California Institute of Technology Cal Tech - Big T Yearbook (Pasadena, CA)

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XfRay 'Tube RADIATION The Radiation Laboratory, designed by Dr. C. C. Lauritsen, has done much important nuclear research. Using up to one million volts on Xfray tubes, many of the lighter elements have been made radioactive and the energies of the positron, the neutron, and of gamma rays have been measured. Application of Xfrays to the therapeutic research has gone on all year in cooperation with L. A. General Hospital, and other hospitals, many cancer patients being treated regularly under the supervision of Drs. Mudd, Emery, StewartfHarrison, and Levi. High Voltage Discharge ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING As part of the educational activity of the Electrical Engineering department, several val' uable original studies in high voltage and high frequency fields have been undertaken. Among these studies has been the development of the sparlaless sphere gap vpoltmeter for measuring very high voltages. Simon Ramo, aided by Louis Rader and G. B. McCann, has succeeded in bringing this meter to a high degree of per' fection. The experimenters feel that they can offer the results of their studies-soon to be published in L'Electrical Engineering -as a new standard for accurate high voltage measf urement. In other fields, I. W. McRae has been making interesting studies of high frequency eff fects on insulating materials, Raymond Griest has built a high speed oscillograph capable of recording photographically transient phenomf ena occurring in a few millionths of a second, and John Pierce is working on a centralized an' tenna system to provide better radio reception for the student houses. Professors Sorenson, lvlackeown, Maxf stadt, and Lindvall, besides their educational work, have undertaken much outside engineerf ing consultation. Under Professor Sorenson's supervision, tests of insulators and switches for the Metropolitan Water District were made in the High Voltage Laboratory, using the million volt surge generator located there. ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING PROFBSSORS Frederick C. Lindvall, Royal W. Sorenson, S. Stuart Mackeowrr, Francis W. Maxstadt. 17

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PHYSICS To provide adequate instruction in the very important sciences of physics and mathe' matics the faculties of these departments numf ber among their members some of the most cap' able and illustrious men on the campus. I-lead' ing the division is Dr. Millikan, one of the two Nobel Prize Winners on the campus, Whose ref cent work in cosmic ray phenomena has attractf ed vvorldfvvide attention. During the past year he has been assisted by Dr. Victor Neher in map' ping the vvorldfdistribution of cosmic ray intenf sities at seaflevel, and by Dr. Carl Anderson, who has conducted an investigation of the altif tude effect on bursts of the rays atop Pikes Peak. The remaining members of the department have not been idle. In addition to their teaching labors, they have been occupied with original research. Professor I. S. Bowen and Dr. Wil' liam V. Houston have continued their respecf tive works on nebular spectra and the fine strucf ture of hydrogen spectra. The latter has also contributed a theoretical paper on nuclear strucf ture. Dr. Smythe and his associates, have been occupied with research on the subject of isotopes. Drs. Potapenko, Goetz and Du Mond have respectively studied ultrafshort waves, met' als at low temperatures, and the Compton Eff fect. MATHEMATICS Pizornssoas KRigl11:j Morgan Ward, Luther E. Wear, Harry C. Van Buskirk, Harry Bateman, Eric T. Bell. KAbovej Dr. Goetz with hydrogen liquefaction equipment. MATHEMATICS Teaching calculus to freshmen and sophof rnores is only a part of the work of the mathef matics department, Whose members pursue ad' vanced research in various phases of the field, applied as well as theoretical. Higher math is now finding application in physical, electrical, and aerodynamic problems. PHYSICS Pxorassoas lRea1'J Jesse W. M. DuMond, H. Victor Neher, Alexander Goetz, William R. Smythe, Ira S. Bowen, Gennady VV. Potapenkog IF1'cmtj Paul S. Epstein, Samuel J. Barnett, Charles C. Lauritsen, Robert A. Millikan, William V. Houston, Earnest C. Watson. 16

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CIVIL ENGINEERING Civil engineering professors have during the past year been especially active in profesf sional work outside of the classroom, thus serv' ing not only the students but also the communf ity. The advent of water from the Colorado River to this area has given rise to several im' portant problems. Exact knowledge is being substituted for guesswork every day. Professor Franklin Thomas, chairman of the Division of Civil and Mechanical Engineerf ing, is head of a special Water Committee for the Metropolitan Water District, this group must develop a plan for the use and conditions of sale of water on the coastal plain when it bef comes available with the completion of the aquef duct in 1939. Professor R. R. Martel, known for his work on steel structures, is now making an analysis of the stresses and the economic distrif bution of material in the casingsof large pumps. This data is necessary for the design of the pumps to be built for the Aqueduct. The pumps will handle pressure heads up to 440 feet, and Soil Erosion Study 18 CIVIL ENGINEERING AND MECHANICS Pxorisssoizs Frederic W. Hinrichs, Jr., Fred J. Converse, R. R. Martel, Frank- lin Thomas, William W. Michael. volumes of 200 cubic feet per second, driving motors of 12,000 horsepower each will be nec' essary. In the field of earthwork, Professor F. I. Converse is working on the carrying powers of soils for building foundations. He has also been investigating the form of wall and column supf ports best adapted for safe and economical use in foundation structures. Professor Converse represents Tech attthe Soil Mechanics Conferf ence at Harvard in June. Professor W. W. Michael has recently be' come vicefpresident of the Educational Divif sion of the American Road Builders Associaf tion. Under his direction, civil engineering was also applied in assisting the astrophysics depart' ment, last summer four of last year's seniors, Griffiths, Iennison, Meneghelli, and Schwartz, surveyed the entire top of Palomar Mountain to make possible the most satisfactory location of the telescope and accompanying buildings. Working with the Soil Conservation Servf ice of the federal government, the Division is conducting extensive investigations of soil erof sion. A new laboratory is being completed north of the old dorm. Dr. Vito Vanoni is in actual charge, while Professors Knapp and Von Karman direct the project. Investigations include work on stream transportation, material wear, stream cutoffs, detention dam spillways, and other specinc problems. Field study is under way on pilot channels of the Little Colorado River and on artihcially formed arroyos near Gallup, New Mexico.