[en] Last year, 1991, was one in which momentous events shook two of the world's biggest oil producing regions (Russia and the Middle East), while the United States and UK led the OECD into recession. But although estimated world oil production dropped for the first time since 1985, the fall was very small, just 0.15%, with world oil demand flat. This article includes tables of world estimated oil production on a country by country basis for the years 1989, 1990 and 1991. (author)

[en] This semiannual compilation provides current information about facilities for domestic use or export which are capable of sustaining a nuclear chain reaction. Civilian, production, and military reactors are listed, as are reactors for export and critical assembly facilities. Information given includes location, owner, principal nuclear contractor, type, power rating, docket number, and start-up and shutdown dates

[en] Neutron KERMA factors calculated from the LLNL ENDL data file are tabulated for 15 composite materials and for the isotopes or elements in the ENDL file from Z = 1 to Z = 29. The incident neutron energies range from 1.882 x 10^-5 to 20. MeV for the composite materials and from 1.30 x 10^-9 to 20. MeV for the isotopes and elements

[en] For the year ending December 1988, a table shows reactors ranked in order of their annual load factors. It also shows the lifetime or cumulative load factor for each unit measured from first electricity generated (not from the start of commercial generation). A second table lists reactors which had operated for less than one year as of the end of 1988. These two tables include all reactors of 150MWe gross and above in the Western world. Unfortunately, owing to non-receipt of data, reactors in Comecon countries are excluded, with the exception of the Paks units in Hungary. (author)

[en] Japan is third after the USA and France in terms of the Western World's installed nuclear capacity, but it has by far the largest forward programme. Great effort is also being put into the fuel cycle and advanced reactors. There is close co-operation between the government, utilities and manufacturers, but Japan has not sought to export reactors. The government has responded to the growing public opposition to nuclear power with a massive increase in its budget for public relations. Details of the nuclear power programme are given. (author)

[en] A list of asteroids is presented, observed frequently for color variations during roation as an evidence for spots on the surface. (Auth.)

[en] A questionnaire on Electricity generation, Nuclear Power and Fuel Cycle Data is distributed annually to OECD Member countries. In the questionnaire of January 1993, countries were asked to provide historical data for 1991 and 1992 and most likely projections up to the year 2010. The replies to the questionnaire or the results of the discussions between national correspondents and the Secretariat are presented in this Booklet. The Secretariat has, in some cases, referred to IEA's electricity related data and IAEA's nuclear plant data. Where data were still unavailable, the Secretariat made estimates based on information from other sources. The total capacity of those plants connected to the grid, under construction and firmly committed in 1992 was 289.3 GWe but, based both on questionnaire replies and Secretariat estimates, is expected to rise to 318.0 GWe in 2010 despite an allowance of 20.2 GWe to be taken out of service. The electricity generation and production data for fuel cycle services refer to these facilities located within the country, and thus exclude imports. The fuel cycle requirements, however, refer to the amounts of fuel cycle materials and services necessary for national nuclear programmes. 11 tabs., 6 figs

[en] The author presents a summary of current observational results of early-type contact binary systems. The classical approaches to derive a photometric solution of a very close binary are found to be incapable of distinguishing whether a system is detached, semi-detached, or in contact. (Auth.)

[en] The base parameters of the twenty lost minor planets were compared with those of almost 4000 known minor planets to discover the twins, i. e. the minor planets which are close to the lost minor planets. Data on magnitudes, obliquities of orbits, eccentricities of orbits, mean-daily motion and the results of comparison. It was found that at least two lost minor planets, No. 878 and 1026, have the twins, i. e. the minor planets 6085 PL and No. 2130 respectively

[en] Systematic trends in the semi-diameter of the Sun from measurements made with the Cape Observatory transit circle in 1834 and from 1861 to 1871 and 1884 to 1892 (the only years for which raw observations of the solar limbs were available to us) should probably be attributed to large variations in the personal equation of the individual observers rather than to any real variation of the solar diameter. An analysis of Washington six-inch observations from 1899 to 1903, 1911 to 1918, 1956 to 1971 and 1975 to 1981 does not support any significant secular change in the solar diameter. (Auth.)