University of South Carolina Libraries
Space shuttle br back down to ea By The Associated Press CLEMSON ? Physics Professor Peter McNulty of Clemson University will finally get a look at his radiation experiment nearly six years after it was sent into space aboard the Long Duration Exposure Facility satellite. McNulty's experiment and others on the satellite, a 10.5-ton laboratory the size of a bus, landed with the shuttle Columbia on Saturday. "We've been told to expect damage to our experiment," including a coating of ash, the head of the physics department said. The satellite remained in orbit in "a fairly hostile environment" longer than expected, McNulty said. McNulty said he expects to bring the experiment to Clemson about the first of March. "Our experiment is one of a number looking at ionizing radiation and its effect on materials." Ionizing radiation rips electrons loose and breaks bonds, causing chemical changes in materials, he said. An example would be radiation in a nuclear plant. Non-ionizing radiation, such as microwaves, heats material but does not cause chemical changes. 'The idea (behind the experiment) is we would develop techniques to measure the damage from space radiation," he said. "One of our long-term goals is to Phone problems when students using the campus They had correc phone system can hear other con- before and wer< versations on the phone. Stover the problem reci said they were not sure exactly Southern Bel] what the problem was, and it lem is within thi would be hard to determine with- since most insu out a physical examination of the involve students wiring in the particular building or dents' conversat telephone switch. The problem because students Stover said they were not aware porting the crc of the problem until the. December Stover said. If 1 meeting with Student Government, only occasional ESSAY CONTES1 ? * f i W/A/cas/ Send typed entries to Portfolio. Box 85131 by t II % I yl si I Stilt a a s-, vvc u I ings experiment rth, to Clemson come up with ways to characterize complex radia environments." Eventually, this research could help protect as nauts on long space journeys, he said. The astron; and materials would be subject to solar flares, cos rays and other radiation. In addition, less expensive ways of protecting bots and other materials in areas bombarded by ra tion, such as nuclear facilities, could be developed said. McNulty's research focuses on microscopic rm ials, such as a microelectronic circuit element ( Kin1nnif<ol o/?ll Thp pvrvrimpnt nn thf? eatpllifp UlV/lW^lVUl Will X **v/ VA^/Vl 1111VI1V Vil UMWM*?V eludes plastic or glass microspheres ranging in from 1 micron to 25 microns. Approximately 400, microns equals an inch. McNulty's research deals with cosmic rays, wl are bursts of radiation, and the South Atlantic A maly, a radiation belt that comes close to the eai atmosphere. A cosmic ray penetrating material "is like stickii needle right through something," he said. This ra tion burst can cause shorts or upset a microelectr circuit memory. If the wrong microscopic men were hit, a rocket could be fired to change the orb a satellite. ) Continued from page 1 ted cross-talk once not call about it; whereas if it 5 surprised to see pens frequently, they would a point to call, he said. I thinks the probe USC phone lines Students can help isolate mces of cross-talk problem by calling Mark Br hearing other stu- at 777-7474 to report the spe ions, Stover said. of cross-talk problems, such a is still occurring time, where they are calling ; have not been re- and who they are calling. >ss-talk problems, regular business hours, stu be problem occurs can call 777-8153 and lea ly, students might message. H! i:00 pm Jan. 26 or drop by Russell House Room HAN ticere Thai fonts 1 this past succes * vppreciate ^Tfiank^ [ J{ave a HE STAFF OF Al BECAUSE Wl i?ry ^jj^jjjjiil^^ Aftc! dents Intense IV0 3 Nursing freshman Caroline Cadek studies by the rrni ia IIV1IV u.317. Please include name, SSII, phone and address. Ussay K YOi ttf^ou to at LS.C. zvfio rt zoeelfsucti a >s for us. your Susines J"ou again. great semester DDAM'S BOOKSTOF E COMPETE, YOU WIN! ' "' ' . .. a. : " '>, : "*/ y ** -< **&*X ' Renee Meyer/The Gamecock reflecting pool outside Thomas Cooper library. inner(s) will be printed in the next e featuring Black History Month. TIIEME I'o be a Black student at USC s should be no more lhair 1000 - 1500 words. uT~| X the I tacXe I