Evening star., 1947-03-01
School for Atom Scientists
Will Seek to Create Matter
By NewboId Noyes, Jr.
Ssor Stoff CORRESPONDENT

Stor Stoff Go
BROOKHAvEN, Long Island,
Mar. Within the next few years,
scientific man will be producing mat
ter. This second creation" probably
will cost him $25 ,0o0, 900 to $50 ,O00.-
900.
That is the sober prediction of sci
entlStS now putting the finishing
touches here on plans for the Brook
haven National Laboratory, a Gov
ernment-sponsored peacetime atom
ic research center, to be operated
by nine universities in the North
eastern United States. Brookhaven,
it is expected. will be the worlds
greatest center Of atomic research.
To achieve the atom bomb, man
transformed matter into energy.
Now, the scientists say, he is on
the threshold Of making matter out
OF energy.
Process Reversed.
He turned matter into energy by
working on the heavy end Of the
atomic weight scale. If he turns
energy into matter, he will do it at
the oposite end Of the scale. He will
manufacture protons which, picking
up electrons, will form hydrogen
atoms-the lightest in the universe.
If he does this, man will be pry-
ing close to the secret of the cosmos.
He even may be approaching an un-
derStanding Of original creation; how
to produce life itself will be the great
remaining mystery. But success in
his attempt to make substance out
Of shadow inevitably will add much
to his knowledge Of the nuclear
world.
Brookhaven's planners, about 100
Of whom are already at work on the
site Of the Army's recently-aban-
doned Camp Upton, the historic
Yaphank Of World War I, hope to
accomplish this major scientific
miracle through use of a synchro-
cylotron, ten times more powerful
than existent atom m-smashing de-
vises.
Generates 800 Million Volts.
To create a proton or neutron,
the massive core Of an atom, such
a machine would have to generate
2,000, ,00O, 900 to 100000, 900 electron
volts. The modern cyclotron has
maximum electron voltage of about
300, 900 900.
The scientists told their hopes to
a press conference here Yesterday
at which the Atomic Energy Com
mission carefully took some Of the
wraps of its long g-heralded Brook
haven project. Although it was
clear they thought of matter-pro-
duction as no distant pipe dream,
there were some conflicting opinions
as to the time and cost of It's &C
complishment.
DR.. I. I. Rabi, Columbia Univer-
sity's Noble prize physicist. said he
thought the laboratory might be
making real matter within three
years after necessary funds are al
lotted.
Cost at Cent Volt.
Five years.. maybe" said DR..
Philip M. Morse Of the Massachu-
setts Institute of Technology, the
Brookhaven director.
DR.. Rabi estimated the cost of. the
operation at $25, 600, 900.
Possibly $4,000, ,o00," said DR..
Morse.
Finally the scientists agreed it
might cost somewhere around a
cent a volt.
Creation Of matter out of energy
is only one of the aims of the Brook
haven project, plans for which re-
fleet the fact that atomic research
is too expensive for individual in
stitutions, such as universities.
Funds for Brookhaven laboratory
will come from the Atomic Commis-
sion's general appropriations, and
the nine universities will operate
the project under charter as nom
profit corporation-Associated Uni
versities, Inc.
Fourth Federal Project.
The universities are Yale, Har-
ward, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell,
Johns Hopkins, Pennsylvania, Roch-
ester and M. I. T. Each has two
members on the corporations Board
of Directors, which met yesterday.
Other schools and corporations will
cooperate in the venture. using the
laboratory's facilities for special
projects.
Brookhaven will be the fourth
such institution operating under
the Government. The others are at
Chicago, Los Alamos, Calf, and
Oak Ridge, Tenn. The laboratory
here is to be devoted exclusively to
research In fundamental atomic |
science and its peacetine applica-
ton. No explosive atomic materials |
will be made, although some will be
used in experiments.
Edward Reynolds, vice president
of Harvard and president of Asso-
ciated Universities, told reporters:
Il want to make it completely
clear that we are seeking
peacetime uses of atomic energy
which will prolong life and raise
the standard Of living of mankind. "
Uses to Be Beneficial"
DR.. Morse explained the scientists
hoped to control atomic energy for
beneficial uses"
I'm biology and medicine we will
learn more about living organisms
in order to develop methods Of treat
ment for diseases such as cancer and
many other flls," he said. "By fun
damental research In engineering We