Volume 11 Number 1 January-February 1974 ‘““AT0 M Published bimonthly by the University of California, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, Ogice of Public Information, TA-3, West Jernez Road, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544. Address mail to P.O. Box 1663, LOS Alamos, New Mexico 87544. Second Class Postage Paid at Los Alamos, N.M.

CONTENTS:

1-9 Energy: Special Section 2 Laser Fusion 5 Superconductors 7 SolarEnergy 8 Geothermal 9 Energy Briefs COVER AND PHOTO AT RIGHT 10 Short Subjects and Photo Shorts How do you take a picture of 12 Million Dollar Research Bonanza energy? With a bit of darkroom magic and a great deal of creativity, 15 Mariner lo’s Interplanetary Square Dance Bill Jack Rodgers, ISD-7, came up 18 Going Metric with the striking abstraction on the front cover. He combined a shot of Service Awards 22 the sun, taken through a special 24 10 Years Ago in Los Alamos filter, with Q-Division’s symbol for i solar energy. 25 Among Our Guests The Atom then asked Rodgers to enhance the photo of Group L-2’s neodymium glass laser (right). Again, Rodgers employed his photo of the sun, this time superimposing it over one of the laser. In this situa- tion, he expressed the power of modern lasers more effectively than he could have by conventional means. Editor: Jack Nelson In other situations, realism is Photography: Bill Jack Rodgers, Eugene Lam- more effective. On page 2, the photo kin. of the CO, laser by Eugene Lamkin, L-2, is dramatic because of its real- Office: D-442-B Administration Building. Tele- ism. Those bullets of light are really phone: 667-6102. Printed by the University there. of New Mexico Printing Plant, Albuquerque. As a final footnote, all other Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, an equal photos in this issue are “straight.” opportunity employer, is operated by the Uni- On the rare occasions that The versity of California for the United States Atom prints “doctored” photos, Atomic Energy Commission. they are identified as such. w I

thr th(wrclica1 piediction,” as ‘I’liomas 1;. Stratton, L I altcrnatc group lcadcr, pul it. 11 rio sutli surpriscs aic forth- coming, I ,-L)ivi\ion Eorcsecs othcr rnilr~loric~on the road ahead: a 2-lie;irn lascr gcncrat irig 2,500 joules 1;itcr tliis year and an 8 beam lascr system gcncr.iling 10,000 jouh in 1975-76. I,atc’r, cxperimcnts using 10 timcs

Electron beam7 would be much less than for fission Tarqe t chamber 7 reactors. Further development of this tech- nology niay make it possible to burn pure deuterium, thus simplifying tlie process by eliminating the need to manufacture tritium. More Milestones Ahead Answers to many questions must be learned before the turning point to power from laser fusion is reached. One such question: will the 10.6 micron wavelength of the COP L~aseramplifier laser prove too long for optimum fusion ignition? If so, L-Division Vacuum rwm.4 has some solutions in mind. One would be to alter the pellet shape To initiate efficient burn, this From Fusion to Power -making it hollow-to mitigate fuel must be raised to an ignitioii In one likely system, CO, laser- temperature of about 45 million beam channels are arranged as in this effect. Invcstigations are also kelvins and compressed to several tlie drawing on this page. The uiiderway to either shorten the thousand times its normal solid beams ~~oulclconverge lrom several wavelcngth of the COz laser out- density-conditions more extreme tliffcrciit directions on a target put or to develop other lasing than exist in the center of the sun. point within a spherical chamber media which can use the same l’hesc effects are achieved through perhaps 2m in diameter. These pumping techniques to generate the unique properties of laser in beams may be generated indepen- shorter wavelength laser radiation. which a substantial amount of ener- dently or, inore likely, split from Once over the hurdles of demon- gy can be stored in the lasing med- one or more master beams. The strating scientific feasibility and ium, released in an extremely short same lascr outputs could be deliv- then obtaining adequate encrgy period ol time, and conceutratcd ered to a number of chambers or gain for a power cycle, many engi- into a very tiny valunie. iiiod u 1es . neering and material problems re- The fuel pellet is exposed to ii A procession ol pellets-droppcd main such as: the manufacture and number of intersecting laser beams or cjccted-would enter thc cham- delivery of pellets, the development which deliver energy to its surface ber, each timed to arrive at the ol reliable long-life lasers, the dc- at a rate which, for a fraction of a central target point at the instant velopment of radiation damage- second, is equal to the power out- the converging laser pulses do. Each resistant optics and rcaction chain- put of almost a million Hoover encounter would initiate the fusion bers, and the development of high- Dams. This enormous energy flux seq u c n ce . temperature lithium technology. delivered to the surface of the pellet The energy-carrying neutrons These and a host of other tech- causes a violent explosion which produced by the thermonuclear nical problems must be solved, implodes the core oi the pellet. burn would be absorbed in a blan- which is why the program is en- This initiates the fusion of deu- ket of molten lithium surrounding visioned as requiring 2 or more de- terium and tritium nuclei, forming the chamber. The lithium would cades LO develop economic power helium nuclei and iree electrons serve the dual purpose of breeding plants. with tlie release of a great deal of inore tritium, which would later be Yet, all theory points towards the energy. The nuclear burning is cxtracted for fuel, and of transfer- feasibility of developing a tech- nology, based not on the knowledge completed in a few millionths of a ring the heat to a steam boiler millionth of a second. which would then power conven- that may emerge tomorrow, but on the materials and hardware that Altho~igh the energy release is tional turbogenerators. In more futuristic schemes, direct conver- exist today. equivalent to that contained in a sion processes such as MHD (mag- More arid more, it appears that a few kilograms of high explosives, nctohyclrodynamics) might be used number of answers-long-range, tlie actual explosive forcc is very to convert heat to electricity more short-range, nuclear, and nonnu- much less due to the tiny mass efficiently. clcar-are needed in response to the which is exploded. Most of the en- Such a power plant could not suf- nation’s complex encrgy problems. ergy is carried by the neutrons. fer a nuclear excursion (or run- Pellets of liquid hydrogen iso- Capturing and using this energy away reaction) and would generate topes exploded by bullets of light calls for development of a practical only minimal radioactivity. Thus, may be one of the more promising power system. safety and environmental problems ones. Et93 4 I n ed

erronductiiig transmission lincs.

Accent on Efficiency Power eoiiipanirs today find it 1ciisiblc to briilrl tlicir transmission sysi cim iis tlicy necd thcm, acquir- ing iriorc right-or-way arid huilding riioi e towcrs from wli ich they hang moi e copper lincs. Iirit this may (liangc. With 7 mil- lion acics ol Am(-rica now iitili7cd lor riglit-ol-way, powcr coml’anies fiiitl it morc tl~fficixlt ant1 cxpcrisivc to obtain additional land a? wcll as aiiswrring questions ritiscd by en- vi1oI1111C11 Lil1i515. S0;lring costs hi iiiri twingly "precious" iiictals sur11 its coppcr, and for other matcrial iind lithr as wcll, havr vastly com- poiintlcd the problcm 01 investing rnough inoiicy €as1 rnough to mcct powcr dcinitrltl illa~is now doub- ling ewry 8- ID years. ’l’hus, tlic corircpt of wpcrcon- tliicling lransrnission systems is ai- trac ting in( rcasing intcrcst ainorig powcr rompanies. ‘Iliesr lincs would rcquirc lrss righ t-dway tlim two lane road, would bc 1~11ictl untlcigroutid, and would 11,ivc a capacity to carry powcr lar exceding jxcsent ilnd hturr dc- rriaiicls iib ~~11. Such a system would pay ariolhrr bonus. LI woultl transmil pwcr with its Jittlc a5 0.5 pcr rcnt cnrrgy “((>st” ii+ LomlJarctl to 3-10 pcr cent losses cxpcr iciictd gcricrally in con- vcntional long-(list itmc ac tran5inis- sioii today. While ti atismission losscs could br ignoictl in the past, tliry cannot iii tlic liiturc. Projcctetl to 1990, los,cs in conventional transmission SYSI ~~1swoLiltl CY~U~ ill1 the cricrgy that tlic Alasliil Pipcliiic coirld tlclivcr , tlairbreadth Transmission Ctirrcii tly, Q-26 t onsidcrs Nb,Sn -A toiri1)ouiitl 01 .3 illoms 01 nio- bium aut1 one 01 tiii--as thc most pi oiiiising c UI rcnt car1 irr. A singlc line coulcl h~orctically c‘iiry liom 10 to 100 times the

5 power carried by a typical present- Superconducting Magnetic Energy trolled Thermonuclear Research day ac transmission line. Storage. As William V. Hassenzahl, program, it became apparent that The power needs of the city of (2-26, explains, an electric current storage and transmission of the Albuquerque (300 megawatts) introduced into a superconducting dc current required to create a mag- could be fulfilled by a wire with the storage device would, in theory, netic pinch on hydrogen plasma diameter of human hair if an flow forever. It could be withdrawn might best be accomplished ulti- NB,Sn conductor were used in a at any time at no energy cost other mately through superconducting superconducting cable. than the small amount (less than 5 transmission and storage. Hence, a This high current density pro- per cent) required to refrigerate the parallel experiment is being direct- vides another advantage: delivery device and make ac-dc conversions. ed by John D. Rogers, associate of power at relatively low voltage The storage devices would consist group leader, and Henry Laquer, (about 100 kilovolts), thus avoid- of one or more large magnets, prob- both Q-26, named Magnetic Energy ing a multitude of high-voltage ably of toroidal geometry, housed in Transfer and Storage (METS). transmission problems. suitable insulation with refrigerat- METS is intended to converge A possible cable configuration ing systems. One scheme visualizes a upon the Scyllac experiment at would be a small copper core clad huge “doughnut,” occupying an some future date. with Nb,Sn (probably filaments in area no larger than a football field. It also became apparent that re- tape), surrounded by sheaths of Such a design would accomplish search connected with METS liquid helium , vacuum, and peakshaving for a generating plant could have broader application. insulation. A pair of these cables, supplying a medium size city. Thus Edward F. Hammel, Jr., asso- each 125-150 millimetres (5-6 inches) Another possibility is the integra- ciate Q-Division leader for applied in diameter, would be required for tion of transmission and storage, technology, proposed two collateral transmission, although other pos- with a storage device placed every programs for meeting the needs of sible configurations could incorpor- 20 km (12 miles) along a supercon- America’s power industry in the ate the two superconductors in a ducting transmission line. Among 1980’s: Superconducting Power single cable. l’ransmission Lines and Supercon- If linked to present ac generators, ducting Magnetic Energy Storage. then conversion to dc is required, as Multiple usage of personnel, fa- superconductors perform more ef- cilities, equipment, and knowledge ficiently with dc current. The ef- is producing significant economy: ficiency gain of the superconduct- the programs are funded by the ing cable would more than com- Atomic Energy Commission at a pensate for the slight energy cost cost measured in hundreds of thou- of this conversion. sands of dollars rather than the mil- lions such independent programs Peakshaving with SMES might otherwise cost. Peakshaving, or storage of energy Tomorrow’s Systems generated in slack demand periods The thrust of these programs il- for release during peak demand lustrates the need for a total-systems periods, is a subject of growing in- approach. As an example, a Con- terest to America’s power industry. trolled Thermonuclear Reaction Robert D. Turner, William V. Has- Peakshaving becomes attractive power plant would be most efficient senzahl, both Q-26, and Bruce when the cost for such devices be- in the production of dc, rather than Baker, UNM, with magnetic stor- comes as low as for standby gen- ac, current. Superconducting trans- age device. erators. mission lines would appear ideal Many devices have been pro- used with a CTR generator. And posed; only one has been put into its advantages would be a single CTR would operate most efficiently practice, and that by only a handful refrigerating system cooling both at unvarying design loads. Peak- of power companies-pumped hy- the transmission lines and the stor- shaving via a superconducting mag- dro storage. age devices. netic energy storage device would In this simple scheme, water is be a logical adjunct. pumped up into a lake during Interlocked Programs Mated to the CTR power plants slack-demand periods, then drained LASL became involved with of the future, superconducting back through generators during cryogenics and superconductivity in transmission and storage may give peak demand periods. Maximum employing liquid hydrogen isotopes generations to come electrical en- efficiency is about 70 per cent. in early thermonuclear devices. ergy produced and delivered at Q-26 is working on a far more With the inauguration of LASL’s efficiencies and with sophistication efficient and compact method: Scyllac experiment in the Con- undreamed of today. @ 6 Ch your mcrrk, gef sei, go. A slow hut iinportant race begins as kwrencs 1.. Wripkc crrrd Rich- curd I. Ikrifro, bath Q-33, re- rriovt? vinyl COV~I~frain colllec- lor uiiijs to c~xpssothem $0 sun crb Th-46 lesl Station. Framing marks the spot where Q-22 will drill for heat. Site is in Jemez Mountains on flank of extinct volcano. Redondo Peak is in background. @ GEOTHERMAL: things are looking down

During January, dozers com- by boring down 1.3 kilometres or needs further demonstration. Costs pleted grading a small site near more, a region of granite at 150°C ol deep drilling may be unaccept- Los Alamos on the western flank will be encountered. able. While LASL‘s subterrene, a of an extinct volcano-a welcome If so, in April, attempts will be device that melts its way through sign that Los Alamos Scientific made to fracturc the rock in a 150 the earth (The Atom, Nov.-Dec. Laboratory’s dry geothermal energy metre radius from a point near 197.3) may ultimately reduce costs, program was moving out of the the bottom of the hole. its use awaits further development. laboratory and into the field. Success in this test would lead And the system for injecting But Group Q-22, conducting the to drilling two deeper holes, 1.8 water into thc earth, circulating project, was only scratching the sur- to 2.3 km, about 0.5 km from the it through cracks in the hot rock face. test hole this summer. If these holes where it is heated, and withdraw- Soon, drilling will start. Morton meet expectations, pumping, con- ing it must be proven in practice. C. Smith, Q-22 group leader, reports trol, and heat exchanging systems Yet, the principles are simple, that casing is now on hand and con- would be installed in the first half present materials and engineering tracts have been signed for drilling of 1975. Perhaps by that summer, know-how appear equal to the to begin as you’re reading this. the world’s first facility for extract- task, and progress has beeen en- Because shallower test holes were ing energy from the earth’s deep, couraging. drilled earlier in the vicinity to dry heat would go into operation. Perhaps once again the Jemez learn subterranean temperature Lest this tentative forecast touch Caldera, the remains of the great gradients and the feasibility ol off a geothermal wildcatting boom, volcano whose titanic eruptions cracking granite hydraulically, Smith reminds that answers to shaped much of northern New LASL men on the job (in shifts many questions are needed. Where Mexico’s terrain, will play another around the clock, 7 days a week) is all this heat? How deep? Knowl- role in history. By yielding its are optimistic. Donald W. Brown, edge of the geology underlying the remnants of heat to LASL scien- Q-22 assistant group leader, Darrell contincnt, let alone of its heat tists, it may contribute to research L. Sims, Q-22, Francis G. West, flow, is sketchy at best. leading to an important new Q-22, William D. Purtymun, H-8, Based on recent tests, seismic ef- energy source. Daniel J. Miles, Q-22, and others at fects of fracturing the rocks are 9% the Fenton Hill site believe that expccted to be negligible, but this

8 Energy Planning Office Formed

In 1 (’SI )orisc to rapidly increasing responsibilities in national energy researc ti, a11 Energy Planning <>fTrc c licarled hy I~,d.wartlF. Ilammcl, Jr., (1DO, w,ts iornicd in January at 1ASL 1;PO’s 10 ivorltiiig groups arc Kncrgy/Resource Conserv;ition, Oil aiid (:as St imulation, Clean I;uclc Irom Coal, Nuclear Ihcrgy (Fusion), Nu-

( lciir 13 ncrgy (I‘iscion), l

Grading Begins for Facility Grading has bcgun €or a new $55 million plutoni~irnlac ility at ‘1-A45 which incorporates 1;itesi licalc 11 ;lid safety standards. When com- plcictl in 1977, ic will replace thc present lacility at I)i’ Wcst. Anioiig its lunctions: rcscarcli in fast luels, ol interest to tlic nation’s powcr indri\t ~y.1;;ist 1)reedcr rcactoi s hilve the capability of crca tiiig atldit ional fissioiiablr fuel wliilc pro- viding energy f or 1x)wer generation.

New Busses Save Gas <:oinimtiter bus scrvicc init iatctl by LASI, and lqinnirig Vel). 4 may bc suing 1,000 or more pilloris ol gasolinc a monili that would othcrwise be biai ncd by cml)loyc.cs’ privaic cars. ‘1’11(~cstiniatcs ‘i4suuie that 2 1)usses carry a iull load ol 4 1 passengcrs c;icli, tliat cmployees’ cars woultl 01herwisc- ( nrry an average of 2 employees cac 11, ant1 that ciiiployccs’ cars nvcragc 50 miles a day at 17 miles to the gallon driving to work.

9 short su biec t s

Honors: Jennie L. Boring, ADW-PM, elected president of the Rio Grande Chapter of the Asso- ciation for Computing Machines. Louis Rosen, MP-Division leader, elected councillor at large of the Council of tlie American Physical Society. William R. Stratton, P-5, elected chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission's Advisory Commit- tee on Reactor Safeguards. %

Morton M. Kligerman, LASL assistant director for and a UNM staff member, in January was a member of a team visiting the Soviet Union to observe cancer treatment in sev- eral Soviet institutions. The AEC anticipates re- ceiving a comparable Soviet team in the U.S.A. in the future.

Following its hit performance in Washington, D.C. (The Atom, Nov.-Dec. 1973), the subterrene staged an encore in Denver, Colo. Federal and state officials, news media, and private industry representatives watched the subterrene melt its way through earth and rock.

A visual approach indicator has been installed at the east end of the Los Alamos Airport runway. 'CVhen tested and approved by tlie FAA, it will give pilots an extra safety margin, signalling the correct descent angle to miss obstacles in the final approach path.

Deaths: Fremont W. Carroll, retired, former ENG-2 senior designer; Leo R. ONeil, SD-5 de- Participants in the Jan. 11 charter meeting of the New velopmental machinist; Leopoldo Romero, WX-3, Mexico Emergency Council in Los Alamos demonstrate transporting a litter across a canyon. Meeting, attended chemical plant operator; Betty E. Smith, H-2 oc- by 23 search and rescue teams, was hosted by the Los cupational health nurse; La Verne Turner, re- Alamos County Civil Defense Search and Rescue Organ- tired, former Shop Department employee. ization. History of another sort was made in los Alamos 2 days before Christmas with the arrival of the first triplets born in the city. A girl, Janaanne, held by father Gregg C. Giesler, CNC-91, and 2 boys, Jonathan and Jeffrey, held by mother Maryjane Giesler, joined Susananne who preceded them by 19 months.

Is .Js:ieph A. l~ontoya,M-3, and Charles F. Keller, Jr., J-15, Kohoutek comet was no disappointment, but ci subject yielding valuubk opticcil data. Montoya and Keller, here zeroing catriera for comet photography aboard uii AEC/Air Feme NC 135 flying laboratory, wen: part of: IASL team tritrkirig 6 comet observation flights from Albuquerque, PI series 01 Rights in Alaska weis cancelled. Wespifc puizling perforrnunce, scientists expect to learn mort! from Kohoutih ihan from any previo us corn c t.

Funny at the timc was the fall of this filing ccr!~inct in the Adminis- tratiorr Ihiilding. But it tnighi huve becn no laughing mattor: heavy filing cabinets can scrious injury. Jackie Mcketa, 1511-1, and Harry Williams, Jr., ENG 4, appnrenkly in chtrrge of holding filing drawers in with his stomtrch, survey the 5~~1'10.Moral: never open inore thurl 1 file drawer at a time.

curciilmt l)roccdurcs, this equip- iiicii t (oiit: 1200 litrc/sccond ion v;1crIliIII pu11ip aIo11c C0Sl.S about $7,000) c:ollltl only havc been itc- quiKcd ow:r a pcriotl of tinic and at ii cost, iiccoi-ding to t.he National Aeronautics iiiid Spacc Admiiiistra- tion, of $2.5 inillioii iriclrrdiiig cri- giiiccririg itlid iiistallatioti. Not tlic 1e;ist of tlic ;tdv;lni;iges associarctl with this cguipnic:iit is ~lia~.it. is virt.ually new (nscd only rr1)oii tlic rcturii ol Apollo lunar inissioiis) ;mtl hiit it is ;ill intiict: Parts have riot liccri cariiiilxtlizetl LO serve iis rcp1;iccnients in othcr cq ui pine ri I. I low it ;ill ciiitie ;il)out is a tiiiicly cxiiiriplc 01’ liow tlic latcral t.raris- fer or excess cqriipmcnt from one governmerit iigcricy lo aiiotlicr can provide iixaxiiiiuiii bciicfits to the

Taking it out: Richard Johnston and Roy Johns~on disassemble Lunar Lab equipment in Houston.

Members of the LASI. teain who went to Houston and lmught back luritrr ltub bar- guin5. Bctc k row, left to righi, Jatt~tss A. EdnIontKs, 1 1, FU- gcm larnkin, 17, and Roy 1. Johnston, 1.-1. Imnt row, left to riglit, Alan 1. Olcott, I-DO, Iticticirtl F. Johnston, 1-3, Bon- Bringing it in: Zia nio Mat rioft, 51’- 12, Librado Company riggers unload E. Esquibel, L-DO, Ducine C. equipnierii in Los Alunies. Winhurn, 1-DO, Kaynioncl c. Vnnclcrvoorl, CNC-4, unci Jcsus M. Martinez, SP-I. Checking it in: David B. Fradkin, “If kitchen sinks L-3, and Wanda King, L-DO, record had been property number of vacuum pump. available . . . the LASL team would have brought them back, too.” nation at minimum cost. burn went to Houston for a closer Apollo 17 brought the last cargo look at the potential windfall. The of lunar specimens back to earth in group confirmed that the equip- December 1972. It was sent to the ment was indecd in excellent con- Lunar Receiving Laboratory at the dition and totally usable. National Aeronautics and Space In June, Marriott and Winburn lowed 2 to 3 weeks in Houston for Administration’s Johnson Space Hew to Houston and agreed on the the delicate disassembly and load- Center in Houston. By April 1973, issues ol a proposed contract be- ing operation. Instcad, Devon Bak- soinc 110 kilograms (243 lbs.) 01 tween LASL and the Johnson Space cr, CNC-11, Lee Esquibel, L-DO, samples from this final flight had Ckn ter . Don Housel, L-4, Richard Johns- becn proccssed and transferred to But the paper work and ap- ton, L-3, Roy Johnston, L-I, Eugene the Lunar Sample Curatorial Fa- provals were far from complete. Lamkin, L-2, Kaymond Vander- cility. The Lunar Receiving Lab- Marriott spent the summer heavily voort, CNC-4, and Martinez did it oratory’s mission was complcted and involvcd in the execution of the in IO days. Assisting Winburn in the Lab was closed in June. Its contract, ironing out details, and coordinating the project was equipment was declared excess prcparing documents for final James Edmonds, L-1. propcr ty. NASA, Atomic Energy Commis- The LASL team brought home Awareness of the availability of sion, and General Services Agency one item that has no bearing on the Lunar Lab equipmcnt came approvals. laser fusion research, but saved about in almost an offhand way, The transfcr was approved in late LASL $500-1,000: a steel staircase. well before the Lunar Lab was Scptember. R. J. Van Gemert, Sup- Collcagues at L-Division joked that closed. On a tip from George ply and Property Department head, if kitchen sinks had been available Cowan, CNC-Division leader, assigned Jesus Martinez, SP-4, to the at the Johnson Space Center, thc through Bonnie L. Marriott, SP-12 LASL team for his knowledge of LASL team would have brought excess property coordinator, Win- loading and rigging. Other person- them back, too. burn and Alan L. Olcott, L-Divi- nel experienced in these matters According to John W. Ramsey, sion property supervisor, inquired were assigned from L- and CNC- SP-DO, costs other than for LASL about the Lunar Lab equipment Divisions to comprise the team that time and travel, amounted to $7,- during a regular excess property went to Houston on October 1. It 500 for shipping (down from an screening trip to Houston in Jan- had been agreed that NASA con- originally budget of $20,000) and uary 1973. They learned of the im- tractor pcrsonnel would isolate the $30,000 to NASA for detaching the pending Lab closure and probable equipment from utilities and LASL equipment. availability of its equipment. pcrsonncl would disassemble and As Boyer wrote to Van Gemert, Reporting their preliminary find- load it. “The exact savings realized cannot ings to Keith Boyer, L-Division Arrangements had been made be accuratcly calculated, but the leadcr, they were directed to “get with Pyramid Van Lines for driv- overall value to L-Division, the the wheels turning” immediately ers and special electronic vans. major LASL user, is considerable in applying for the excess equip- Careful prcplanning reduced the in terms of availability and adapt- ment. number of vans required from 12, ability as well as cost. Please accept In the spring, Robert E. Staple- as originally planned, to 6. my personal compliments for a dif- ton, assistant group leader, L-1, Preplanning paid off in other ficult job done efficiently by a wcll- Philip F. Moore, CNC-11, and Win- savings, too. Original estimates al- trained team.” @ 14

tected intense radiations from the x rays released during a nuclear ex- Gum Nebula indicating tempera- plosion. tures 10 times those of the sun’s During the 1962 high altitude surface. nuclear tests at Johnston Island, ?‘he enigma: why should radia- prior to the atmospheric and space tions be there at all? This nebula nuclear test ban accord with Russia had been pronounced dead, a cos- reached a year later, 17 rockets with mic relic of the past. The discovery LASL payloads were fired in the may lead to fundamental revisions vicinity of the detonations to mea- of theories on the nature of nebulae sure effects. All instrumentation and stars. performed to design expectations. During Mariner 10’s passage by In 1963, the Vela satellite the moon, it photographed its sur- launches with LASL instrumenta- face, answering some questions tion aboard began. Subsequent ‘For all its about lunar topography. launches, every one or two years, ‘ But answers to major questions have sustained the program through lie ahead. One of special interest is the present. what happens when the solar wind In 1969, P-4 staffers, in analyzing higb-flying (comprised chiefly of a plasma of data returned by Vela satellites, hydrogen ions, electrons, and other discovered a rare, transient x-ray particles) encounters planets other flareup in the southern celestial than Earth? hemisphere (see The Atom, Sept. The effects around Earth are fair- 1969). The event created consider- ly well known, but what shape will able excitement and has been the research,’ a shock wave assume when the solar subject of analysis and interpreta- wind hits Venus, which has atmos- tion since. phere but virtually no magnetic Similarly, LASL instrumentation LASL field, and Mercury, which has vir- on Vela satellites last year made the tually no atmosphere and may or first discovery of short-duration may not have a magentic field? pulses of high-energy, electromag- Understanding of these and other netic radiation originating beyond expects some phenomena could lead to a better the solar system (see The Atom, comprehension of the solar winds June 1973). LASL analysts of astro- influence upon radio communica- nomical matters believe the Vela tions on Earth and, as many scien- instruments reported gamma-ray tists increasingly believe, it$ subtle bursts that might signal the forma- down-to-earth but profound effects upon Earth’s tion of a supernova, the catastrop- weather and environment. hic explosion of a dying star. In 1968, a LASL solar x-ray spec- No Stranger in Space 99 trometer rode aboard OSO-6 (Or- ,its. LASL’s space involvement began biting Solar Observatory), whose in 1959 with instrument pods mission was to gather more data of placed aboard early rockets the sun. launched by Sandia Laboratories And from 1971 through 1973, at Tonopah, Nev., to measure space LASL instruments were guests on radiations. Soon, LASL instruments NASA’s IMP (Interplanetary Mon- were riding Atlas and Scout missiles itoring Platform) 6, 7, and 8 for to study protons and other particles conducting plasma experiments. in the outer Van Allen radiation Currently, CMB-Division is pro- belt. viding a vital function to the Pio- Ry early 1961, the instrumenta- neer 10 mission past Jupiter: four tion had demonstrated its reliability RTG (Radioisotope Thermoelec- in the harsh space environment and tric Generator) generators fueled its further development was placed by plutonium-238 dioxide and gen- under the Vela satellite program for erating 120 watts for 11 experiments detecting nuclcar tests in and above (see The Atom, Feb. 1972). This the atmosphere by detecting light, type of power generation was neutrons, gamma rays, and thermal chosen because solar energy in the

16 Examining CI funduinlmtci! instuutwnt ot LAX space research, un electrostatic analyzer (with casing cut rrwuy to revcur componetits), arc F’ 4 mcri involved witli t’levelopment of: such in:;truments. Left to right: tlcirry E. Felthauscr, :inniur:l J. Bame, 1. 13udGlow, atid John R. Asbridge. 1 ;die tominunications arid other cfrccts. Down-to-Earth Benefits Vor a11 its high-ilyirig research, 1 ,AS1 rxprcts 5omc clown-to-earlh results. Spare cxplorahm ofleis an iclcal opprturiily to observe and increase oui untlcrstnnding of plasmas, x aritl g,imma rays, arid neutrons and other pax tides in space. Such knowl- cdgv is lundamciital to LASL‘s con- tinuing weapons rcscarch and dc- vcloptncn t. liut totlay, the a( quisition of such data ii~suinescvcn grcatcr urgency. ‘1 he same information is also essrn- tid to thr tlevclopmcnt of con- ti ollcd tlicr monnclear rcactions as a source ol ciiergy. ‘\ivlio knows but that data horn space, much of it garnered by LASE instruincntc,, may liastcn the day when abundani controlled thermo- nrrtlcar cncrgy lights our homcs and powers our includes. 4% 17 Going Metric

You’re a lot more “metric” right a foreign car, you know that it is A Metric Primer now than you may realize. And metricated. You may not know, When proposed by France in you’ll become more so as the LOS though, that some current Detroit 1790, the metric system was as revo- Alamos Scientific Laboratory models are also metricated-or have lutionary as the era from which it changes over to the International components that are. emerged: the French Revolution. System of Units (embodying mod- Eyeglasses and drugs are pre- At last, here was a system grounded ernized metric measurements) in a scribed in metric terms, and the on science and logic rather than CUS- program that began with the New contents of many food packages tom and lore, with units easily con- Year and is surfacing more and now show their contents in metric vertible to larger or smaller units- more each day. as well as U.S. Customary units. and even between units measuring If you work in scientific areas, And at least one illegal com- different things-by moving decimal you are already familiar with metric modity is measured metrically: points to multiply or divide by 10, units. But if you’re a layman-an marijuana is sold by the “kilo.” 100, 1000, or more. administrative worker, a tradesman Metric units have been standard The metric system was subse- accustomed to familiar inches and laboratory tools for more than 100 quently made compulsory in France fractions thereof, or a housewife- years because they are clearly su- in I840 and was adopted by most you’ll want to increase your under- perior in their coherence, precision, other European countries during standing of metric measurements. and simplicity. Extending their the 1800’s. Fortunately, metric units have But as with any system, age took been entering your life more and usage to all phases of LASL activity its toll. Experts felt that increas- more in recent years, and this alone will give LASL employees the same may make your fuller understand- advantages. And by adopting this ingly sophisticated science and tech- ing that much easier to achieve. universal language of measurement, nology made it both possible and es- Cameras and skis are familiar LASL will be “in step” with an in- sential to redefine metric units in products that are now metricated, creasing number of government more precise terms and to discard that is, designed, made, and de- agencies, research facilities, and in- many measurements that were re- scribed in metric terms. If you drive dustries at home as well as abroad. dundant or inappropriate.

18 at the input or output stage. In the with traditional units expressing tion now in progress, the sub- matter of hardware, though, C-Divi- nuclear yields, ADWP-1 will state stitution of SI units for cgs units sion’s conversion is related to that nuclear yields in both terajoules will be required in all publications of the computer industry. Metric and kilotons. originating in CMB-Division,” re- equipment will be phased in as The same approach is in effect ports Richard D. Baker, division available. for the Information Services De- leader. Units used as communications partment, but with specific policies George 0. Bjarke, E-Division symbols pose more intricate prob- for certain material, according to equipment services section leader, lems linked to the receptivity of the Robert H. Masterson, alternate de- says “The impact of metrication on audience to which they’re ad- partment head. SI units will be E-Division is slight. The electrical dressed, For instance, ADWP-1 used exclusively in LA-series re- and electronic quantities are al- (Technical Liason) deals entensive- ports. In other material, Customary ready metric.” Bjarke notes hard- ly with outside agencies such as’ the units will be allowed in parentheses ware problems, however, with the Atomic Energy Commission and the iollowing SI units when they would stockroom carrying some dual Department of Defense. According significantly increase clarity. As an stocking, changing of travel dials to Harry C. Hoyt, assistant director example, The Atom has imple- on milling machines, and replace- for weapons planning, “We will mented this practice. ment of some equipment. Costs are leave out the customary unit and Measurements stated on engineer- not seen as “seriously perturbing use only the SI unit whenever that ing drawings and specifications are, the capital program.” unit is one with which most readers of course, communication devices. Robert N. Thorn, Theoretical will be familiar. Dual units will still On a laboratorywide basis, the re- Design Division leader, says, “TD- be required when we use the less sponse is to use a dual system as Division has switched to metric familiar SI units. The SI units will relevant to the outside vendor, or if units in correspondence. We plan be expressed first, followed by the absolutely necessary, “good old” to retain the kiloelectron volt as the Customary units enclosed in paren- Customary units. unit of particle energy and tempera- theses.” In CMB-Division, “After a short turc. Our codes will continue to use Because of readers’ familiarity period of preparation and educa- units convenient for machine man-

You’ve read, at one time or another, of the seconds or the time it takes light to travel 10 quaint origins of U.S. Customary units, in- millimetres in a vacuum. herited by us from antiquity by way of A jerk is a “jillion” ergs of energy or, England. Some accounts hold that a mile was more precisely, 1010 joules-roughly equiv- the distance a Roman legionnaire could cover alent to 0.25 ton TNT. in 1,000 strides of 2 paces each. An inch was A barn is a nuclear cross section, invisible 3 barleycorns, and a yard was the length of a to the eye, but “big as a barn” to nuclear re- sash worn by Saxon kings to settle measure- searchers. It may be expressed in SI terms as ment disputes. m2. Modern measurement lore is just as color- These and other units devised here and else- ful, and as time passes, is beginning to acquire where led to a proliferation of measurements the patina of legend. which increasingly impeded commdnications Not discotheque dances, but measures of between research facilities and various scien- time and energy, are the shake and the jerk- tific disciplines. The fewer, simpler, and uni- two of the units devised during those urgent versally used SI units are their logical replace- Manhattan Project days. ments. A shake is 10 nanoseconds, relating com- Thus, the colorful units of the recent past fortably to certain reactions in nuclear wea- seem destined to move out of our laboratories ponry. Even briefer is the jiffy: 33 pico- and into our lore.

20

Service Pins Awarded to Over 500 LASL Employees

During January, service pins were Coca, Anthony, WX-2 Paxton, Hugh, P-5 awarded to over 500 employees. The Court, Donald, CMB-7 Perry, Joseph, Jr., L-2 Atom salutes those receiving these Cowan, George, CNC-DO Petersen, Peter, SP-10 awards, and in this issue names Cowan, Helen, TD-3 Peterson, Rolf, Dir-Of those receiving pins for 20, 25, and Deal, James, Jr., E-5 Post, Leslie, CMB-8 30 years of service. In the next issue, Delano, Cecil, CMB-7 Pulliam, Ludie, CMB-1 The Atom will name recipients of Dominguez, Bernabe, WX-1 Quintana, Alfonso, WX-7 pins for 10 and 15 years of service. Drake, Robert, WX-DO Rael, Esequiel, WX-3 Dube, Marjorie, Dir-0 Rawclifle, Alan, Q-3 Dunn, Theodore, PER-5fl Reider, Roy, H-3 Enders, ,John,H-8 Salazar, Viola, ISD-4 Esquibel, Maximiano, MP-8 Sandenaw, Thomas, CMB-8 30 Years Eyster, Eugene, WX-DO Sass, Edward, SD-5 Fresq uez, Tony, SP-3 Scarafiotti, Domenic, Jr., CMB-8 Ashley, William, CMB-1 Garcia, Elias, E-1 Sclzulte, Harry, H-5 Baker, Richard, CMB-DO Garcia, Eugenio, WX-3 Schul te, John, CMB-14 Brixner, Berlyn, M-5 Garcia, Tony, H-1 Sena, Arthur, CMB-11 Coon, James, P-4 Gibney, Robert, CMB-8 Smith, Alex, SD-5 Davis, Jean, Dir-Off Gray, Raymond, M-4 Stallings, James, WX-3 Davis, Roland, P-6 Heil, Bertram, ADWP-1 Sydoriak, Stephen, Q-26 Garn, Wray, M-6 Holcomb, Edward, A-3 Tafoya, Carolyn, WX-7 Jones, Wesley, CMB-11 Hull, Donald, CMB-7 Tallmadge, Francis, P-DO Kasunic, Stephen, WX-1 Johnson, Beatrice, ISD-7 Tapia, Edward, SP-4 Krohn, Robert, ISD-6 LaBerge, John, M-3 Taylor, Joseph, CMB-6 McKib ben, Joseph, P-9 Levinson, Leonard, CMB-8 Thomas, Paulus, SD-3 Nagy, Gaza, SD-5 Lewis, I;. Burton, CNC-2 Tometich, Adela, SP-3 Osvath, Frank, SD-1 McCloud, Burt, E-2 Valdez, Daniel, E-2 Raies, William, AO-1 McCreary, William, CMB-6 Vogt, Glenn, ENG-4 Schreiber, Raemer, Dir-08 MacDougall, Duncan, Dir-Ofl Wahlen,John, ENG-2 Sturgess, Robert, E-5 Madrid, Aurelia,. WX-DO Ward, Carter, CMB-1 Taschek, Richard, Dir-Off Maestas, Ben, L-1 West, Clarence, WX-3 Van Buskirk, William,SD-1 Martinez, Ascension, WX-3 Wood, William, Q-DO Van Gemert, Robert, SP-DO Martinez, Jesus, SP-4 Zeltmann, Alfred, CNC-2 White,Roger, P-5 Martinez, Jose, WX-3 Martinez, Robert, MP-8 Martinez, Silas, WX-3 Martinez, Vences, WX-3 Merryman, Roy, WX-2 20 Years 25 Years Montoya, Eloy, 1-14 ~~ Mosley, John, WX-5 Agnew, Harold, Dir-Ofl Nelson, Margaret, SP-8 Alarid, Frank, SP-3 Antos, Lawrence, WX-3 Newton, Thomas, CNCS Anderson, Richard, 1-10 Armenis, Nicholas, WX-1 Nuckolls, Donald, CMB-6 Archuleta, Rudy, WX-1 Bertino, James, CMB-8 Oliver, Petrita, CNC-11 Baca, Bert, CMB-1 Bond, William, J-8 Ortiz, Alfredo, WX-3 Ballance, Harry, WX-3 Brousseau, Armand, Q-3 Osvath, Peter, CMB-11 Bayhurst, Barbara, CNC-11 Brown, Gordon, SD-2 Pacheco, Charles, E-2 Beckett, Ruth, Dir-Off Clifford, John, ISD-7 Page, Leslie, Jr., ENG-4 Bergstein, Ivan, AO-2

22 Chi hand to awtrrd servicc pins ICJ 20-,25-, aid 30-yerur vcterans uti Jan. 23 wa, John Perkins, vice prcsiclent of the llvlivorsity of CuliFurriia (centw). He is flcirrlted by Kic Irtird I-. luxlie& and Rucnicr C. Schreilier (left) trnd t3uncan P. MclcDougclli arid Harold M. Agtrew (righi), all DIR OFF.

23 I years30 ago in 10s alamos Culled from the January and February, 1964 files of The Atom and the 10s Alamos Monitor by Robert Y. Porton UHTREX-May lead to reduced power cost It is safe to bet that the nation’s firms, always loo’ ing for a way to reduce their costs, are keeping an eye on UHTREI LASL’s Ultra High Temperature Reactor Experiment is one of tk major efforts in the Laboratory’s civilian reactor program which aimed at new developments permitting significant reductions in tk cost of nuclear power. Installation of the reactor will begin followir AEC acceptance of the building. ‘fl. J. Gzctiemez, Pleuse” Campers get a place in the sun Manhattan Project veterans felt In the very near future all camping at Bandelier National Moni more than a little nostalgia at the ment will have been moved from Frijoles Creek to the top of Frijol sudden passing of John J. Gutier- rez, 75, at his home in Santa Fe on Mesa, just south of Highway 4. Access is by a new road turning we a little short of the fire lookout tower. Part of the old camping ar January 8. picnic area will be converted to picknicking with adjacent parkin As Mrs. Bernice Brode, a chron- icler of those wartime days, wrote in The rest will be allowed to revert to nature, with some marked trai her Tales of Los Alamos, “It was in addition to the main trail up and down the canyon. well understood in inner circles Hill humor that the three top people running The Episcopalian minister just couldn’t figure it out. Every tin the project were General Leslie he turned away from the altar during the wedding of Alice Johnsc Groves, J. Robert Oppenheimer, of Hobbs and Chris Anderson of Los Alamos, he heard mufflt and J. J. Gutierrez.” laughter from people in the congregation. It wasn’t until after tl Old-timers will recall the loud- lovely, dignified service had ended that he found out why. As tl speakers in T Building crackling bridegroom knelt he exposed his shoe soles, carefully lettered by h with announcements, official and otherwise. They say the most fre- “friends” before the ceremony. One was “H-E.” “L.P.” was on tl quent call was, “J. J. Gutierrez, other. please. We have a problem in T “Smasher” to arrive Building. J. J. Gutierrez, please.” LASL will become the best equipped, low energy particle physi And Gutierrez, as the head super- laboratory in the world for some time to come, with the installatic intendent, always answered, wheth- of a new Van de Graaff accelerator, according to Richard L. Henkt er it was to coax a balky coal fur- Laboratory physicist in charge of the project. The new tande nace into emitting hcat as well as unit will be installed in conjunction with the present vertical Van ( soot or persuading a reluctant door Graaff. to open and close again. The nature of wartime construction being what Homeowners blast plans it was, it is no wonder that Gutier- Strong objections were voiced to the location of the mobile hon rez’ magic touch and cheerful will- subdivision and light industrial area on North Mesa by many of t1 ingness is so fondly remembered. 150 persons attending a Barranca Mesa Homeowners Associatic From 1947 until his retirement meeting Tuesday evening. Many of the residents expressed views th in 1965, Gutierrez was involved in North Mesa should be left strictly for residential development. Mal maintenance management for the thought it was a logical site €or low-cost housing. Zia Company.

24 1'0 tiegiri ,what i!; hoped will bwoine a regular. sleientific inkeractiori between thc U.S.A. arid Me:tiso, six top-love1 Mexictitr scientists vi:;itetl LASL during .Jarii.iury. Group liere leait~s cjklout Scyllac: froin George A. Sciwyer, Group Q-S Ieuder (wihcwt jucltct).

To (.,I ttt?t Id o ti e ittc.i t in11 Lr ie fi tiy 5, (1 e l-t to right) Akrior C;~:!tieIoi Eirncst Graves, USA, crssi!;tant gcii.it:rciI iiacriiciyer' of the AEC 1)ivil;ioii of .Military Appliccrtioii, U.5. :;encitor Joseph M. Moritoyci, New Mr:xict), inetnbcr of the Joint Cixigrcs- sioncil (kmiinittoi:: 011 Atomic Eriergy, ct iid 11 5. Coir g r c?sr,i ci ii MeI viri Price, Illiwis, cliairiiic.iii iif the Joint Coiigres- sio ria I Coiiii nittc : ciii Atomic 13 tic rg y, coine to LASL iii .Iernuciry. tlerc they coi-ifur with tiarolcl M.Aclnew, Director.

1'0 (:itto ticf br icf it'ig s, r igci die r (:hin era I Albion W. Knigtrk, USA (Ret.), tc!chnical COII!;~Itciii.t to the Jo iti t Cotigrcssionu 1 Cuiiiinittt:r: uii ,Atomic Energy (right ceii icrj and Ccrmj T~SSIIICY ti Or vcj I Hun - scm, Idalm, (riglit) visited 1,451 in Jtrriuaiy. Here tliey meet with Harold M. Agiicw, Diri.c:lor, (Icft) crnd Robert ti. Gcittis, ADWF- 'I, (left center).

To in.;pei:t las,~!ilusiori and isotope sop~ir~itioiiciclivilies, (left to right) Luri y Killion oi +tit? Division of Military Apf)litaticin of 1111. AEC and F. C. Gil- beit, lMA deputy Iicv~d,visit wikh Keith Boyer, 1 Divisiciti Iriadcr, uiiil Dainon Giovanalli, 1-4, diJring January. MBTZ HENRY THClMAS 3187 WOODLAND RD L(JS ALAMOS 87544 HM

As thermostats go down, ingenuity goes up. Ruth Watkins, FMO secretary, neatly solves the problem of how to keep her fingers free for typing while keeping her hands warm by wear- ing gloves without fingers.

In November, curtailed heating and other conservation measures reduced 10s Alamos Scientific Laboratory’s usage of electric power by 4 per cent and of natural gas by 11 per cent compared to the same month a year ago.