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The coming p a r is visu8lized as a period i n which the Laboratory will be in a po8ition t o devote a preponderant share of its attention, energies and facil - i ties to work i n areas of new science in the field of nuclear physics. The majar construction progra pursued i n the past year has resulted i n the completion and operation of the 184" Cyclotron, opening most pramising l b a of reuearch t o phxsics and chemistry alike, tunity may be anticipated when t h e Synchrotron goes i n t o operation in the sprA similar expansion of scientific opporThe program f o r 1947-1948 riU therefore be centered upon the operation of them two accelerators. t o be the product of these two machiaes - in fact, which has already been gahd in early work of the l84R Cyclotron - may be expected t o stimalate new uork In the field8 of related work I n erganfc Snd in argan h chemistry as well as in HSd5eSl and biological work which directly relates t o the atolaic energy program0 The n e w knowledge of nuclear phyaics which seems certain While the construction phase of Iaboratory work rince the w a r 18 t o be sabmdinated i n 1947-1948 to thi a new work, the program and Wget provide for completion of the first unit, consisting of eight &foot sections, of the Linear Accele r a t a r by a group headed by Dr. Luis 1. Alvaret, %sent expectations are that much of this work on what has been conoidered to be a "first" section, designed for 300 bv. protons, will be completed during the current fiscal pear, util iria g fund8 which were provided for this purpose. this first section by January, 1948. While the decision t o proceed with a second section, designed for the range of 1,000 Mev, logically awaits operation of the f i r a t section, it is well t o make budget prbvI6ion for this work in advance. The spring of 1948 cmld be utilised for a major partion of thi8 work, with cosapletion posaible i n the fall of the same gear, Present phns call for operation of The current status of this program is that more than a year of elldearor has verified theoretical predictions on all points which were earlier considered controver rial.A &foot model i e hbout ready t o operate, if mch operation justifies, and them is now no reason to be dubious, it is intended that g r a d be broken i n midoApril of 1947 for t h e first eight-unit mction. SL" CI ClOt f og. This in s tmnt first operated with 200 Ysv. deuterone a little less than a month ago. coatpletc by December 1, 1946, ti one to the point that chemists have been afforded a wealth of new work, Qnd physicists are confronted by an arrag of problems, first among Chich are the qualit at ive determination of observed phenomena and the selection of the ~ o s tinteresting and accessible fields of research. point t o predict In detail the work t o be done in the rmxt eu h teen months, The construction work was considered essentiallg Resulte of early operations hare exceeded expctaObviously it is hardly practical at th ie
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Per ths reasons that have boon 8tatad in diacneelon of the 1&6* C y d & r O r msearch program, but t o an m n more pronmmed degree, it Is ear u to out- a feet en the program in ebndstry and other fields. It i~ reasonrblo t o expect that its first eperation rill be accoapliehed with soaduhat mom diffiaulty than m a tha atme rith th 1%" Cyolotron, aad that 8 0 ~ ~ h taore thora ~ yk -@red t o achieve ateady @peration, By the same token, it m y bm antfaipated that the m w excitement may pervade ths Iaborato@ as in the case of tk~184" Cplotron, aa these problem am met and rich m w mine of research are openad i n phyelarr and ehedstry. The diffleulties which stand In the ray a m perbnp born irargfmry than mal, but it 18 -11 !In considering the operation Oi an instrument as mi aa the mh Fot ron to take then into aoemt. It rill be aoted that the budget makes allmame of $lOO,OOo for ~ h r o t m n that aatual opentian m y demand major d it i a ation a or iapmml~nts. Jmtrumntatiq. This rill ebviouely be an iplporbant aspect ef t b JtabOratOrg program, not only in relation t o tba work ef the aceelahtar groups, but in athbr oratory imt mw nts, but beyond that it irJ oe rta in thst there will aha be mod for instrmenta of novel character, =@.ring extensive 2mestigatian by pbyeioistlr ekllled in euch rdc, as -11 as for tadmica1 assistance o f a high amlor ef aompetem. Thia aotivity nay well CL~BUIPB the character Oi a reseamh p-a in Hereagain, this is at present a reserve against fhs eontingeTbm rill be a pot ly increased roquireesnt for eormuntianal lab-
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of Health fhysics facilities will become most advisable. that budget pov is i cn has been made for lie,lth tinu safety service facilities. It i s with this in mind Crganic Chernistrs The organic ciie3stry work dirGcted bir Ur. Xelvin Calvin, a t one tine considereu a high prior it ji program in its need for additional laboratory facilities at the 184" .kea, has reasonably irmediate hope of a solution of its space problems in the impending transfer of adiriinistrative offices frcm the Donner Laboratory of t h e campus t o neri locLtions in re-erected barracks buildings developzant of laboratories suited to this .vclrk, and is alsoa happy soluticn of the space problem in that it will pl,ci: this _Froup in clcse proximity t o the metaprogrz-.s of both groups. This hill be t o the benefit of the aspect of Dr. Calvin's prograa, will re+iir< the handling of large quantities of Carton L!+ vld other x ate rials obtain& through the Lscjtcpe Distribution branch. fro J ect @A. Research in the two divisions of this project, directed by Dr. of the programs outlined for tk,e year 1946-1947, but with some minor shifts in emphasis indicated tj.research results mu pos sibi lit i as. These programs include: Studies of the metabolisrrL i n anirmls and men of the principal fission products and of such fission able elements as uranium and plutonium, and possibly others, such as pmtoactinium, thorium and neptunium. Fission product tracer studies. the fission species, of short l:~lf-l-ives and secondary importance, the metabolisn of which requirss study in ani mls and, i f possibla, in man. Such study h a s t o a considemb7.a ortent been deferred bg work of greater These rapresent the less abundant of Yetabolic studies of substances use6 in pile construction, radio-activity of which i s induced in operation. fission, tkiese substancas, such as chro.xhun, iron and nickel, !REI$ offer serious health hazards. Although not directly produced by Investigation, by means of tre cer techniques, of the metabolism of 3svalopmerrt of iisthods for treating plutonium poisoning. iinportant aspect of the 48.A program, and relates directly to the work of t h e health physics service at Berkeley, as well as t o the protection of workers i n other parts of the Lknhattan project ivho are caning in contact with this poisonous substance. include other members of tlic c r - o u ~of fission able elements. This is an The vvork may be expanded t o Invssti@,ion of the beiizviour of the f is sic n able elements and of fission products soils and phltS.
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2roj9ct &Eq. The pcrtion ol" tk prograx of this project which is devoted t o the studv of effects of ra did odin a in manx iU bo exwinded. This will make nee-" essary, i n addition t o existing prs on nel and facilities,a qualified chemist and ailaboratory for his work. Radioiodins is cne of tk fission products freed i n the atmosphere i n regions adjacent to piles. for such study is found in the course of treatment of hospital patients for thyroid disturbances of eit her benign o r inalignant character. It Is cilsc set i'ree ;dt;; peal act iv it rat the time of bomb It therefore i s important t o study its effects on humans, Cthcr aspects of importknca in tha @C prograin ard t h z observation of the effects of total body radiation f rox external and. internal sourc$s. advantage i s taken of the availability of hunan subjects who are under treatment with X-rays t o the entire body, o r with radio-active phosphorus o r some other iste red for the patient ' s condition, These studies are made in the course of treatment adminThe Laboratory prog rm appears to fail into two classes of outline. The first is mein vvhich research lines ar3 relatively clearly drawn, follow kg a pattern established by results of past research, including thz uncertainties which they have sade nore evident. This is g-nerally true of t k work i n medicine and biology. The second, and bq far tiic ..&jor, cztegory of programs f a l l s chiefly in tne areas cl physical s c i w c e iihicl, ;;ill become clearl,; delinested only as the research Fr cpe ssc s. It i s nost aifficu1.L ami tinprofitasla a t this point in their developrix - itto ouiline prc gras for rdsearzii witii the giant accelerators. It ma; be usefiLtc specul,ite on the natur.;: znd nctent cf such research undertakings, but it is best dciie rrith the resarv&Lim i;i idnd tkt, 3the ape rien ce of tile past isa relia ' bla guide, SCXT,~.; of the mst interestirlt. and fruitful work will be doni: along lines \ hick are IlWi so indef in it ? CLL. u icl sir as t o defy their inclusion in a forThe Laboratory looks forward t o increased panic ip ation in its program by visitors from otiiar institutions and laboratcries. points can contribute t o the Laboratory, and there may be much t h a t the Laboratory can do t o contriboute t o tile research, planned orin progress, of other institutions, given t o other organizations zngagad in t h e development of accelerators should be continued and, if possible, expanded. ing rider of graduate students, e ~ sge din work in which they may learn an& grow, believing that the effort on the part of the Laboratory staff will represenl; a sound investrmnt in the scientific fubure of this nation. There i s much that new viewThe Laboratory also locks forward t o particiapation in its program of an increas-I