This brochure is designed as a basic source of information for prospective users of Sandia Laboratories Radiation Facilities. It contains a brief description of the various major radiation sources, a summary of their output characteristics, and additional information useful to experimenters. Radiation source development and source upgrading is an ongoing program, with new source configurations and modes of operation continually being devised to satisfy the ever-changing radiation requirements of the users. For most cases, the information here should allow a potential user to assess the applicability of a particular radiation facility to a proposed experiment and to permit some preirradiation calculations and planning.
The Mobil-nCUBE-Sandia CRADA No. 1140 was aimed at developing the tools and capabilities to model fluid phase behavior and flow in pores--ultimately leading to a better understanding of these phenomena. In this CRADA close-out report the collaboration`s original goals are revisited, the course of the CRADA is traced, and the technical accomplishments of the CRADA are presented.
This report summarizes research on the aging of Class I components in environments representative of nuclear power plants. It discusses Class IE equipment used in nuclear power plants, typical environments encountered by Class IE components, and aging techniques used to qualify this equipment. General discussions of radiation chemistry of polymers and accelerated aging techniques are also included. Based on the inadequacies of present aging techniques for Class IE equipment, a proposal for an experimental program on electrical cables is presented. One of the main purposes of the proposed work is to obtain relevant data in two areas of particular concern--the effect of radiation dose rate on polymer degradation, and the importance of synergism for combined thermal and radiation environments. A new model that allows combined environment accelerated aging to be carried out is introduced, and it is shown how the experimental data to be generated can be used to test this model.
This report consists of one engineering drawing of a door assembly suitable for a vault. Notes on the drawing give instructions for lubrication, installation of a combination lock, adjustment of the locking pin, and bonding and item to the combination lock.
The microelectronics capability at Sandia Laboratories spans the complete range of component activity from initial design to final assembly into subsystems and systems. Highly reliable, radiation-tolerant devices and integrated circuits can be designed, fabricated, and incorporated into printed circuit assemblies or into thick- or thin-film hybrid microcircuits. Sandia has an experienced staff, exceptional facilities and aggressive on-going programs in all these areas. The authors can marshall a broad range of skills and capabilities to attack and solve problems in design, fabrication, assembly, or production. Key facilities, programs, and capabilities in the Sandia microelectronics effort are discussed in more detail in this booklet.
Energy and angular distributions of electrons (energies greater than 5 keV) emitted from metals irradiated by photons in the x-ray energy range were measured with a lithium-drifted silicon detector. The data presented here characterize electron emission distributions for normal photon incidence. They provide a systematic set of absolute distributions for quantitative comparisons to theoretical treatments of the combined photon and electron transport process. X-ray bremsstrahlung spectra with mean photon energies of 30 and 54 keV were used to induce electron emission from aluminum, copper, silver, and tantalum. Angular distributions for the higher-Z materials are found to be nearly cosine distributions in both the forward and backward emission directions, while the distributions for lower-Z materials deviate from a cosine distribution, tending to be more isotropic. Energy distributions are observed to change very little as a function of emission angle. Energy and angular distributions calculated by Monte Carlo and analytic techniques show good correlation with the measured distributions. Calculated forward and back (2π) emission efficiencies agree with experimental values within the uncertainties of these quantities (±15 to 20%). The generally good agreement between the experimental and theoretical results establishes the validity of the present techniques for calculating high-energy (greater than 5 keV) x-ray-induced electron emission from metals.
This paper consists of the inspection record of a W71 Type 5-2 weapon, Serial No. L773. The inspector determined that the unit does not contain material capable of a nuclear explosion and does not contain high explosives. The mock-up/test weapon was inspected in June, 1974 and limited life components were manufactured in February, 1972.
The objective of this program was to develop a helium vent for use in the high temperature (2000 degrees F) LRHSC. The vent was a non-selective, porous ceramic type.
Memo for declassification of the SNAP 27 hardware because of its simplicity. The main design goal of the generator was to efficiently assure that the heat from the fuel capsule assembly to the radiator (outer case) passes through the thermoelectric legs.
The objectives of this program were to develop, produce and test a selective vent for application to clad of the Pioneer capsule: program management, design integration & design, fabrication, testing.
Sandia`s recommendations for a heat source concept were similar to the TRW-recommended sealed (AI technology) capsule with some exceptions. Two converter systems were recommended.
This described the sequence of events(logistical, maintenance, and operational) and environments that were expected to be encountered from manufacture-to-target of the COIN devices, including the period of useful life at the target.
About SNAP 29 program concerns concerning a possible burnup safety approach for end of mission disposal of the SNAP 29 system. Being considered was the Haynes 25 fuel liner.
A comparative study made on the SNAP 29 looking both at the changes due to intact vs. burn-up, and the changes due to multiple mission flights rather than single flights.
This study involved the use of explosively accelerated steel segments (helicopter or other aircraft deliverable to cut trees followed by debris clearance due to overpressure for possible use in Vietnam.
The visit was to discuss the possible effects of and about concerns pressurizing amine type fuels (I.e., hydrazine and its derivatives) with hot gases from a chemical gas generator.
A memo and table. The latter gave estimates of probabilities of the SNAP 19 impacting cities of the world. The impact probabilities given reentry from a polar orbit were generalized and can be applied to any object reentering from a polar orbit.
Vietnam War era research and development by Sandia to detect enemy troop movements. Document outlines scope of effort and provides no design details. No nuclear or non-nuclear weapon information.
Request for prioritizing and determining the resources needed for testing of present and foreseeable nuclear weapons systems which require atmospheric nuclear testing. Request to devise program to change AEC readiness.
The primary purposes of this trip were to attend a DODGE-M Technical Review Meeting at General Electric and the SNAP 29 Quarterly Review Meeting at AEC Headquarters.
Mainly this is a request for more details about ground support equipment, ground shipping cask, fuel transfer cask, handling tools, thermal analyses, and hard rock impact.
Approximately five years ago, the Safe, Secure Dismantlement program was started between the United States and countries of the Former Soviet Union (FSU). The purpose of the program is to accelerate progress toward reducing the risk of nuclear weapons proliferation, including such threats as theft, diversion, and unauthorized possession of nuclear materials. This would be accomplished by strengthening the material protection, control, and accounting systems within the FSU countries. This paper describes: the process involved, from initial contacting to project completion, for the physical protection upgrades now in place at the LNRC; the intervening activities; and a brief overview of the technical aspects of the upgrades.
The major potential hazard associated with space applications of plutonium dioxide fuel was believed to result from injection of inhalable particulate into the biosphere.
Requirements for continuation of the safety investigations of the high-temperature and reentry behavior of plutonium microspheres and Pu-238 and Pu-239 oxide microspheres from Mound Laboratory for testing in the arc tunnel.
Improvements in performance of products with nonmetallic engineered materials are obtained at the cost of increased complexity of product design, manufacture, and maintenance. NDE (nondestructive evaluation) techniques have been developed for verifying design models, identifying manufacturing flaws, and assessing service-related damage. This project involved developing a new NDE method that provides additional information; the sensor measures changes in an imposed electric field to obtain electrical impedance images of a component. Effective sensing volume and orientation of imposed electric field may be varied to optimize field interaction with the internal structure of a part. These interactions are combined into multidimensional impedance images that reflect variations in the mechanical geometry and internal structure of a part. Location of an impedance anomaly may be correlated with the location of a flaw.