200‐BeV news

By Dec. 3 the Atomic Energy Commission had visited all 85 proposed sites for the planned 200‐BeV proton accelerator and had passed the evaluations on to the National Academy of Sciences. Eight AEC inspection teams took part in the visits, each group headed by an AEC assistant general manager, who was aided by an engineer and scientist from the Commission’s Division of Research and a physicist from one of the national laboratories. The NAS Site Evaluation Committee will shortly announce five or six locations they believe have the best qualifications, and the AEC commissioners will themselves visit the sites as part of their efforts in making the final decision. One AEC spokesman said the site choice will be made some time this spring. “We hope it will stand heads and shoulders above all the rest,” he added wistfully. “I believe the physics community should be congratulated,” he continued. “This is the largest basic science project that has ever been contemplated, and physicists have been very generous and coöperative in giving us their best thoughts and suggestions.”