Word: proton
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Most accelerators in the past have been proton accelerators. Protons, nearly 2,000 times as heavy as electrons are substantial projectiles and were among the first of the "atom-smashing" particles. The proton has drawbacks, however. It is surrounded by a strong nuclear force field, and when two protons pass near each other, the interaction is a strong...
...electron, with its opposing electrical field, does not react nearly so strongly with protons. It can pass near, or even through a proton and be scattered away without violently disturbing the proton itself. For this reason, the electron is a useful probe for examining the internal structure of the proton...
First on the experimental agenda at the Cambridge accelerator is an attempt to ascertain the internal structure of the proton. The experiment may take four years, and will require 1.5 million dollars of equipment. It is for this kind of work that the electron accelerator was expressly designed...
...Archaeology," says Brothwell, "is no longer pure excavation. It has matured into a discipline demanding the cooperation of a variety of scientific fields." In their quest to extend history, archaeologists are using proton magnetometers to search for the ancient Greek city of Sybaris. They have used aerial photography to locate Etruscan tombs and to find a lost Andean road that was once part of a pre-Inca civilization. By analyzing the content of bone, they have shown Piltdown man for what he was-a forgery that fooled scientists for 41 years...
Most conventional gyros navigate in much the same manner, but Minneman is sure that proton gyroscopes can be made far more sensitive, able to detect the tiny changes of direction that are all-important in missile and space work. Their lack of mechanical moving parts should free them from nearly all tendency to drift, making them valuable for guiding nuclear submarines, which cruise under water for weeks without getting a fix on the sun or the stars. They should be cheaper too. There are elegant instruments on the market, says Minneman, that cost $20,000. He is sure that...