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General Q,uesadahas discusced the activities of Joint Task Force since its formation in 19h9. He has disc~’s;sedthe scientific programs and ,the importance of some of the results. I sheuld Eke to give you a few It may appear to the uninformed that tests have been held in recent months at such a frequency that j.mpor~antresults could nGt ensue. ~Jcare today, however, in the normal and desirable situatj.onin which we are improving and extendin{qthe range and usefulness of our product fitsuch a under discussion and the preliminary plannin~ on new te2t6 starts even before one sezies O: tests is completed. A ~uccessful test operation is a product of the combined ci’fc)rtSOf the Atomic Energy Cou.mis~ion,the Armed l’or~e~jan[l~ny lahoratorieu of test organizatioili3 amazingly extensive. I can assure you that the test proposals for Greenhcuoe were subjected to detailed screeninG processes for both scientific value ai~deconomy aud ti]atthe data will be rno~t The instrumentation Ior a carefully planned test TroGram may provide for hundreds of experiments designed to give many cro~s-checks on important resulis. Primary measurement:;~uch as nuclear, thermal, and visual radiation and blast pressures a: function: of time and distance, and total yield, are invariably ueasured in several ways. A?.thoughit is not de~iro,’cleto discuss these cxperi.mentsin detail.,it is worthwhile to give YOU n some idea of the way in wM.ch these experirmnk are done. \ In some cases, -special instrulr.ent~set close to a burst must measure k tranmnit the dat~ to a safe place where it can be recorded before the cases directly by cable and in other case: t~yradio links, and are recorded \
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v.cans, Some measurement depend on laboratory ana~time~of sanrplesflown thirty to forty hours after each ‘Lestdetonation. other measurements depend on the use of’high-speeilcame’rasopsratillgat ~peeds UP to a million frames per second or more. There is a wide variety of other tjq?esof instrumentation, including photocells, photomultip].ierc,ion chambers, and even such complicated instruments as mass and beta-ray s~ectru~raphc. The complexity of this instrumentation is the reason why we use tower shots instead of air-drop experiments, which misht a$pear more realistic frac a rxilitarystandpoint. The data from these experimer.tsfrequently require extensive computation, and.the results from various systems of instrumentation must be cross-checked or actually combined before usef’uland reliable data are available. Perhaps this will give you scxr,eidea of why it take~ cc l~ng to analyze data and obtain from experiments -~]letype of infor]~a~ionfr~r,l~~hichfirm conclusions can be drawn. Many of the results of Operation Greenhouse wil~ remain high~y classified; others will be declassified as further study indica’cesthat benefits will accrue from such declassification. For example, it i.scertain that many experimental results will be of great value to civilian tiefense. I should like nothing better than to give these results at this time, but unl’ortunatelywe are still enga~ed in the process of analyzing data. In generu.l,I may state that these results indicate continuin: improvement in weapons desi@, and reflect the extensive program of developr.entwhich the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory has been carryin~ on with the aid.of other laboratories and technical Groups. As to our proGrcss toward the eventual development of thermonuclear weapons, you know that experirnentcwere carried out which contributed to thermonuclear research. I cannot discuss these experiments in detail but I want to emphasize what I~i-.Dean has said about the interpretations put on the authorized anncunceuen.tson this subject. The official statements have CO beyond the actual wcmds Olnthe Commission’s rele~ses. I may say that we have gained new information and understanding of the basic phenomena under-
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One of the Greenhouse effect data, It should be tests was largely aimed at cbtaining weapons kept in urhd.;of course that when these tests were planned in l~!+~,the program was designed primarily for nilitary defense purposes. There will, however, be a Srea”bdeal of a’ualyzedand given ~cc”L’.ritYreview, it can be made available for public on the ba~is of weapcns se-raraltimes uore pcwerful tlnanthe Hiroshi.malT?.gacaki,or nominal we~pon. The Greenhouse program included test detonations of sufficient energy yield to permit checkiilgor confirmation this time, but we hope that the data obtained as to the effects of the detonation on dogs, s~~ineand mice, and on structures, equipment and naterials, will be wade available in useful form ant without too much delay to those responsible for the welfare and protection of the country. b conclusion, I SIIOUICIlike to express my appreciation to those