Evening star., 1953-07-31
Atomic Nuclei Fusion
Opens Fantastic Vistus
Tests Muy Shed New Light
On the Structure of Matter
BY Thomus R. Henry

A"S SNbSSASbS VI bVt0tk0I
By Thomos R. Henry
An entirely new field Of transmutation
of elements-fusion of atomic nuclei
has been opened up by Atomic Energy
Commission scientists. it was announced
today.
It has been possible to transmute
such light elements as carbon, oxygen
and Sulfur into much heavier sodium,
aluminium and the rare metal scandium.
While the accomplishment opens fan
tastic vistas into the future, no practical
applications can be predicted from
what is still hit-or-miSS procedure
perhaps comparable to the phenomenon
Of atomic f1SSion upon which all
practical developments up to now are
based in the first two or three years
after its discovery.
UnqueStionably, however, at the COM
MISSIONS Oak Ridge laboratory are
many kinds of matter hitherto un-
known on earth and which do not
occur in nature. The work is ex-
pected to throw new light on the
structure of matter, upon q clearer
understanding of which future prog
ress depends. The new method Of
tranSmutation differs so radically from
that used in the past that it might
be considered as the exact opposite.
Light Element Bombs.
The procedure Is to lombard concen-
trations of relatively light elements,
fired from the Oak Ridge cyclotron at
energies of 25 million volts, with nuclei
of nitrogen atoms These nuclei-ni-
trogen stripped of all its outer electrons
consist essentially of eight protons.
They are by far the heaviest particles
yet used successfully in atomic bonn
bardment
SometimeS-how often this happens
is yet unknown-this nitrogen nucleus
sticks in the nucleus it hits.
For example, an eight-proton nitro
gen nucleus hits and combines with a
Seven-proton oxygen nucleus. The re-
suit is 15-proton nucleus. There is
only one element with this sort of
nucleus in nature. This IS phosphorus.
Presumably this is what would result.
Or the product of nitrogen and oxygen
might be a light isotope of sulfur.
whose nucleus consists of is protons.
All would depend on how the protonS
were rearranged in the new nucleus.
The elements resulting from the
transmutations, it is explained, never
are exactly those found in nature.
Some are lighter, some are heavier.
Some are radioactive, rapidly chang
ing into still other elements. Some are
stable and presumably will remain so
to the end of time.
The new forms of matter produced
hU this PonthnI ~ tra k~&f
are extremely minute. They can be
detected as yet only by extremely re-
fined chemical and physical techniqueS.
About all that is known is that they
can be demonstrated to exist.
Billion-VoIt Firing.
Already the possibilities, however
have been extended much further. A
few days ago report came to the
commission of the successful firing of
nuclei of carbon atoms at energies
of more than billion volts. This was
accomplished at the Argonne Labora-
tory of the Commission at the Uni
verSity of Chicago. No attempt was
made, however, to hit anything with
these relatively heavy particles.
TranSnutation techniques in the past
have consisted of hitting atomic nuclei
with single elementary particles, usual
ly protonS, fired with enormous ener-
gieS. What usually happens is that the
proton sticks momentarily in the nu-
cleuS it hits. This becomes unstable
under the new arrangement and COM
pensateS for disturbed balance by shoot
ing out one of its own protons together
with various gamma rays. It thus
changes into different element, usu-
ally one step lower in the atomic table.
Very rarely is stable nucleus one
step higher-that is, containing one
more proton-formed.
The word fusion has attained sinister
implications of late because of its use
in connection with the hydrogen bomb
where, by an extremely complicated
process four nuclei of hydrogen are
made to combine to form a single
nucleus of helium. The helium nucleus
weighs trifle less than the four hydro
gen nuclei. This lost weight appears as
energy.
Presumably nothing Of the sort occurs
with heavy nucleus fusion and nothing
in the way of new explosive is an.
ticipated. Nothing, in fact, is antici-
pated in the present state of knowledge.
The significant aspect, however, is
that man has broken into q new field
OF the behavior of elementary particles
whose treasures are beyond prediction.