[en] Members of our Physics of Solids and Macromolecules Group have developed a new method for producing self-supporting transmission gratings for the soft x-ray region. The method employs holographic techniques and permits, for the first time, gratings to be fabricated with characteristics optimized to the soft x-ray region from approx. 10 to approx. 1000 A. Members of the group, in collaboration with members of the Photophysics Group of the Chemical Physics Section, have also developed a resonance ionization source for a mass spectrometer. This process enables the detection of very low levels of atoms of a given species on the surface of a solid. One application is the measurement of isotope ratios. The program in High Voltage Research dealing with the development of superior gaseous and liquid dielectrics for energy conservation during electrical energy distribution has continued to increase. Members of our Atomic, Molecular, and High Voltage Physics Group have been asked by the Department of Energy to host the Second International Symposium on Gaseous Dielectrics. Members of the group have developed fast gas mixtures for use in gas-filled particle detectors that are far superior to conventional gases. Use of these fast gases is anticipated in many areas

[en] Progress over the past year is reported in: (1) Multiphoton Spectroscopy of Atoms and Molecules; (2) Collisional Ionization; (3) Studies of Molecular Clustering Phenomena; (4) Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Studies; (5) Studies of Helium Negative Ions; (6) Photophysics Theory; (7) Ultrasensitive Detection of Molecules by Laser Fluorescence and Molecular RIS; (8) Collisional Redistribution Between He(2¹P) and He(2¹S); (9) RIS Studies of Lithium; (10) Generalization of RIS Schemes of Resonance Ionization Spectroscopy with Amplification; (11) Solar Neutrino Proportional Counter Using RIS; (12) New Approaches to One Atom Detection: Maxwell's Sorting Demon; and (13) Precision Measurements of Diffusion Coefficients Using RIS Techniques. The descriptive material is limited to include only research highlights under each of these headings

[en] The primary objective of the Technology Assessments Section is assessment and interpretation of energy technology impacts on man. Assessment methods are developed and continuously updated and applied to meet this objective. Human impact assessment is a key component of any strategy to optimize the mix of technologies to be developed and deployed to meet the energy requirements of our country. Types of work accomplished in the section may be grouped into three areas: characterization of exposure; estimation of dose; and interpretation of impact. Any specific program may be totally in one of these areas or it may contain tasks representing multiple areas. Characterization of exposure includes off-site survey activities, development of models and concepts to simulate pollutant behavior in man and the environment, and radiation dosimetry intercomparison studies. Estimation of dose encompasses a wide array of applications of the section's expertise in quantifying impacts on man due to environmental releases of nuclear and nonnuclear pollutants. Interpretation of impact is the bottom line on an assessment where dose estimates are compared with applicable limits and guides. Task involvements in the latter area are a part of all assessment application activities, of many off-site survey activities, and of those methodological studies that support assessment criteria development. Varying mixes of work in these three areas constitute the projects highlighted in the descriptions which follow

[en] The mission of the Office of Integrated Assessments and Policy Analysis (OIAPA) is to examine current and future policies related to the development and use of energy technologies. The principal ongoing research activity to date has focused on the impacts of several energy sources, including coal, oil shale, solar, and geothermal, from the standpoint of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. An additional project has recently been initiated on an evaluation of impacts associated with the implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act. The impacts of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act on energy supply constitute the principal research focus of OIAPA for the near term. From these studies a research approach will be developed to identify certain common elements in the regulatory evaluation cycle as a means of evaluating subsequent environmental, health, and socioeconomic impact. It is planned that an integrated assessment team examine studies completed or underway on the following aspects of major regulations: health, risk assessment, testing protocols, environment control cost/benefits, institutional structures, and facility siting. This examination would assess the methodologies used, determine the general applicability of such studies, and present in a logical form information that appears to have broad general application. A suggested action plan for the State of Tennessee on radioactive and hazardous waste management is outlined