Abstract: A nuclear fuel element for a high temperature gas nuclear reactor that has an average operating temperature in excess of 2000.degree. C., and a method of making such a fuel element. The fuel element is characterized by having fissionable fuel material localized and stabilized within pores of a carbon or graphite member by melting the fissionable material to cause it to chemically react with the carbon walls of the pores. The fissionable fuel material is further stabilized and localized within the pores of the graphite member by providing one or more coatings of pyrolytic carbon or diamond surrounding the porous graphite member so that each layer defines a successive barrier against migration of the fissionable fuel from the pores, and so that the outermost layer of pyrolytic carbon or diamond forms a barrier between the fissionable material and the moderating gases used in an associated high temperature gas reactor.

Abstract: An accelerating cavity having one or more iris structures mounted therein for strongly damping unwanted frequencies that are generated in the cavity by bunches of particles in a particle beam that is accelerated through the cavity during its operation. Each of the iris structures is characterized by containing a plurality of radial slots therein that extend from the central aperture through the iris member to the perimeter thereof. The outer end of each of the radial slots includes an enlarged portion that is effective to prevent undesired frequencies from being reflected back into the center aperture of the iris member. Waveguide means connect the outer ends of the radial slots to frequency damping means or to a dump or dumps.

Abstract: An electronic measurement circuit for high speed comparison of the relative amplitudes of a predetermined number of electrical input signals independent of variations in the magnitude of the sum of the signals. The circuit includes a high speed electronic switch that is operably connected to receive on its respective input terminals one of said electrical input signals and to have its common terminal serve as an input for a variable-gain amplifier-detector circuit that is operably connected to feed its output to a common terminal of a second high speed electronic switch.

Abstract: A support means for a plurality of thermally deformable component parts that are concentrically mounted within a thermally expandable housing. The support means includes a plurality of pins that are mounted in relatively fixed or sliding relationship to either one of the concentrically positioned components or to the housing, and the pins are positioned to extend through aligned apertures in the remaining components or the housing in a manner such that the pins are free to slide in a snug relationship relative to the sides of the holes through those components or the housing. The support means enables the concentrically mounted components and the housing to undergo expansion and contraction movement, radially and longitudinally relative to one another, while maintaining concentricity of the components and the housing relative to one another.

Abstract: A method for coating interior capillary column surfaces, or packing material of a packed column, used for gas chromatography, with a stationary polymer phase that is cross-linked by exposing it to a low-temperature plasma that is uniformly distributed over the column or packing material for a predetermined period of time to effect the desired degree of cross-linking of the coating.

Abstract: A fast pulsed excitation, electromagnetic undulator or wiggler, employing geometrically alternating substacks of thin laminations of ferromagnetic material, together with a single turn current loop excitation of the composite assembly, of such shape and configuration that intense, spatially alternating, magnetic fields are generated; for use as a pulsed mode undulator or wiggler radiator, for use in a Free Electron Laser (FEL) type radiation source or, for use in an Inverse Free Electron Laser (IFEL) charged particle accelerator.

Abstract: A corrosion resistant long-term storage container for isolating radioactive waste material in a repository. The container is formed of a plurality of sealed corrosion resistant canisters of different relative sizes, with the smaller canisters housed within the larger canisters, and with spacer means disposed between judxtaposed pairs of canisters to maintain a predetermined spacing between each of the canisters. The combination of the plural surfaces of the canisters and the associated spacer means is effective to make the container capable of resisting corrosion, and thereby of preventing waste material from leaking from the innermost canister into the ambient atmosphere.

Abstract: A method for in vivo NMR imaging of the blood vessels and organs of a patient characterized by using a dark dye-like imaging substance consisting essentially of a stable, high-purity concentration of D.sub.2 O in a solution with water.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the production of cluster ions, and preferably isotopic hydrogen cluster ions is disclosed. A gas, preferably comprising a carrier gas and a substrate gas, is cooled to about its boiling point and expanded through a supersonic nozzle into a region maintained at a low pressure. Means are provided for the generation of a plasma in the gas before or just as it enters the nozzle.

Abstract: An electronic device of the type wherein current flow is conducted by an ionized gas comprising a cathode of the type heated by ionic bombardment, an anode, means for maintaining a predetermined pressure in the region between the anode and the cathode and means for maintaining a field in the region. The field, which is preferably a combined magnetic and electric field, is oriented so that the mean distance traveled by electrons before reaching the anode is increased. Because of this increased distance traveled electrons moving to the anode will ionize a larger number of gas atoms, thus reducing the voltage necesary to initiate gas breakdown. In a preferred embodiment the anode is a main hollow cathode and the cathode is a smaller igniter hollow cathode located within and coaxial with the main hollow cathode. An axial magnetic field is provided in the region between the hollow cathodes in order to facilitate gas breakdown in that region and initiate plasma discharge from the main hollow cathode.

Abstract: A semiconductor charge transport device and method for making same, characterized by providing a thin semiconductor wafer having rectifying junctions on its opposing major surfaces and including a small capacitance ohmic contact, in combination with bias voltage means and associated circuit means for applying a predetermined voltage to effectively deplete the wafer in regions thereof between the rectifying junctions and the ohmic contact. A charge transport device of the invention is usable as a drift chamber, a low capacitance detector, or a charge coupled device each constructed according to the methods of the invention for making such devices. Detectors constructed according to the principles of the invention are characterized by having significantly higher particle position indicating resolution than is attainable with prior art detectors, while at the same time requiring substantially fewer readout channels to realize such high resolution.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for converting solid carbonaceous material, such as coal, to liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons utilizing methane, generally at a residence time of about 20-120 minutes at a temperature of 250.degree.-750.degree. C., preferably 350.degree.-450.degree. C., pressurized up to 6000 psi, and preferably in the 1000-2500 psi range, preferably directly utilizing methane 50-100% by volume in a mix of methane and hydrogen. A hydrogen donor solvent or liquid vehicle such as tetralin, tetrahydroquinoline, piperidine, and pyrolidine may be used in a slurry mix where the solvent feed is 0-100% by weight of the coal or carbonaceous feed. Carbonaceous feed material can either be natural, such as coal, wood, oil shale, petroleum, tar sands, etc., or man-made residual oils, tars, and heavy hydrocarbon residues from other processing systems.

Abstract: A process for reliably and consistently producing astatine-211 in small controlled volumes of a solution, which is selected from a choice of solvents that are useful in selected radiopharmaceutical procedures in which the At-211 activities are to be applied.

Abstract: A method for simultaneously preparing Radon-211, Astatine-211, Xenon-125, Xenon-123, Iodine-125 and Iodine-123 in a process that includes irradiating a fertile metal material then using a one-step chemical procedure to collect a first mixture of about equal amounts of Radon-211 and Xenon-125, and a separate second mixture of about equal amounts of Iodine-123 and Astatine-211.

Abstract: A process for selectively neutralizing H.sup.- ions in a magnetic field to produce an intense negative hydrogen ion beam with spin polarized protons. Characteristic features of the process include providing a multi-ampere beam of H.sup.- ions that are intersected by a beam of laser light. Photodetachment is effected in a uniform magnetic field that is provided around the beam of H.sup.- ions to spin polarize the H.sup.- ions and produce first and second populations or groups of ions, having their respective proton spin aligned either with the magnetic field or opposite to it. The intersecting beam of laser light is directed to selectively neutralize a majority of the ions in only one population, or given spin polarized group of H.sup.- ions, without neutralizing the ions in the other group thereby forming a population of H.sup.- ions each of which has its proton spin down, and a second group or population of H.sup.o atoms having proton spin up.

Abstract: A process for electrochemically gasifying coal by establishing a flowing stream of coal particulate slurry, electrolyte and electrode members through a transverse magnetic field that has sufficient strength to polarize the electrode members, thereby causing them to operate in combination with the electrolyte to electrochemically reduce the coal particulate in the slurry. Such electrochemical reduction of the coal produces hydrogen and carbon dioxide at opposite ends of the polarized electrode members. Gas collection means are operated in conjunction with the process to collect the evolved gases as they rise from the slurry and electrolyte solution.

Abstract: A communications circuit for optically transmitting analog data signals free of excessive ripple, while having rapid response time. The invention is further characterized by being adapted to provide an immediate indication of the failure of the optical transmission link of the circuit. Commercially available voltage to frequency converter chips are used in conjunction with suitable wiring arrays and in combination with readily available indicator means for constructing the communication circuit of the invention. A V/F converter in the communications circuit is coupled to an offset adjustment means to cause the converter to continuously produce a string of output voltage pulses having a frequency of about 1 Khz responsive to the input analog signal to the converter being zero.

Abstract: a method for manufacturing a magnet cable trim coil in a sheath assembly for use in a cryogenic particle accelerator. A precisely positioned pattern of trim coil turns is bonded to a flexible substrate sheath that is capable of withstanding cryogenic operating conditions. In the method of the invention the flexible sheath, with the trim coil pattern precisely positioned thereon, is accurately positioned at a precise location relative to a bore tube assembly of an accelerator and is then bonded to the bore tube with a tape suitable for cryogenic application. The resultant assembly can be readily handled and installed within an iron magnet yoke assembly of a suitable cryogenic particle accelerator.

Abstract: A method for correcting magnetic field aberrations produced by eddy currents induced in a particle accelerator vacuum chamber housing is provided wherein correction windings are attached to selected positions on the housing and the windings are energized by transformer action from secondary coils, which coils are inductively coupled to the poles of electro-magnets that are powered to confine the charged particle beam within a desired orbit as the charged particles are accelerated through the vacuum chamber by a particle-driving rf field. The power inductively coupled to the secondary coils varies as a function of variations in the power supplied by the particle-accelerating rf field to a beam of particles accelerated through the vacuum chamber, so the current in the energized correction coils is effective to cancel eddy current flux fields that would otherwise be induced in the vacuum chamber by power variations in the particle beam.

Abstract: A high speed serial data transmission multiplexing circuit, which is operable to accurately transmit data over long distances (up to 3 Km), and to multiplex, select and continuously display real time analog signals in a bandwidth from DC to 100 Khz. The circuit is made fault tolerant by use of a programmable flywheel algorithm, which enables the circuit to tolerate one transmission error before losing synchronization of the transmitted frames of data. A method of encoding and framing captured and transmitted data is used which has a low overhead and prevents some particular transmitted data patterns from locking an included detector/decoder circuit.