Fellowships in radiological physics, covering health problems associated with handling radioactive material and with the release of nuclear energy, provide for 9 months of formal graduate work at universities and 3 months of specialized study and field work at Commission facilities. There are 3 cooperative programs: Vanderbilt University with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tenn.; University of Rochester with the Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, Long Island, N. Y.; and University of Washington with the Hanford Works, Richland, Wash. The program, begun in 1951, has had 208 participants and 71 appointments have been made for the 1956-1957 school year. The Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies administers these fellowships.

Fellowships in industrial hygiene permit graduate study at Harvard University School of Public Health or the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. The program, started in 1953, has had 21 participants and 10 appointments have been made for the 19561957 school year. The Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies administers this program.

Fellowships in industrial medicine provide advance training and on-the-job experience. These fellows, about seven each year, may study at Harvard University, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Cincinnati, or the University of Rochester. After one year of academic training, the fellow may take another year of in-plant work at a major Commission facility. Some 32 physicians have accepted fellowships under this program since 1950. The program is administered by the Atomic Energy Project, University of Rochester.

International programs. In addition to the plans of the United States to share the costs of research reactor projects in cooperating countries, the Commission assists in providing training designed to increase the knowledge in foreign countries in the peaceful use of atomic energy. They may request training in the United States for scientists and engineers, or the services of United States personnel to go to their countries and provide instruction and information there (see International Affairs).

Assisting Educational Institutions

Faculty training. A major problem of colleges and universities in conducting atomic energy curricula is a shortage of faculty with experience in nuclear energy fields.

In the summer of 1956 two institutes of 2 months each will be conducted-one at the Argonne National Laboratory, and one at the

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Brookhaven National Laboratory—for college and university faculty members. This program, undertaken by the Commission with the American Society for Engineering Education and the National Science Foundation, will provide material for engineering faculty members to use in teaching nuclear energy technology. In all, 90 individuals may enter these courses, 60 at Argonne and 30 at Brookhaven.

For several years university faculty members have participated in research program at national laboratories during the summer months and on sabbatical leave. They now average about 75 a year. The experience gained by the research participants has been responsible for initiation of university research projects directly and indirectly related to atomic energy programs. The experience gained also has assisted faculty members in presentation of scientific courses.

Providing facilities and equipment. Facilities and equipment are another need of colleges and universities in undertaking nuclear science and engineering curricula.

The Commission has furnished fuel elements, or solutions, for research reactors to North Carolina State College, Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Michigan, and has made specific offers of similar assistance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the State College of Washington. Six additional projects of this type are under study.

To demonstrate the value of subcritical assemblies for training purposes, an assembly has been prepared for display at scientific and educational meetings. Uranium and neutron sources for assemblies have been furnished to New York University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Florida during the last 6 months. Twenty additional schools have indicated interest in the use of subcritical assemblies as a training tool.

A low power reactor of wide flexibility was developed by Argonne National Laboratory for use in teaching courses in reactor theory and nuclear physics and in engineering laboratory experiments. The reactor, called the Argonaut, is designed to operate at a power of 1 to 10 kilowatts and has special safety features which make it particularly suitable for campus use.

Teaching and libraries. Scientists from Commission facilities have lectured, conducted seminars, taken part in colloquia, and carried on related activities at universities. During the last 6 months more requests for this kind of activity have been received.

The Commission has contributed nonclassified depository libraries on nuclear technical information to a number of universities and colleges (see Information Services).

Research contracts. Through Commission support of research in the physical and biological sciences at colleges, universities, and other nonprofit institutions, more than 2,000 students annually receive assistance and training. The schools gain in experience for faculty and often acquire additional facilities for postgraduate programs.

College conference. A conference of some 300 deans of colleges of engineering and presidents of colleges and universities is being planned for September 1956 at Gatlinburg, Tenn. At this meeting the Commission will stress the need for engineers and scientists trained in nuclear specialties, present its program of education and training, and summarize its program of assistance to nonprofit organizations. Officials of all colleges and universities that have interest in nuclear science curricula or research will learn of the assistance available, and have an opportunity to exchange views on their activities in the atomic energy field.

High School Programs

An important consideration in increasing the total supply of engineers and scientists is interesting high school students in careers in these fields. The Commission has a number of programs directed to this end.

Symposia and institutes have been supported to attract students, either directly or through their teachers. In the summer of 1956 the Commission and the National Science Foundation will jointly sponsor summer institutes for high school science teachers. The institutes, at Duke University, Harvard University, the University of New Mexico, and the Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies will run from 1 to 2 months with 20 to 50 high school science teachers in each. After the ORINS institute, a small number of the teachers will visit high schools during the fall, spending about 1 week at each and presenting material related to atomic energy so as to stimulate interest in scientific matters among students and teachers. This is an experimental program.

Up-to-date kits of published materials are provided to high school students and teachers upon their requests to show the opportunities and information available in the atomic energy field. As an indication of increasing interest in this kind of help, the Commission distributed 2,814 student kits in the first 6 months of 1956, compared with 1,490 in a similar period of 1950, and 783 teacher kits in 1956 compared with 227 in the first quarter of 1950.

The standard kits distributed contain general information on use of atomic energy in agriculture, medicine, power and other industry,

basic scientific background, and such material, useful in school science projects, as instructions on building a low-cost Geiger counter. Special kits also are prepared on the request of teachers or pupils working on science fair or similar projects. Photographs and charts are lent for exhibition or instruction purposes.

The Commission was considering a program to assist science teaching in high schools by preparing for distribution to high school science teachers on request, some 300 "Radioisotope Kits" that would include radioisotopes, a neutron source, and detection and counting equipment. A further study was being made of the scope of such a program and its costs.

Physical Research

Highlights of the last 6 months of research in physical, chemical, and metallurgical problems related to nuclear energy and to the Atomic Energy Commission's programs, and to the industry built about them, included:

Approval of design and construction of two high-energy accelerators by Eastern universities, and authorization of design of two accelerators in the Midwest.

In radioisotopes, offering for sale of 29 new short half-life products, and completion of a cell for handling multikilocurie quantities of powerful radiators such as cobalt 60.

In the international field, participation of United States scientists in three international conferences on high-energy physics; establishment of tripartite nuclear cross sections committee and reactor physics constant centers with the United Kingdom and Canada; and revision of Commission policy to allow employment, or guest participation, of aliens scientists in unclassified work in nonsecurity areas at all Commission laboratories and all contractors (see International Affairs).

High-energy physics continued to command much attention in physical research. Investigators announced the discovery of a nuclear particle, the neutrino, which was extremely difficult to detect, and studied the properties of another newly discovered nuclear particle, the antiproton. Research on controlled thermonuclear reactions continued.

In chemistry, improvements in processes for separating fission products from irradiated fuel elements were tried, and inorganic materials were tested in ion exchange separations, among other valuable studies. Metallurgists continued interesting work on metal defects caused by irradiation and proposed explanations for the solution of a key problem in the use of liquid metal fuels in reactors.

COMMISSION ACTIONS IN FIELD OF PHYSICAL RESEARCH

Particle Accelerator Program

The Commission approved construction of two high-energy particle accelerators at two Eastern university sites during this reporting period, and authorized a group of Midwestern universities and Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Ill., to undertake design and development of high-energy particle accelerators of advanced nature. The accelerators which were approved for construction are (1) a joint Harvard University-Massachusetts Institute of Technology machine to be placed on the Harvard campus, and (2) a joint Princeton University-University of Pennsylvania machine to be placed on the Princeton campus.

The Midwestern University Research Association, authorized to undertake design and development of an accelerator, comprises the University of Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Indiana, University of Iowa, Iowa State College, University of Michigan, Michigan State University, University of Minnesota, Northwestern University, Notre Dame University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, Washington University (St. Louis, Mo.), and University of Wisconsin.

The two Eastern university proposals were accepted after the Commission had canvassed all universities that did substantial work in high-energy physics in order to determine their interest and capabilities in designing, constructing, and operating a high-energy accelerator.

The Harvard-MIT machine will be a circular alternating gradient electron synchrotron, with an 118-foot radius. It will be a 6 billion electron volt (Bev) machine and is estimated to cost the Government $6.5 million. Construction will require about 42 months.

The Princeton-University of Pennsylvania accelerator will be a uniform gradient proton synchrotron that will require about 44 months to construct. This machine will have an energy of 3 Bev and will be built at an estimated cost to the Government of $5.8 million.

The accelerators will be operated by the institutions under contract with the Commission, and will be available to scientists from other institutions.

Radioisotope Production and Process Development

For the calendar year 1955, the number of radioisotope shipments from Oak Ridge, Tenn., increased slightly over calendar year 1954 and the total amount of radioactivity shipped rose from 48,879 curies in