The slow neutron-induced radioactivities of nuclear explosions

The slow neutron-induced radioactivities of nuclear explosions have been evaluated for infinite media of filtered Schuylkill water and the earth's crust. The magnitudes of these effects are compared with the activity of the fission fragments, and the conditions under which they may be of importance are considered.It has been assumed that a gram-molecule of neutrons is liberated in the blast.     

The impulse strength of solid and gas-filled high voltage cables

A method is presented that allows the computation of the impulse strength of insulating oil and of solid and gas-filled cables. The principle of the calculation is that breakdown is initiated by currents due to an electronic emission from the cathode; in gas-filled cables these currents are increased by means of gaseous ionization in the butt spaces. Approximate equations are deduced and numerical impulse strength values for insulating oil and solid cable computed, resulting in fair agreement with experimental observations. Extending the equations to gas-filled cables, numerical impulse data for varying gas pressure and for varying radial butt-space alignment are evaluated.     

The elimination of hypo from photographic images

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to remove the last traces of hypo from photographic papers by any known procedure of washing. The sulfur in the residual hypo ultimately, and especially under abnormal conditions of temperature and humidity, combines with the silver image to form yellowish brown silver sulfide. This phenomenon is known as sulfiding or “fading” of the image. The various factors which affect the rate of fading of images and the washing out of hypo from films and papers are outlined.Chemical methods of hypo elimination have been proposed from time to time but the majority of these have not been satisfactory because they tend to leave substances such as thionates in the photographic material, which are equally as difficult to wash out as hypo and which also tend to sulfide or fade the silver image. A new hypo eliminator is recommended consisting of two volatile chemicals, hydrogen peroxide and ammonia. This eliminator oxidizes the hypo to sodium sulfate, which is inert and soluble in water, while any excess eliminator evaporates on drying.Two formulas and treatments are proposed: (1) Complete elimination of hypo for use by the professional, advanced amateur, and photofinisher who demand the highest standard of photographic quality in their prints.(2) Almost complete elimination of hypo (less than o.oi milligram per square inch).Since the conditions to which prints will be subjected are rarely known in advance, use of the “complete elimination treatment” is advised in all cases.