COSMIC RAY STUDY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22192, 20 August 1935, Page 12

COSMIC RAY STUDY

INTEREST OF SCIENCE new ZEALANDER'S work RECORDS ON SHIPBOARD The absorbing interest that cosmic rays hold for scientists was described yesterday by Mr. W. H. Pickering, a young New Zealander who has been engaged for six years in study at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena Mr. Pickering, who has been visiting relatives in tho Dominion, will leave Auckland by the Niagara tomorrow 011 his return to the United States. Formorly a student at Wellington College and Canterbury University College, Mr. Pickering went to the United States to continue his scientific studios, and ho holds tlm degree of master of science in physics. "Tho research work I am doing is in connection with cosmic rays," stated Mr. Pickering. "My work has bceD under tho distinguished scientist, Professor Robert A. Millikan, who received a Nobel prize in physics. 'Cosmic ray' is a term applied to an exceedingly penetrative radiation which bombards tho earth continually, its origin being, perhaps, the stars, although we do not khow that. Cosmic rays have been detected 200 ft. under water and they penetrate two feet of lead, whereas the X-ray is stopped by perhaps an inch of lead." The interest of scientists in tho rays, continued Mr. Pickering, was because they were tho most penetrative radiation known, with the highest energy, and because of the natural curiosity of scientists. At present, no practical use for tho rays could bo foreseen, although tho energy was enormous. Mr. Pickering said his journey to Now Zealand had given him the opportunity of working on his particular phase of the problem, tho variation in tho intensity of tho rays passing through the tropics, where there were fewer cosmic rays. Professor A. Compton, who visited New Zealand in 1932, had studied another phase by carrying out experiments in tho Mount Cook region. On the journey to New Zealand on tho Makura, with the cooperation of the Union Company, Mr. Pickering carried out experiments with an automatic apparatus, the purpose of which is to. record on an electrical counter the number of rays passing through the instrument. The data obtained from the records will not be complete until Mr. Pickering returns to the United States, for he hopes to oinploy the apparatus on the Niagara.