THE BATTALION
THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 1979
Page 7
ffers more than nuclear degree
A&M reactor used in many ways
surface fo : *
before it i,J
ft, from f
iad beeiuk
Naval AirJ
>int in Hut
By RUTH GRAVES
Battalion Reporter
YEAH, ITS KWDA HARD
To SET A pere, RUT..
as A&M s one megawatt nu-
^eactor does more than enable
to offer the only nuclear engi-
g degree in Texas. Since 1962,
lithe reactor was opened, it has
lokesmanijused for such functions as mak-
on a [rBdfoactive implants for cancer
eillancen Bpits and providing evidence for
o a)mme: : i v i ctin g criminals.
* Orion» |en Walker, the reactor coor-
wntheSov i K )I at A&M’s nuclear science
insk. ■'West of the campus, says that
of the f W has one of the four most pow-
actedatte P'jniversity-operated reactors in
reports tke \B' ltio n.
g the fornieW^ugh the University of
Ranh iB'S 311 ’ t ^ le University of
‘Buri and MIT have similar reac-
Bhieh operate at two, five and
nei
district
Chalaw’s
said 15 ij
incident,
1 19 perse
es and tun
1 — weres
iources sm]
moving
he cover
lunched si
i Penhgovi
troops dug
ic border
-built T-i
n the areati
cks by the
iouge, the
y to
gawatts, A&M’s one megawatt
has done as much or more
he more powerful reactors,
ough a process called irradia-
Bwhereby samples are exposed
■neutrons, the nuclear science
Iter radioactivates about 10,000
mpjes of various materials a year,
■afleei said.
H reactor, which operates 14
■a day, five days a week, serves
*M other universities which have
phisticated equipment, gov-
nt agencies and private cor
pus, he said.
png those groups the center
ne work for are M. D. Ander-
jmor Institute, NASA and Ex-
he reactor has been used for
groups in making radioactive
trains for implants, irradiating
idust for analysis and studying
lion levels in oil wells,
lout 40 percent of our budget
fn private industry,’ Walker
Ithough Walker said the nu-
;cience center does not try to
[profits, he said, it is able to
fn partially self-sufficient,
-of-mouth advertising, he
is largely responsible for pro-
I the work the center does,
ang the commercial projects
actor has done is irradiating
amples. By comparing two
les of hair after irradiation,
r said, nuclear engineers can
aine whether or not the hairs
rom the same person.
No&opV l
pothers me V
IN BAPS! v
safety mechanisms and could im
pose fines on the university if they
found the equipment unsafe.
The reactor is equipped so that
any occurrence out of the ordinary
will cause the reactor to shut down
automatically. This makes the reac
tor “student proof, Walker said.
“We’ve never had any problem with
people being exposed to radiation.”
Much training is done at the nu
clear science center, both in con
junction with A&M and indepen
dent of it, Walker said. Two crews
for the N.S. Savannah, the first
atomic-powered merchant ship,
were trained at the center.
SPIROSTOIN
■tnamesei
ireign
latmadjas
lugar substitute
.N memM
re, Malaya
ippines-
fan is reviewed
p a joint p j
to StOpli® United Press International
said on/WASHINGTON — With
Con
ic ASEA5
■nee, wlffli
rticipantse
the chaofcl
moving toward another re-
e for saccharin, the Food and
| Administration is opening the
(for review of a second sugar
, — itute — cyclamate.
frust: Commissioner Donald
totakea |jj ne( ly Tuesday ordered a new
at cyclamate, which was ban-
a decade ago as a suspected
r causer, saying the agency
more information on specific
tific points before it can decide
| ban is warranted.
Be major producer of cyclamate,
Jtt Laboratories, has been urg-
is talksei tf’tHb government for years to
vith a \i*fl|)rove the sweetener. The pres-
on FDA has become more in-
since 1977 when saccharin —
nly remaining legal sugar sub-
was implicated as a cancer
r and subjected to a proposed
y the FDA.
ngress stalled FDA action on
me Mini!
arged tint 1
utheast
ical black
;ation p®|
ietnamese
discuss a s»
m prograi
h the qot*
Is of Vie*
mats fornri
eeharin for 18 months, a
an nations.
zials, cunts |
lalaysia, «t
o test tlie
nlloonstos
members*
moratorium which expired last
month. The House Commerce
Committee Tuesday approved legis
lation that would keep saccharin
legal for at least another two years.
The legislation, which still needs
both House and Senate action,
would prevent the FDA from ban
ning saccharin until at least June 30,
1981.
Kennedy ordered an administra
tive law judge to take another look
at the cyclamate question. The
judge, wbo presided over a lengthy
hearing on the subject, recom
mended to the FDA commissioner
last October that he leave the cyc
lamate ban in place.
Kennedy — who leaves the FDA
at the end of this month — asked
the judge to provide his as-yet un
named successor with more infor
mation on studies implicating cyc
lamate as a cancer causer, and to
provide a close study of statistical
methods used to analyze the safety
of the substance.
n n i w w w w w v m f w r n i w vt i
SWENSEN’S
SuperS^B'MS
$3.85 value
Slices of lean
ham, swiss cheese, tomato,
and lettuce stack up into
one great sandwich. Served
with an old fashioned super soda in
your choice of famous flavors.
Swensen’s Ice Cream Factory
Culpepper Plaza - College Station
Open Mon.-Sat. 11:30. Sunday at noon
693-6948 "
A&M offers two degrees which
rely on A&M’s nuclear equipment:
nuclear engineering and radiation
protection engineering, said Liz
Nealin, one of about 60 senior nu
clear engineering majors.
This type of detective work,
through the combined efforts of nu
clear science center director John
Randall and several district attor
neys, has resulted in several convic
tions and one acquittal. Walker said.
The reactor has also been used in
tracing bullet fragments back to
their name brand and tracing Indian
pottery remains back to the area in
which they were made. Walker
said. Such distinctions can be made
by comparing the radiation levels in
the objects after they have been ir
radiated, he said.
The nuclear science center is also
equipped to perform neutron
radiography - a type of photography
that highlights lightweight objects,
Walker said. Since X-rays miss ob
jects made from wax, paper, rubber,
plastics and water, which neutron
radiography highlights, the nuclear
science center is able to conduct
studies for several industrial firms,
said director John Randall.
Walker said the personnel at the
center make sure the reactor is safe.
The core of the reactor is suspended
in 33 feet of water, which acts as a
coolant and a shield, he said. Since
particles in water can become
radioactive whereas water cannot,
the 100,000 gallons of water in the
tank are kept pure.
Walker also said the air pressure
in the building is regulated so that
when doors are opened, air rushes
in - not out. If any air were contami
nated, this precaution would keep it
inside the building. However, radi
ation levels are kept “as low as rea
sonably achievable,” he said.
Walker said that the government
periodically examines the reactor’s
Part of the curriculum for senior
engineering students,
nuclear
Nealin said, is the utilization of a
smaller reactor in the basement of
Zachry. There the students conduct
experiments and learn to operate
reactors.
Adu I +
3.50
Child
I .75
iiiminrrm
At The Grove
WEEKEND FESTIVAL
u n cr(j tj cj tj tj ij ij iiTiyrn 1
It’s the BIGGEST It’s the BEST.
Its BOND. And B-E-Y-O-N-D.
_ \
ALBERT R BROCCOLI presents
ROGER MOORE
as IAN FLEMING S
JAMES ROND 007 s
THE SPY WHO
LOVED ME
starring BARBARA BACH and CURT JURGENS as''Stromberg''
Produced by ALBERT R. BROCCOLI • Directed by LEWIS GILBERT
Screenplay by CHRISTOPHER WOOD s RICHARD MAIBAUM
Music by MARVIN HAMLISCH • Filmed in PANAVISION*
1 Unitad Artists
LIVE AND,
LETDIE
FRIDAY MIDNIGHT
FRIDAY 8:45
IRHALL'
SATURDAY 8:45
A&M Students With ID*EY*ee
Children 4 & Under • Free Others • 81.50
fTTTI ITT
ze£
MANOR EAST 3
Where all the other Bonds end
this one begins!
Albert R. Broccoli
ROGER MOORE
JAMES BOND 007 ;
Ian Flemings
Kmoonraker
/■
Starring Lois Chiles Michael Lonsdale as ’Drax’ Richard Kiel as Jaws’
andCorinne Clery produced by Albert R. Broccoli 0™^ Lewis Gilbert
Screenplay by Christopher Wood Music by John Barry Lyrics by Hal David
Production Designed by KGn Adam Executive Producer MichaGl G. WilSOH
Associate Producer William P. Cartlidge Filmed in Panavision®
ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK
ON UNITED ARTISTS RECORDS AND TAPES
[pG[parental GUIDANCE SUCCESTED I
DOLBY STEREO T
M SELECTED THEATRES
I Title Song Pertormed by Shirley Bassey |
T United Artists
ATransamerica Company
DOLBY STEREO
2:35-4:55-7:30-9:55
I PRODUCTION
a ROBEFTT CHAFnOFF-IRWIN WINKLER
SYLVESTER STALLONE 'ROCKY 11'TALIA SHIRE BURT YOUNG
MUSIC BY
CARL WEATHERS a ND BURGESS MEREDITH^ BILL CONTI
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY PRODUCE D BY
BILL BUTLER a s c IRWIN WINKLER a ND ROBERT CHARTOFF
SYLVESTER STALLONE
rtMtoAcMfs[ 9 0 p | QWIGINAI MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK ON UNITED ARTISTS RECORDS AND TAPEs] UflltCd AftlStS
Anngnts I A Tr,,ns,4menca Company
2:30
4:55
7:20
9:45
Released by BUENA VISTA DISTRIBUTION CO . INC
©1979 Walt Disney Productions
SKYWAY TWIN
WEST
IT JUST AIN’T SUMMER
WITHOUT BURT
BURT REYNOLDS
in HOOPER
PLUS GATOR
EAST
VAN NUYS BOULEVARD
PLUS THE VAN
CAMPUS
[ON EM AX
* ' ' ^
GEORGE C SCOTT
HARDCORE
PETER BOYLE;
^ ©.1979 Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.