The MRS Symposium Proceeding series is an internationally recognised reference suitable for researchers and practitioners.

The MRS Symposium Proceeding series is an internationally recognised reference suitable for researchers and practitioners.

Many of the science and engineering problems under investiga tion at industry, government and university laboratories come under the headings "energy, materials and resources." X-ray analysis plays a key role in these investigations. This is reflected in the content of the present volume of Advances in X-ray Analysis. Nearly half of the papers come under such headings as energy production and conversion, materials optimization and mineral characterization. The remainder continue the long tradition of this series in pre senting the latest advances in apparatus and procedures for x-ray diffraction and fluorescence analyses. In keeping with recent practice, this year's Denver Conference on Applications of X-ray Analysis emphasized x-ray diffraction and was co-sponsored by JCPDS, International Center for Diffraction Data. The first group of papers in this volume were presented in a plenary session on unusual specimen preparation, handling and analy ses by x-ray diffraction. In the lead paper, D. K. Smith and C. S. Barrett combine their seven decades of experience with surveys of diffractionists throughout the world to present a comprehensive re view of non-routine specimen preparation in powder diffractometry. Next, M. J. Camp discusses the particular procedures and constraints under which foresnic laboratories employ diffraction methods. F. A. Mauer and C. R. Robbins discuss a method for characteri zation of high temperature-pressure reactions in situ by energy dis persive x-ray diffraction that offers the promise of sorting out the mechanisms underlying materials compatibility and durability."

The 13th Rare Earth Research Conference was held October 16- 19, 1977 in Wilson Lodge at Oglebay Park near Wheeling, West Vir g1n1a. From the small conference held originally at Lake Arrow head, California in 1960 the meetings have grown steadily in size and stature until they are now recognized as the premier conference devoted exclusively to the science and technology of rare earth systems. In keeping with the spirit which has prevailed since the Lake Arrowhead days a number of improvements were instituted on the oc casion of the 13th Conference. For the first time poster sessions were introduced, and they proved to be a splendid success. This was a year of another first - a review system for manuscripts. Dr. McCarthy, who undertood the arduous task of Program Chairman, and Dr. Rhyne, who along with Dr. McCarthy edited the conference proceedings, were mainly responsible for suggesting and implement ing these innovations. The layout at Wilson Lodge was nearly ideal for the conference in that poster and oral sessions were in very close proximity, facilitating the efforts of the attendees to make the most of the conference.

During late 1978, a symposium entitled "Science Underlying Radioactive Waste Management" was one component of the Annual Meet ing of the Materials Research Society held in Boston, Massachusetts. The purpose of this Symposium was to bring together for the first time the entire range of sciences that form the basis for the treatment, solidification and isolation of radioactive wastes. Some 79 papers were presented to an international audience of over 300. The Symposium was such an impressive success that another will be held at the 1979 Annual Meeting of the Materials Research Society. The proceedings of the forthcoming symposium will also be published and it is for this reason that the present volume has been desig nated Volume 1. The scope of the Symposium was defined by the following steer ing committee: Rustum Roy, The Pennsylvania State University (Chairman) Richard S. Claassen, Sandia Laboratories Don Ferguson, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Victor I. Spitsyn, U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, Moscow David B. Stewart, United States Geological Survey Torbjorn Westermark, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm. The program was organized by the following committee: Gregory J. McCarthy, The Pennsylvania State University (Cha- man) Harry C. Burkholder, Battelle Memorial Institute Arnold M. Friedman Argonne National Laboratory Werner Lutze, Hahn-Meitner Institut, Berlin John G. Moore, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Robert W. Potter, II, United States Geological Survey Richard L. Schwoebe1, Sandia Laboratories Roger W. Staehle, Ohio State University."