Department of State Atomic Energy Files
Memorandum From the Subgroup on Technical Cooperation to the Combined Policy Committee
The Sub-group has considered a wide range of subjects of common interest within the field of Atomic Energy and from among these has selected certain topics which were agreed upon for presentation to the Combined Policy Committee as suitable subjects in which cooperation and the exchange of information, at the present time, would be mutually advantageous:
- 1.
- Those subjects covered in Sections I and II of the “Proposed Declassification Guide”, (PDG-6), which are listed as “Topics for Immediate Declassification”. (See Appendix A)1
- 2.
- The entire field of health and safety, including (a) experimental work from which radiation tolerances may be established (b) genetics (c) general medical and biological studies; therapy of overexposure to radiation (d) health hazards associated with reactors, such as: effluent gases and their ecological effects, disposal of wastes, toxic effects of reactor materials including Be and Pu; tolerances for the various toxic substances and the various radiations (e) instruments, laboratory design and techniques of this field.
- 3.
- Research uses of radio-isotopes and stable isotopes, including preparation, techniques for handling, instruments; mutual availability for general research purposes.
- 4.
- Fundamental nuclear and extra-nuclear properties of all the elements including experimental methods and instruments (e.g. particle accelerators, detection devices).
- 5.
- Detection of a distant nuclear explosion, including: meteorological and geophysical data; instruments (e.g. seismographs, microbarographs); air sampling techniques and analysis; new methods of possible detection.
- 6.
- Fundamental properties of reactor materials (i.e. solid state physics, basic metallurgy) including moderators, fuel elements, structural materials, also liquid metal and other coolants; the reactions of materials to radiations; the preparation of moderator materials, e.g. graphite, heavy water.
- 7.
- Extraction Chemistry including basic chemistry of processes, problems of ‘scale up’ of laboratory methods, techniques of remote control, concentration and storage of fission products.
- 8.
- The Design of Natural Uranium Reactors in which the power generated is not wasted. The economy of operation of such reactors, e.g. preferred schemes for enrichment of depleted fuel for re-use.
- 9.
- General research experience with the following (low power) reactors: Clinton (graphite), Argonne (graphite, heavy water), Chalk River (heavy water), Harwell (graphite).
In furthering these objectives it is considered desirable to encourage the exchange of technical experience and information in these fields. Administrative arrangements should be followed which apply the general principle that classified information shall be currently useable by the recipient.
Sub-group Membership:
| U.K. | J. D. Cockroft | F. N. Woodward |
| Canada | C. J. Mackenzie | George Ignatieff |
| U.S. | V. Bush | J. B. Fisk |
- Not printed.↩