Evening star., 1936-05-01
FORCE THAT HOLDS
PR0T0NS IS TOLD.
Physical Society Hears of
Plan to Build Atom
Smashing Machine.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.


Discovery of hitherto unknown
force without which the entire uni
verse might be thin cloud of hydro
gen was announced by physicists of
the Carnegie Institution of Washing
ton to the American Physical Society,
meeting here today.
At the same time, plans were an
nounced for setting up at the Ter
restrial Magnetism laboratory on Broad
Branch road a 10000 ,000-volt atom
smashing machine, the result of seven
years experimentation. which Is eX-
pected to be as important for the
exploration of the infinitely little as is
the new 200-inch telescope at Mount
Wilson for the exploration of the i'm
mensities of the universe.
The new force in nature, announced
by Drs. NJ. A. Tuve. N. P. Heydenbui e
and l.. r. HafStad of the Terrestrial
Magnetism laboratory operates be-
tween protons, the particles of positive
electricity which form the bulk of the
nucleus Of an atom. at distances less
than one ten-million- -millionth of an
1IlSiI' AiNoC PdI tISlCo Va POSlllNS OlCI-
tricity normally would be expected to
repel each other. Yet they must be
packed together in the nucleus of the
atom in forming the 80 elements. The
atom of hydrogen alone, the most
elemental stuff in creation. contains a
single proton. Why the heavier
elements do not break up because Of
the repulSive force of the protons long
has been a subject of speculation for
physicists.
Close Attraction Studied.
The Carnegie physicists were able
to make precise measurements by OBJ
serving the angles of detection of
individual hydrogen nuclei when they
collide at high speed with other pro-
tons in a hydrogen filled chamber.
AT relatively large distances, although
representing the minuteSt of space
hitherto measurable, they found
strong repulsion, as would be ex-
pected, between similarly charged
electric particles. but when the pro-
tons came within distances less than
ten-trillionth of an inch, less than
the weave length of ordinary light,
the new attracting force appeared
The million-Volt Carnegie InStitu-
ton vacuum tube was used to project
beam of hydrogen protons through
Sits into chamber filled with highly
purified hydrogen at preassure one
siXtieth atmospheric pressure.
The new atom-SmaShing machine
designed for Dr. Tuve'S laboratory
here will be the most powerful ever
conceived by man.
The nucleus of every atom is sur
rounded by an armor plate of electric
force corresponding to millions of
volts. Vast energy must be used to
get projectile through this armor
plate. Thus for investigation of the
general nature of the structure of
atoms the development of apparatus
for impelling particles at extremely
high voltages is essential.
Experiment for Seven Years.
Dr. Tuve, DR.. L. r. Hafstad and DR..
O. Dahl of the Carnegie staff have
experimented for seven years in per-
fecting the apparatus now to be built
and installed.
TO protect the scientists themselves
and their delicate observing apparatus
from the intense high-energy rays
that such a powerful apparatus will
produce, shields of earth, concrete
and underground water tanks are
planned 1t is planned to have the
huge spherical high-preSsure tank and
vacuum tube half buried in the side of
a hill, the tube pointing at targets
buried in deep underground vaults. 1t
is also expected that the target vault
will be flooded with water, which is
more effective for stopping neutrons
than rocks or lead. The scientists will
be located in another vault to obSHev
by means of extremely sensitive in
struments, what happens when the
projectileS strike atoms.
The plans are the outcome Of pro-
gram started here in 1926, with the
object of deliberately smashing atoms
to study the magnetic and electric
forces which are the structural basis
of all matter.