Evening star., 1949-12-19
Scientists Try to Harness
Cosmic Rays for Power
Yale Researchers Work on Project
Under Contract From Navy
By Thomas X. Henry

dle NeSedTCneIS WORK on Project
Under Contract From Navy
By Thomas r. Henry
The first attempt to harness cosmic rays
as a source of power has been reported by
Yale scientists working under an Office Of
Naval Research contract.
These minute particles from outer space
which constantly lombard the earth have
the greatest energies known to man, running
as high as 400 ,O00, 900 000, 900 electron volts.
This is a million times greater than has
been achieved in the University of California
cyclotron Such particles could be used to
smash the nuclei of any of the elements.
At an altitude of H. 500 feet at Climax,
Colo. the Yale scientists have reported to
the Navy they have set up pile" very
similar in structure to the great uranium
ovens used by the Atomic Energy Commis-
sion for the production of plutonum. Blocks
of the element being studied are surrounded
by blocks of parafine to slow down the
particles from outer space so that they can
be captured by the atoms it is desired to
smash.
Heavy Particles.
The "cosmic rays" are relatively heavy
particles-protons, deutroas or nuclei Of
heavy hydrogen atoms, alpha particles OF
nuclei OF helium atoms and nuclei of other
elements up to iron. When one of the more
energetic of these strikes the nucleus of any
atom it knocks out neutrons
This is the principle of the production Of
plutonium from uranium. Neutrons knocked
out of the easily fashionable uranium 235 are
captured by atoms of ordinary uranium
with the eventual formation of a new
synthetic element.
If there were any way of controlling cosmic
f1oorro into hoop il>o 1,rrI,%
beams, science would have a tool of enor-
nous potency. Unfortunately, the most
powerful of these particles are relatively
scarce, their arrival is unpredictable, and
they seldom get through the thick blanket Of
the earth's atmosphere. They hardly can
be studied at all except with balloons and
rockets, or by expeditions to high mountain
tops.
Pile Is Experimental.
The Yale pile, it is explained is entirely
experimental at this stage, although it may
mark the beginning of mans utilization OF
cosmic rays. The main purpose at present
is to study the effect of altitude on their
efficacy as atom snashers. Lead is used az
target. At sea level it has been deter
mined, an average of three neutrons are
knocked out for every 1000 cosmic rays
passing through a centimeter Of lead and
recorded on counting instruments. At the
Climax station this number Is increased
many fold, although as yet the results are
far from being of any practical value.
At present the chief effect of the cosmic
ray neutrons, says DR.. C. G. Montgomery
of the Yale faculty, is to alter the chemistry
of the upper atmosphere They hit nitrogen
atoms and change them into radioactive
carbon. sThis mixes with the rest of the
atmosphere and eventually enters the Struc-
ture of every living thing.
The possible eventual harnessing of cosmic
rays as a practical source of power is an
eventual objective of the Yale experimenters.
At present, of course. the actual power got
ten out of the pile is extremely small.
Discovery of approximately 200 new plane
tary nebulae among the most mysterious OBJ
jects in the skies, in an observation program
extending over several years, recently has
been reported by astronomers of the Carne-
gle Institution of Washington.
These are vast accumulations of cosmic
dust with diameters several hundred thou
sand times the distance between earth and
sun. Sometimes they are luminous. Some
times they are black patches in the distant
heavens. Often there is bright star in ap-
proximately the center of such nebula.
They are oval or circular in shape and ap-
pear to be in slow revolution.
"a Added to List.
During the past year of the survey DR..
Rudolph Minkowski of the Mount Palomar
staff has increased the list by "a. Before
the present search started only $50 were
known. The new discoveries confirm the
theory that these strange objects seem to
in the direction of the center Of
the Milky Way galaxy the conglomeration Of
billions of stars of which our solar system Is
part. This center, which lies in the direc-
ton Of the northern constellation of Sagit.
tarius, is forever hidden from observers by
enormous clouds of cosmic dust.
The observations according to the Car
negie Institution report, tend to show that
these vast dust shells of stars are undergoing
rapid expansion. From the study it is ex-
pected that deductions concerning conditions
of heat and motion in the galactic center
can be made.