The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-07-13
ATOM SECRET
WITHIN REACH
Of SCIENCE
Study of Suns Corona During
Eclipse May Offer Long
Sought Clue.
By WILLIAM RANDORF,
COsmOpOlltan News Service.


PHILADELPHIA, July 13.-The
secret of the Atom way be wrested
from the Corona of the Sun.
Scientific observations of the
Eclipse Of the Sun on September 10
may lead to finding out new spec
troscopic facts which will reveal
how atomic energy may be released
and applied to the purposes of man.
The study of the Corona, the
giant pearl gray envelope of the
sun, which is 100000 miles from
edge to edge, will be made by DR..
John A. Miller, vice president of
Swarthmore college and head of
the Sproul observatory there, who
left today heading an expedition of
twelve men. The destination of the
party is an isolated little mountain
station in Yerbaniz, Mexico.
Seek Nature Of COronium.
While the nature Of the Corona
itself is to be most carefully OBJ
served, DR.. Miller said, the all-con.
Stunning desire of the scientist is to
learn the nature of Coronium, exist
ing probably only in the suns
Corona. 1t is through this test
that DIR. Miller hopes to find the
solution to the riddle Of Atomic
energy and its release.
1--WE want to study the Corona
of the sum-" he declared, (which is
possible only during a total eclipse.
1t has been tried in other ways,
through delicate heat recording in
struments, but they have always
failed.
I'm fifty years we have had but
fifty minutes of watching and pho
tographs to help u.s."
One theory, DIR. Miller explained,
Is that the Corona, or halo of the
sun, is a, mass Of matter with
streamers reaching out into the
heavens, held by some electro.
magnetic force, the nature of
which is a mystery. Others take
the view that the Corona is caused
by being shot through repeated ex-
plosions in the sun. Observers
have reached the conclusion the Co.
roma is growing wider, so that some
basis seems to prevail for this view.
To See If it Moves.
Attempts will also be made to see
whether the corona Is moving
Photographs DIR. Miller will take
with sixty-five-foot focal length
camera will be compared with those
taken on the same day by about ten
groups of scientists who will watch
the eclipse from other points.
one of the most important tasks
Is to observe the chemical compost
tlon of the corona" DR.. Miller said.
Ihat Is done with the spectroscope.
me corona contains not only gas.
put some solid material which is
IineIy divided. 1t is remarkable that
the only chemical element found in
the sun and not on earth Is in the
corona. This gas is called coronium.
ana we want to find out how this
gas Is distributed and it's relation to
other elements"
a curious thing in connection with
TINS battling substance, DR.. Miller
pointed out, is that when coronium
was flrst seen, it was taken to he
lron' its color and the width of it's
spectrum justifying this belief. But
Iurther investigation proved ii to
De closely allied to the metals and
that, probably shifting electrons. il
nad lost its original nature.
May Unfold Atom Secret.
THE study of corontum NAV
help towards learning the secret
of the atom and the relea sine ~
immense storehouses of energy "
Dr. Miller continued. That ia
our dream beyond all others. It
is along this road that science
will travel"
Just as Newton took all the
laws of mechanics from the
heavens DR.: Miller said, so the
energy of the atom will in time
be revealed in the same wav
DR. Miller is confident he can
make valuable tests of the Elm.
stein theory concerning the bend.
ing OF light rays about the sun.
refraction error made last wear
by scientists in such test made
the experiment useless, SO D..
Miller will seek to eliminate this
error.
Those accompanying DR.. Miller
include Wilson M. Powell, 1r., and
Adrian Rubel. Harvard University
students. The Rubel Foundation
Of New York. Is financing the
exneditiOn