in new groups to deal with new obligations.
The research staff has
stayed almost constant, at about 3600 people, since 1947.
Dr. Buckley
questioned the justification for expansion in view of the current mobilization and shortage of manpower.
Mr. Murphree felt it might be appropriate
to eliminate the electronuclear work,
ORNL,
Future
Plans
Dr. Oppenheimer inquired as to future plans and asked whether there
appeared to be serious gaps in the research program.
Dr, Weinberg replied
that the main line of long-range effort would be the development of low
temperature homogeneous reactors for the production of fissionable
material, with a 1-2x10° kilowatt aqueous unit as a probable next step.
He considered Low temperature reactors more favorable for production of
fissionable material, but recognized the merit of a possible parallel
development in high temperature reactors such as the fast plutonium breeder
considered at GE.
He felt the following are important matters which
should receive much greater attention than they are nowgetting:
(a) a
realistic assessment of the various methods of producing fissionable
material, with special attention to the ore question; (b) reduction in
the cost of heavy water; (c) more economical re-enrichment of uranium.
He also felt that radiation chemistry and high temperature aqueous
chemistry should receive more attention,
He rumarked
that it had been
very difficult to obtain information on raw materials from the ASG; Dr.
Larson said this situation is improving.
ORNL,
In answer to a question by Dr. Rabi, Dr. Weinberg said he felt the
Signifi-~
cant
most significant research accomplishments, of ORNL in physics had been
Research
.
(1) characterization of the anti-ferromagnetic state by neutron
"
diffraction;
_$
rv
Accom
plishments