactors. The power distribution and hence fuel volume were varied for the optimum island size reflector moderated reactor. The effect on the critical mass, power distribution and neutron leakage was determined and is plotted in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

A review of the present design information and studies relating to nuclear power plants indicates that the weight of the power plant components, exclusive of crew shield and nacelles, may at a particular design point be represented by an equation of the form, W{subpp} = W{subo} + K{subt}T. By use of this, a power plant parameter psi is defined as the ratio of the part of the power plant plus nacelle weight that varies with thrust to the net thrust of the power plant less nacelle drag. The funamentall part that this parameter plays in determining the gross weight of a nuclaer powered aircraft is shown. This parameter depends on the design point Mach number and altitude, and the weight and drag increments attributable to the nacelle installation.

The air quench prior to water quench during core heat treatment can be used to control slug distortion. In August 1959, a production test authorized the charging of 16 tubes of 43-second air quench material alternated with standard control material in C-Reactor. The test was charged on November 24, 1958, and discharged on April 26, 1959. This report summarizes and evaluates the irradiation performance of the material.

This report discusses the installation of operational charge-discharge equipment on the Hanford reactors has been proposed as a means of eliminating the reactor downtime required for charging and discharging the metal in the reactors. Additional benefits such as the minimization of the effects of slug ruptures, improved reactivity control, and improved metal utilization have become apparent during the investigation of the use of the equipment. Since the minimization of the effects of ruptures has been considered only qualitatively in previous justification documents for operational charge-discharge, the purpose of this document is to evaluate quantitatively the effect of such equipment on operation with a slug rupture limit.

During the summer months of 1954, the spare 190-C process pump unit was required to be placed in service for extended periods of time due to the motor winding temperatures exceeding the manufacturers recommended maximum operating limits. With nine unit operation each pump was required to supply approximately 9800 gpm to maintain the established power level of the 105-C Reactor. An operating condition requiring all process pump units to be in service simultaneously is-not desirable. Such a condition not only subjects the Reactor Unit to a possible unscheduled outage should trouble develop in any component of a pump assembly but in all probability would delay a startup of the Reactor Unit until arrangements could be completed to operate at reduced pressure in order to eliminate sustained over-heating of the pump drive motors. The purpose of this report is to summarize the activities undertaken during this investigation in order to arrive at satisfactory conclusions and recommendations for eliminate the over-heating of the related motor windings under present and proposed operating conditions.

The Purpose of the work described in this report has been to determine experimentally the rate of production of tritiun in fringe lithium-aluminum alloy loadings with the degree of precision necessary for economic analyses of such a method of isotope production. These results are provided for use in such an analysis.

Experiments are described in which the change in thermal conductivity of U-impregnated graphite under neutron irradiation was measured. Thermal resistivities relative to the thermal resistivity of undamaged impregnated graphite are reorted as functions of exposure. From applications of the expermental results to the North American Aviation low-power research reactor the peak tem. of the core is determined for a given reactor power and time of operation.

This report discusses the following topics: (1) radium separation from K-65 residues - laboratory scale; (2) fractional crystallization studies barium - radium; (3) the concentration of radium from barium rich mixtures; (4) the coprecipitation of lead and radium sulfate; (5) the separation of radium and barium by ion-exchange; (6) engineering work on separation of radium from K-65 residues; (7) silica removal, corrosion tests; (8) radon counting; (9) the design of equipment for the measurements of radon in breath and air samples; and (10) proportional counting of radioactive gas.

The efficient prosecution of the research and process development on polonium, radium, actinium, waste disposal, and alpha-neutron sources requires the use of a wide variety of instrumental techniques such as: alpha, beta, gamma, and neutron counters and survey meters; emission, absorption, and mass spectroscopy: x-ray and electron diffraction; microbalances; and calorimeters. The complex and kaleidoscopic aspects of our research program require; (1) The application of standard instruments and techniques to a variety of problems; (2) The development of new techniques for the use of standard instruments; and (3) The development of new or improved Instruments. The sum of the above three categories constitutes the field of supporting research. The amplifier for counting pulses of wide dynamic range which was developed for counting beta particles in the presence of alphas has operated so satisfactorily that it has been decided to attempt to adopt it for neutron counting. Substantial improvement at medium counting rates has already been obtained but results at high counting rates are not as satisfactory. The development of a survey meter for monitoring fast neutrons has been under way for sometime. The attainment of higher efficiency has been attempted by the use of a dual-chambered counter tube. The tube …

Neutrons produced by 350 Mev protons impinging on beryllium are scattered by hydrogen. We measure the differential scattering cross section as a function of the scattering angle. Results are summarized in Fig. 3 of the paper.

Sterility in C{sub 57} and Swiss mice has been produced by substituting D{sub 2}O for a part of the drinking water. The effective range lies between 5% and 30% D{sub 2}O. It appears that the effect is greater in C{sub 57} males than females and that the size and viability of the litter is affected.

A sprawling group of buildings on an impressive campus site in the Berkeley hills provides the home of the Radiation Laboratory of the University of California. A succession of large accelerators has been built there, the latest of which is the Bevatron. It is the largest and highest-energy accelerator in operation at the present time. It was built and is operated under contract with the United States Atomic Energy Commission. It is of the type known as a proton synchrotron, of which there are two others in operation, one at the University of Birmingham, England, whose energy is 1 Bev (billion electron volts), and another at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, known as the Cosmotron, which operates at 3 Bev. The Bevatron accelerates protons (stripped nuclei of hydrogen atoms) to an energy of 6.2 Bev. The design was started in 1947 under the direction of Professor E. O. Lawrence, and although it was the product of collaboration of a large group of physicists and engineers, the original conception was due to William Brobeck who also contributed more than any other individual. A working quarter-scale model was built and operated in 1948 and 1949 to verify the correctness of the design concept. …