Evening star., 1932-12-26
'COSM|C RAY RIVALS
CLASH THIS WEEK
MiIIikan and Compton Gird
for Debate Before Science
Session.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
CHICAGO, December 26.-Before
scientific Americas supreme court will
councils Of the learned and before fire
sides Of the laymen-the what and
whence Of cosmic rays.
The tribunal Is the annual meeting
of the American Association for the
Advancement of Science in Atlantic
City.
The men who will set forth con-
f1icting theories regarding these vagrants
OF space are Prof Robert A. Millikan,
president Of the California Institute CT
Technology. and Prof. Arthur H Comp
ton. the University of Chicago's famed
physicist
The latter girded himself for the
clash yesterday, put last-minute touches
on his maps and charts, whipped into
line his arguments and discussed the
significance of the debate
That debate will take place next Fri
day when both men read papers during
a round table discussion of cosmic rays.
third paper will be presented by DR..
G. L. Lochner of Rice Institute.
Manner of Entry Issue.
The question at issue, said Prof.
Compton, is whether the rays enter the
earth's atmosphere as electrically
charged particles or as photcns true
rays Of extremely short-wave lengths,
such as light rays.
Both Millikan and he, Prof Compton
said, agree that at sea level the rays
consist of q mixture of the two types.
To ascertain their true character 1t Is
necessary to go up il the air
Prof. Compton says the purpose Of
his experiments was to discover the
variation of the rays intensity with
altitude. According to the photon
hypothesis of Prof. MilikaE, coSmic
rays should become more intense at
higher attitudes up to a maximum point,
where the intensity should diminish.
That the rays increase in intensity
with altitude and do not diminish. but
approach limiting value is Prof
Compton's. theory, formed from results
OF tests made under his direction
within the last Is months by so observ-
ers at 81 widely scattered sites.
Another crucial question: Do the
rays vary in intensity according TO lati-
tude? Said Prof. Compton:
They show. marked variation in
latitudtS as compared with the tropical
latitudes, due to the effect Of the earth's
magnetic field. PhotOns. or true rays,
should not be thus affected"
No Positive Decision.
Presentation of the two opposing
| theories, Prof. Compton emphasized,
means no actual conflict and no posi-
tive decision. Scientists. he said. spend
too much time unlearning one day
what they have solved the day before.
ITS impossible to argue to the finish
stimulation toward more extensive re-
search will be the chief end of the
symposium.
Prof. Compton told Why the mystery
. of cosmic rays, the solution of which
would affect few lives. at least not i'm
nediately, nor have no practical human
application, had become almost a catch.
Word of the times.
First" he said. the very sound of
the name suggests something huge and
vital-cosmic in Importance TO some
1t has spiritual connotation To
others, Of scientific bent, it suggests a
new knowledge of how radiant energy
is produced and how atomic energy
may eventually be liberated for useful
purposes
, Second, people want to learn about
something that has been with them
since the beginning Of time. but which
| only in recent years has entered the
knoW-edge OF mankind. It's just
curiosity"