[en] This volume only contains the figures and tables of the thesis (see CEA-R--5213(pt.1)

[en] The literature has been reviewed in December 2011 for calcination data of plutonium oxide (PuO₂) from plutonium oxalate Pu(C₂O₄)₂ precipitation with respect to the PuO₂ specific surface area (SSA). A summary of the literature is presented for what are believed to be the dominant factors influencing SSA, the calcination temperature and time. The PuO₂ from Pu(C₂O₄)₂ calcination data from this review has been regressed to better understand the influence of calcination temperature and time on SSA. Based on this literature review data set, calcination temperature has a bigger impact on SSA versus time. However, there is still some variance in this data set that may be reflecting differences in the plutonium oxalate preparation or different calcination techniques. It is evident from this review that additional calcination temperature and time data for PuO₂ from Pu(C₂O₄)₂ needs to be collected and evaluated to better define the relationship. The existing data set has a lot of calcination times that are about 2 hours and therefore may be underestimating the impact of heating time on SSA. SRNL recommends that more calcination temperature and time data for PuO₂ from Pu(C₂O₄)₂ be collected and this literature review data set be augmented to better refine the relationship between PuO₂ SSA and its calcination parameters.

[en] By external counting of fine ß emitting radioactive particles suspended in a liquid, the flowrate in a system of pipes can be measured. The study comprises three phases: 1. - The hydraulic validity of the method is demonstrated in laminar as well as in turbulent flow under certain conditions of particles size and density and of liquid viscosity. 2. - Radioactive labelling of microspheres of serumalbumin or ion exchange resins with indium 113m delivered by a generator Tin 113 → Indium 113m. 3. - Counting with a scintillation detector: a method of threshold overstepping is experimented with a mechanical or electronic simulator; the statistical study of particle superposition under the detector enables a correction for the resulting counting losses to be proposed. The method provides absolute measurements, but is particularly suitable to measure relative flowrates in a hydraulic network. It can be continuous and does not perturb the flow and the network. The accuracy of the method is analysed in details

[en] The photomultiplier has two scintillators, one sensitive to neutrons and the other to X-rays or gamma rays. Photons produced by doped glass scintillator sensitive to the neutrons are guided towards a photomultiplier and are attenuated. The attenuator is chosen in such a way that the scintillations produced by the neutrons are in an energy band distinct from those produced by X or gamma rays and also above the base noise of the photomultiplier. 2 figs

[en] Purpose: A literature review and analysis was performed to determine whether or not efficacious high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy fractionation schedules exist for the treatment of cervical cancer. Methods and Materials: English language publications from peer reviewed journals were assessed to calculate the total contribution of dose to Point A from both the external and intracavitary portions of radiation for each stage of cervical cancer. Using the linear quadratic formula, the biologically effective dose to the tumor, using an α/β = 10, was calculated to Point A (Gy10) in order to determine a dose response relationship for local control and survival. Significant complications were assessed by calculating the dose to the late-responding tissues at Point A using an α/β = 3 (Gy3) as a surrogate for normal tissue tolerance, since few publications list the actual bladder and rectal doses. Results: For all stages combined, the median external beam fractionation schedule to Point A was 40 Gy in 20 fractions, while the median HDR fractionation schedule was 28 Gy in 4 fractions. For stages IB, IIB, and IIIB the median biologically effective dose to Point A (Gy10) was 96, 96 and 100 Gy10s, respectively. No correlation was identified between Point A BED (Gy10s) to either survival or pelvic control. A dose response relationship could also not be identified when correlating Point A Gy3s to complications. Conclusion: A dose response relationship could not be identified for either tumor control nor late tissue complications. These findings do not necessarily question the validity of the linear quadratic model, as much as they question the quality of the current HDR brachytherapy literature as it is currently presented and reported. Most of the HDR publications report inadequate details of the dose fractionation schedules. Only a minority of publications report significant complications using the actuarial method. In the future, all HDR publications for the treatment of cervical cancer should provide accurate fractionation details for each stage of disease, while reporting actuarial complication rates. The optimal fractionation schedule for treating cervical cancer using HDR brachytherapy is still unknown, and presently can be based only on single institutions with significant experience

[en] We investigate the thermal stability of Mo/SiC multilayer coatings at elevated temperatures. Transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction studies show that, upon annealing, a thermally induced structural relaxation occurs that transforms the polycrystalline Mo and amorphous SiC layers in as-deposited multilayers into an amorphous Mo-Si-C alloy and crystalline SiC, respectively. After this relaxation process is complete, the multilayer is stable at temperatures up to 400 deg. C

[en] The detector consists of an X or gamma scintillator inside a Li6 doped glass sheath that acts as a scintillator sensitive to neutrons and also shields the gamma scintillator. A thin luminescent reflector, transparent to neutrons and gamma photons, covers the Li6 doped glass scintillator with its reflective surface facing inwards. A photomultiplier is positioned at the output of the two scintillators. A dual channel spectrometer separately records the neutron induced or the photon induced scintillations

No abstract available

[en] The sensitivity and dynamic range of a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is enhanced when the spots produced by the lenslet array are allowed to shift more than one lenslet radius from their on-axis positions. However, this presents the problem of accurately and robustly associating the spots with their respective subapertures. This paper describes a method for sorting spots that takes advantage of the local spot position distortions to unwrap the spot pattern. The described algorithm is both simple and robust and also applicable to any lenslet array geometry that can be described as a two-dimensional lattice, including hexagonal arrays, which are shown here to be more efficient than square arrays

[en] The microstructure of Mo/Si multilayers grown by magnetron and ion beam sputter deposition has been characterized over a range of Mo layer thicknesses. We observe an abrupt amorphous-to-crystalline transition in the Mo layers at a thickness of ∼2 nm. The transition exhibits several interesting features including a large decrease in the thickness of the Si-on-Mo interlayer and a significant increase in the roughness of the multilayer. We present an explanation for the transition behavior in terms of a critical thickness for the nucleation of Mo crystallites