University Aids Building Of Proton Accelerator

The largest proton accelerator in the world is under construction at Brookhaven, Long Island. The machine, owned by the Atomic Energy Commission will be operated by Harvard in conjunction with eight other institutions through Associated Universities, Inc.

"The machine will create particles of a higher energy than was ever before possible," Harvey Brooks, Gordon McKay Professor of Applied Physics, explained. This will enable scientists to observe high-energy phenomena, valuable in determining the nature of the atom, he added.

The accelerator will be capable of producing energies up to 22 billion electron-volts and will cost approximately $20,000,000. Preliminary construction has been going on for two years, and the project should be completed by 1959, according to Brooks.

Brooks, Reynolds Directors

There are two men on the board of directors of Associated Universities from each institution. Brooks and Edward Reynolds '15, administrative vice-president, are the University's scientific and financial representatives, respectively.

At present, physicists from the University do their Brookhaven research during the summer, between terms, or on leaves of absence. The new accelerator, when completed, will considerably enlarge the scope of their experimentation. Otto Oldenburg, professor of Physics, emeritus, said that this development "opens up a whole new area of scientific possibilities."