The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 22, 1990, Page 3, Image 3
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
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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 (
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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
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great semester
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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.
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