Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-12-28
mo. 4 of a Series.)
By Thomas R. Henry
liz S4axfs ceinnea Editor

Some Russians may be playing
with the idea but it Is not likely.
One can only speculate as to
what may be meant by the terms
"cosmic bomb"
Cosmic rays are minute par
ticles of matter which constantly
are bombarding the earth in in
finite numbers. They are, for the
most part, protons. Among them
is q sprinkling Of heavier par
ticles-nuclei Of the atoms Of all
the elements up to and including
iron. They hit the outer atmos-
phere of the earth at approx
mately the speed of light.
They are equally numerous by
day and by night. Apparently
they come from the great body
of stars constituting the 100,-
000, 900 ,000-star Milky Way gal
axy. A few, it now Is believed,
come from one minor star in this
galaxy, the sun.
Hit Earth With Greatest Energy.
They hit the earth with the
greatest energies ever known on
this planet. running into billions
of volts, some of them will 60
through a foot of lead as If 1t
were tissue paper. Used as agents
of atomic f1ssion. they would
smash the nuclei Of any Of the
elements-even silver, the most
refractory of all.
Perhaps one nigh conceive Of q
super atom smasher with count
less billions of triluons Of these
particles channelled against some
material. It doesn't make much
difference what the material is.
Among the requirements, 1t ap-
pears at present, would be super
magnets fixed about 200 miles
high with completely evacuated
pipes Of some kind extending to
the earth. The more powerful
particles which reach the surface
Of the earth amount to only a
few per second per square foot.
No use whatsoever could be made
Of them. "
There is another slim ground
for speculation. Only the Rus
slams have made any known claims
to doing anything in this direc-
ton. It is probable that the Rus
sian claims are not those Of SCI
entists themselves. or even Of the
Soviet propaganda bureau. but Of
misinformed Russian reporters.
Even so, the claims do not 60
very far and American physicists.
however, sceptical, do not deny
them. These claims concern the
existence of the negatron.
Matter, as man knows 1t, Is
primarily made up 81 two par
ticles, protons and electrons. The
seven or eight other particles dis
covered in recent years are varia-
tons of these which can be dis
regarded for the moment. The
electron carries one negative
charge Of electricity. The proton,
about 1000 times heavier, carries
one positive charge.
The protons are all in the nu-
cleus OF an atom. The electrons
are outside, revolving around the
nucleus like planets around the
sun. This is q highly simplified
but convenient picture, even II
not strictly true.
Some years ago there was dis
covered another primary particles,
the positron. It had the same
mass and volume as an electron.
but 1t carried q positive charge
like q proton. When an electron
and q positron come in contact
they eliminate each other. This
happens In about q millionth Of
a second after q positron makes
its appearance from q nuclear
disintegration.
No Evidence Of Negation.
Nobody, unless 1t is some Rus
sian, ever has found evidence Of
the existence OF the opposlte OF
tine positron' q negstlveiy-cnargeo
protron. xet the harmony o. ma
lure seems 70 demand sometnins
OF the sort. Inc absence OF the
negatron Is q Jarrng note IN inc
music OF the spheres ana pnysi-
cists arc ioatn 20 oeny tnat us
eMstence - possible even plooa-
Die. -.
Inere y NO veIy COCO IeasOal
why Ma.seI snou.u uc nnue W
&c: =: ::ss s;: ss:, :ss =; =
: IL: :. =. ''''ss' sss 's''''sa' .