Wônld, M/ceùe r4 !uemcatn6£.
t
nPi-ικ T a t a Institute of A Fundamental Re search, which was offi cially opened on Dec. 19, 194.5, can already look back upon a record of notable achievements and a definite promise of a great future. Since its formation, t h e institute h a s beer engaged, on the theoretical side, on the important fundamental equation of elementary particles which predicts cer tain new properties for protons. The insti tute has given for the first time a classical theory of elementary particles and com pleted an entire chapter on the history of this subject. On the experimental side, it has been engaged in t h e high-altitude measurement of penetrating cosmic rays. The a p p a r a t u s used weighed 0.75 ton, a maximum height, of nearly 40,000 feet was reached, a n d the rays measured had a pene trating power of over 30 cm. in thickness. When it is realized t h a t t h e penetrating power of radium ra3rs used in the treatment of cancer is only 3 to 4 cm., some idea may be gained of the penetrating power of the cosmic rays measured. Prior to that, no one h a d measured rays as penetrating a s these up to this altitude. F o r the present, the institute is engaged, as indeed physicists the world over are engaged, on the funda mental problems of q u a n t u m theory, and on t h e outstanding problems in atomic physics on the experimental side, while the director of the institute is concerned with completing a book on the theory of t h e elementary particles. On the experimental side, t h e institute will conduct work on the penetrating com ponents of cosmic rays composed of parti cles called mesons which are responsible for t h e s u bility of the nucleus of the atom. The object is t o s t u d y t h e w a y they a r e produced, their behavior when the}' pass through matter, and their half-life. It is hoped to make further high altitude experi ments in cooperation with India's a i r force, and in balloons, on mountain tops, and i n deep mines. T h e Atomic Research Committee of the Government of I n d i a has decided that all large-scale schemes for atomic research are to b e located a t t h e T a t a Institute of F u n d a m e n t a l Research in the future, a n d the institute is going ahead with plans t o obtain a 200-million-volt high energy accelerator. T h e a p p a r a t u s will contain over 1,000 tons of -iron. Most of i t s components are expected from Ihe U. S., but i t is possible t h a t t h e iron part of i t may b e fabricated in India. T h e training 1972
of the t e a m of 10 scientists which is to work this high energy accelerator will he s t a r t e d at once. At present, the institute is temporarily sheltered in part of a residential mansion on C u m b a l l a Hill, Bombay, b u t a new site has been obtained in Colaba, p a r t of which is land which h a s still to be reclaimed. T h e i m m e d i a t e p l o t on the new site is about 15,000 square yeards, b u t there is a much larger area available for future ex pansion. T h e r e will be built this y e a r a n u m b e r of buildings of the very latest a r c h i t e c t u r a l design, a n d with the latest scientific e q u i p m e n t . T h e existing library, s t a r t e d only in 1945, will very soon contain 3,000 v o l u m e s a n d in time will become an o u t s t a n d i n g specialized library. At pres ent, t h e staff consists of a director, a pro fessor of m a t h e m a t i c s a n d statistics, a pro fessor of theoretical physics, a senior re search fellow, a technical assistant t o the director, a n d several other m o r e minor ap pointments. The i n s t i t u t e had early in the year six students, two from t h e university of Allahabad, one from t h e University of M a d r a s , a n d three from t h e University of Bombay. " Four of t h e m were working under t h e director on t h e theory of ele m e n t a r y particles and t w o in t h e labora tory o n the .experimental side connected with cosmic radiation. T h e r e is provision for three more chairs, for experimental physics, for astrophysics, and for a visiting professor. T h e n u m b e r of students ad mitted will be heavily restricted by the present very high s t a n d a r d s of admission a n d t h e need for individual a t t e n t i o n in instruction, so vital in a d v a n c e d research of this n a t u r e . The institute will serve the country by providing a place for a d v a n c e d scientific study a n d b y training m e n w h o will staff Indian universities. T h u s , t h e level of scientific education and training in India will b e raised. Primarily, t h e institute will concern itself with atomic physics, m a t h e m a t i c s , a n d allied subjects, b u t n a t u r a l l y i t s work will impinge on very m a n y o t h e r branches of science as well. India c a n already claim, to be one of the leading countries in i t s contributions to theoretical scientific knowledge. On the expérimental side, however, there is considerable progress to be made, mainly as a result of t h e paucity of n a t i o n a l resources a n d t h e limited facilities available for research.
Uranium
and
Thorium,
A p l a n w i t h regard t o t h e u r a n i u m a n d t h o r i u m deposits discovered i n India will C H E M I C A L
be worked o u t by the Atomic Research C o m m i t t e e a n d a U r a n i u m Unit u n d e r t h e Geological Survey of India. T h e former is u n d e r t h e c h a i r m a n s h i p of H . J . B h a b a , while t h e l a t t e r will be in charge of M. S. Krishnan. Answering t o a question in t h e C e n t r a l Assembly Β . Κ . Ookhale, Secre tary, Works, Mines a n d Power D e p a r t ment, pointed out t h a t steps to p r e v e n t foreign exploitation of these deposits, i n eluding legislative measures if necessary, were u n d e r consideration. T h e r e have been small occasional finds of specimens of uranium-bearing minerals from t h e Abraki P a h a r Mica Mines a n d from Pichhli in the O a y a District, from Sungri in S i n g h b u m District, from t h e S a n k a r a a n d K o d a r m a Mica Mines a n d from T u m m a l a t a l u p u r in t h e Nellore Dis trict, from near V a i y a m p a t t i in t h e T r i ( hinopoly District, from Yedur in Mysore, from T h a d a g a y Hill in T r a v a n c o r e , a n d from Bisundni in Ajmer-Merwara. Monazite, o n e of t h e thorium-bearing minerals, occurs in the beach sands in T r a v a n c o r e S t a t e a n d in t h e costal areas of the M a d r a s Presidency a n d Orissa [ C H U M . KSG.
X K W S , 25, 931
(1947)].
W h e n asked in whom t h e p r o p r i e t a r y rights were vested, M r . Gokhale said, " I t is not possible t o give a reply to this ques tion without detailed investigation of each particular p r o p e r t y ; but generally speak ing, p r o p r i e t a r y rights in minerals belong to the s t a t e so far as Indian s t a t e s a n d certain provinces a r e concerned, while i n other places proprietary rights are claimed by private parties. E a c h case has, there fore, to be examined on merits by t h e p r o vincial government or s t a t e concerned." A. P . SoM Ja?nshepur, India
Uranium
in
Argentina
Deposits of u r a n i u m in its S a n t a Ana mine, in t h e D e p a r t m e n t of Coronal Pringles of Argentina, has been announced by S. A. Berilo Argentina. Mica, beryl lium, q u a r t z , a n d feldspar, as well a s t a n t a l u m a n d columbium, a r e to b e found in the area. T h e u r a n i u m ore is about 8 meters below t h e surface.
German Scientists in Australia U n d e r t h e Australian program of i m porting G e r m a n scientists who could s u p ply valuable technical knowledge a n d skill to
the
country
[CHEM.
EXG. NEWS,
25,
1390 (1947)], t h e following have been a n nounced as going t o Australia: Frederick D a n u l a t , i n v e n t o r of a process for t h e e x t r a c t i o n of t a r a n d gas from b r o w n coal : Erich B r u g g e r m a n , chemical engineer a n d designer of t h e extraction p l a n t ; a n d Carl Tetweiler, chemical engineer, w h o will carry o n research a t the University of Mel bourne a n d lecture on a u t o m a t i c micro analysis of elements. AND
E N G I N E E R I N G
NEWS
