Evening star., 1948-10-01
Showers of Sun Atoms =
Seen Big Weather Foeto'
Of Stars, Men and Atoms
Ultraviolet Spurts Also Studied b!
Smithsonian Experts
Bv Thomas r. Henry

Ultraviolet Spurts Also Stuoled Dy
Smithsonian Experts
By Thomas r. Henry
spurts of invisible ultraviolet light and
showers of atoms from the face Of the sun
may be important factors in the worlds
weather.
This thesis has just been presented by Drs
B. and G. Duell in publication issued By
the Smithsonian Institution.
Both phenomena appear in some way asso.
ciated with changes in atmospheric pressure
at sea level. This, in turn, is a major de-
termining factor in the general weather pat.
tern.
Known Only Few Years.
The atom showers have been known only
few years. Streams of elementary particles
such as electrons neutrons, protons and even
entire atomic nuclei, are spurted from the
sun spasmodically and at enormous velocities
They are followed by radio disturbances
greater displays of auroral lights and changes
in terrestrial magnetism.
Such shower can be detected almost i'm
mediately by the Frightening Of certain lines
in the spectrum of the suns corona, the great
pearl-colored halo which Is visible to the
naked eye only during total eclipses
gathered over period Of Is years which show
that in the winter months during years OF
low sun-spot activity, sea-level pressure is lower
than normal at the time Of these solar particle
showers. 1t is higher than normal however,
following calm days in the high atmosphere.
No effect can be demonstrated in summer
and in years of high sun spot activity.
Give Out Enormous Energy.
1t is certain, the report stresses, that these
particles, shot from the sun at great velocities,
must give up enormous amounts OF energy
when they collide with atoms and molecules
in the high atmosphere. This. in turn, prob
ably brings about various chemical changes IN
the air. notably the production of the kind OF
oxygen known as ozone, which serves rs
shield against ultraviolet radiation from the
sun. Also such shower produces shock waves
in the atmosphere which may even reach the
eartn's surface.
Almost exactly the opposite effect follows
eruptions of ultraviolet light which usually &C
company the appearance of certain types OF
sun spots. They come from relatively small
areas on the suns surface.
During such an eruption the amount OF the
suns ultra violet radiation within certain wave
bands, is increased as much as 100000 times
over what normally would be received from the
same areas. This increases the total ultraviolet
received from the sun as whole several hum
dred per cent. The total radiation is increased
slightly.
Such eruptions in Europe at least, are fol-
lowed by increases in sea level pressure fol-
lowing definite patterns. They are believed to
have profound effects on temperatures and
chemical composition of the upper atmospheres.
- -
Two possible new American sources Of
uranium-waste residues of gold mining and
oil shales-are being explored by the Atomic
Energy Commission.
Both admittedly are far inferior to the great
pitchblende deposits Of Northern Canada, the
Belgian Congo and Czechoslovaka and 1t
would not have been possible to exploit them
in the past.
Recently, according to John K. Gustafson.
the commissions director of raw materials,
uranium has been found In some South AZ
rican gold-bearing ores and there is every
prospect that its recovery will become an i'm
portant side-line of the gold-mining industry
The commission for some time. he said. has
been systematically examining all the mill and
smelter products in this country for uranium
traces There Is a certain logic to the belief
that uranium and gold will be found together.
Found in on Shales.
It long has been known, he said that GER
tain oil shales and other marine deposits con-
tain very small quantities Of uranium. First
to take advantage Of the fact, however. has
been Sweden, which has just set up small
atomic pile and intends to extract her ura-
mum from oil shales. There are millions OF
tons of this uranium bearing ore with about
two-hundredths Of per cent content OF the
precious heavy element.
The Swedish shale deposits extend north
eastward through Estonia to Leningrad. This
extension Is the only positively known Russian
source of uranium, although 1t Is extremely
likely there are other kinds Of radioactive
deposits within the Soviet boundaries.
The oil shale possibilities in the United
States will be exhaustively examined, Mr.. Gus
tafson said.
The chief strictly American source at pres
ent is the extensive vanadium deposit In Col
orado, now under active development under
commission control. Vanadium is greatly IN.
ferior to pitchblende as a uranium source but
is probably better than either gold ore or
shale. IL