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Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of the source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate Col lege when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is indebted to his advisor, Dr. Richard L. Brehm, for his direction and assistance during the performance of this research and to the United States Atomic Energy Commission for provid ing financial support for this study under Contract AT-(04-3)-670. The author acknowledges the University of Arizona Computer Center for their generous grant of computer time and consulting ser vices necessary in portions of this study. The author wishes to thank the secretaries in the Department of Nuclear Engineering for their good nature and attention to detail in the preparation of this dissertation. Finally, the author owes a special debt of gratitude to his wife, Linda, whose unfailing support was a tremendous incentive for the completion of this work. iii