ZOA CTLR DESCRIBED OPERROR AT FL280 WHEN AN ACFT GIVEN A DESCENT CLRNC MADE AN UNEXPECTED TIGHT TURN CONFLICTING WITH SUCCEEDING TFC.

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HERE IS MY RATIONALE; AND I WOULD APPRECIATE A NATIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF THESE EVENTS. AS A CTLR I HAVE 3 THINGS TO BASE MY DECISIONS ON: 1) HISTORIES; 2) EXPECTATIONS (I'M NOT CLAIRVOYANT); 3) ABILITY TO EFFECT PLAN B AND C. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT AN 'ORBIT' IS A CONTINUOUS TRACK IN ONE DIRECTION; SEE CIRCLE. THIS IS FULLY DEFINED IN WEBSTER'S; AND BY SOCIETY; (IE; THE MOON ORBITS THE EARTH). THERE ARE SOME INSTANCES WHERE I HAVE FOUND IN MIL MOU'S THAT AN 'ORBIT' OTHER THAN A CONTINUOUS CIRCLE; REQUIRES PRIOR SPECIFIC COORD WITH ATC. THIS BEING WRITTEN; SEEMS TO LEND ITSELF TO THE POSSIBILITY THAT IF IT WERE TRULY UNDERSTOOD THAT AN 'ORBIT' WAS THE SAME AS A 'DELAY' WHERE THE PLT HAS CARTE BLANCHE TO DO AS HE PLEASES; THERE WOULD BE NO NEED FOR THIS DEFINITION TO BE PRESENT IN AN MOU. ALSO; IF THE FAA AND THE FLYING PUBLIC (AND MIL) ARE USING A DEFINITION OTHER THAN THAT ACCEPTED BY EVERYONE ELSE; THIS 'NEW DEFINITION' SHOULD BE DEFINED IN OUR 7110.65; AIM; MIL OPS MANUAL; ETC. IN FACT; I CAN FIND NO SUCH DEFINITION OF THIS SORT. THEREFORE; I BELIEVE THAT I SHOULD HAVE HAD A WORKING EXPECTATION THAT A REQUEST TO ORBIT THAT WAS APPROVED AS REQUESTED SHOULD HAVE BEEN FLOWN IN A CONTINUOUS TRACK. IF IT HAD BEEN FLOWN THIS WAY I WOULD HAVE HAD THE ABILITY TO INITIATE MY PLAN B OR PLAN C; BOTH OF WHICH I HAD IN MY HEAD WHEN I ISSUED THE CLRNC. NEXT; I BELIEVE THAT AN ACFT FLYING ON AN IFR FLT PLAN ON AN IFR CLRNC HAS A RESPONSIBILITY AS PER THE AIM TO OPERATE STRAIGHT AND LEVEL AND TURNS AT A STANDARD RATE; UNLESS PREVIOUSLY COORD. THIS ACTION WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN A 1-MIN TURN AROUND RATHER THAN THE 10-SECOND TURN I EXPERIENCED. AGAIN TAKING AWAY MY WORKING EXPECTATION AND POSSIBLY MY ABILITY TO INITIATE PLAN B OR PLAN C. ON THIS DATE I HAD ACR X STOPPED AT FL280 AND ACFT Y STOPPED AT FL300; CLRED TO 'ORBIT' FOR DSCNT. IT MADE 2 COMPLETE L TURNS. I HAD A J-RING ON ACR X AND WHEN ACFT Y CLRED THE RING; I ISSUED A DSCNT TO FL260. IT IMMEDIATELY TURNED A 180 DEG TURN TO THE R AND DSNDED AT A VERY HIGH RATE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ACR X. I TRIED TO STOP THE DSCNT BUT WAS TOO LATE AND ISSUED A TURN AWAY FROM TFC. ACR X REACTED TO AN RA FROM HIS TCAS AND CLBED. ACFT SWAPPED ALTS.