THIS O QCUMENT c0r· 1srs OF ___ _ _ PAGES No _ 4t_ of WAR DEPARTMENT UNITED STATES ENGINEER IN REP LY REFER J COPIES SERIES_ t - GES OFFICE MANHATT AN DIS TRI C T TO C HI CAGO AREA OFFICE EIDM CGD-1 P o Bo x 6 140 A CHIC AGO 80 ILLINOIS 5 March 1944 Subject J meric an and British Work with P- 9 Pile s To rlrig Gen L R• Grove s p u Box 2610 Washington LJ C• 1 I ncl os ed herewith is a memorandum i'rom Col illton to the under s i gned s howing his fee lings on the extent of collaboration with the British and the size of the P-9 pile p rogram to be ·fo llowe d in the future 2 This memorandwn gi ves a more detailed state ent of pol icy than my report on the s tatus of P-9 piles A V PETERSON• Major Corps of Engineers Area Engineer 1 Inclosure Copy ltr 3 1 44 t- · - - 9c r - - X 0 0 - DECLASSIFIED Authority NNt 9 2 YL Q t CRET t aJor 'l'o rrom A ' - tlJC-AC-1018 tallurg1tal Jlaboratorp TrllS DOCUME1H CONSISTS_____ _____ PAGES Cu l f S___ g_ ____ Qf_ ___ t ___ CQPJES i oteroon Arthur H Compton In re o x ericen and t ri tish ork ffl th r -9 Fil ea 'Iba Br1t1ah will tlnd it noce• ery lao to undertuko tho conatruot1on ot p1l a to atrenstben their poat-war poeit1on It 1e NG01Nriended that oollaborat1on with tho rlt1•h be baaed on the followi • pr li oiplea a b ln all of U s Yitel oopects our pr r ohould bo o plete without retereno• to tho work ot the Lrit1ah lnterohange ot intorn ation ehoul4 be 0OlJU l• te re rd to 1 he tundu ntftl phyaice end •1 ch 1atry ot tho pil procene the propertia• ot •g and other producte and •11h gerd to the design end conetruction ot power pll•• 1n au coeoaru l oper tion e lon u tho 1t1ah oN I tbomiJelveo eot1Telf a work in the•• tielda Interchange could not occur recel din the 4Q aeper tion or deoont i t1on proc aaea the tellura of 88 or 40 or the deaign en4 contruo 1on ot piaa 1n oou ree ot de'Tal OptJent SE CRE T DECLASSIFIED Authority Nlll l 9 2 '- lj I • jor A• v SL CRE 1 tallurgmll JLaboratocy • i-otoraon • Pogo 2 e b 'l'ho J roaont outlook oo onoouro 1D6 th1 1t l see no vsluo ie · t1mo for tho purpo o of 1n oUl'1me0 3 £0 rt spent by tho 11l11C 'iCuno o t rul-- m o p 9 pile 4oo1gned tor 4V production to be built by le rit1ah 1'1'0Uld probably rotord tbe COLlple' 1on or llonford ao mu oh oe o bo o net loeo in our production prcgru m a tter about July lat tb1s oituation may- be re•oroed becouso the men c oncorn d w1 th rea o rcb oild dootsn will no lonaer be oo ectivol y conoernod 1 h the sntord 01 ont1one t lt erioons fhoyld build 1t pila 1• built now I • • It e lotttoo should be 01 »ue le to be ot o ii lum help in this er the pile cto4 by the z 1erioeno ho have bsd experience in th• t1eld Th1• 1e tho only way in wtiiob tho ncedod apeed Oftn ·b• obtoinod ri oan edYentogeo lnol de 'rhe txi er1 Ilea with the rgonno P-9 exper1 b hperl 0 0ft 1n conncetlon with flontord on problona ot O J rroe1on cool111@ oto which el e olosel aisilar to 1hoe• er1u1ng in thB ntol pile o k o En noert ng experience with pile• inoludi water 11119pl y and other cuxilieriea d ss ·ha alreoc J 4eve1opod 1n on 1'hioh to place un1t•- SECRET DECLASSIFIED Authority N t 9 1 L 0 - ajor A v SECRET tallurgical JLaboratorp Fetorson - Fege 3 5 8 • 'l'he British m1tht belp the 11 morlcuna it auoh a progrflm 1Tero undertaken aitho a by transfor or some ot thoir men orki in tbie f'iold e g Pi erre Augor l 'ronch physiciat 'i 'hey could loo continuo oo1entif1o studies r loted t o the r - 9 pilo t auppl e onting our otudy ot certain aol Octo of this ork It tbia were do110 1nterchenge or the sc1ont1tic 1n1'o mot1 the t1olds on Which tho '11ler1cens cen uoe Jritish holP ehoul b c lete b It ethor on tho cnst ncer1ns aspects 1t would be ko any contribution Whioh ould countord1v1dad org6n1zet1onal reaponaib111tioo ohould coo rote o l Jtericana now T groat Gavanioge in sc1ont1t1o kno l odge end erginoeri exporienco in conn ct1on with our pil o ork 1nolud1J g the p_g p1le o mu et tiolpote ihot the rltiuh vill tind it neceesa to develop thoir owa pile Pl Ocrac who her tor 49 production or tor owor o •b uld consider heth r our col bor tion with tbe • it hey undertake thie work will be to our ot l'vuntage or diaoclvon a b In 1ndu air1al practice 1t hos t requently been t uund deai rabl tore etr induatry to collaborate tul ly on a re•• rah leTel 1fi th wooker indua' ry 1n ileT•lopr ent ot no r prOducia ot oo on interest An n e i ple ia the Gen r ol Eleo r1c- eot1ngbouae colleborat lon on zdo lfim»• Simi r oonatdert tiona rould in i1c te Po•e1ble roal e4vente ea 1n LC1enttf1o Colle oration betwffn the el iC na and the r1 tiBh which r oUld out••1sh tbe dle 4Vallt agea ot k1A Y01lable to the the now 11lforca11on which•• obtain lt aee • doubttul whether tl ia oollaboreUon ebou 14 n tencS to enginurin 1 Authority Nwt DECLASSIFIED 9 2Yl o net pro4uot1on •xPerienoe SECRET - I SE CRt l §llttallurgttal JLahoratorp - ojor A V Peter son - Pogo 4 c It is cloor ho over tbot our nation should not rely upon ony other D tion tor the develop iont ot any vi tol pert of o pr such ao this Ciur coW1try nhould develop all eosontiel aepocte or the work whothor or not euch dovolopnent is c srried on by the tieh d 8 lt tho procent ntord proj ot proYo• to be sucooastul 1n tho production ot 49 1 1 will te ihe tiret reepona1bil1ty of upont o d · the r eti llu i -g1cel h•ojcet 1'D devt lop tb procoee ih re 1JI uee to ob-ta1n tr it the niex production 1 ill clout ttul whether ony alternative proceeo ohould be UI4enokon tor produoUon purpoiee unUl thie proceea ah ll haTe had e thoroueb tri 1 In tbe ontlmG xportmental developJll8At or al tornet1Te proeo oaoa 1 well go on but this ahould probably tell ahort or oonetruotion ot plants ot oro th A eeiu- worke size baaed on elterms t1 v• prooea• ea Attor llll tor-d io 1n •o U oteo to17 opention altorneilv• prod o11on proo•o••• w111 be ot little 1nteNst •s ••rt 9 a bor pow•r production t ia o•t4eDt tb•t a new type or Pile will be naeded AtJ eoon • • tJ L• preuauro tran 1mn di ete or pi-oble a 1• releoeed T1goroue attenuon eh iul be g1- en to a proenm ot devalopmni elo tb1e line 0n17 tbue on •• be aure to k ep ahead ot tonten com pet1t1on 1n • t1eld on wh1¢h th• t1onol ••tety may 4•P9nd 'l'he pro ahoul 4 inc 1U4e aoientitic end 4nelopnental -Ork end aleo oonetructton ot exv rimental model• ot working unite SECRET _ 0 jor A v E CRET « ttallurgttal JLaboratocy • Fetorson - age 5 b It cay ffeU heppen thet our stUOies will indicate thet ouch J O WOr produQ1D8 units will 1nvol ve the uoo of t'•9 Other pose1b111t1ea include eraphite p1l es tm use of boryll iU ll tLLboo 0uttouna1ng tubaelloy 1 tho ueo of b1amuth cool11'l6 nd ot helium cooline 6nd ot tubealloy e • riched 1th 25 or 49 T'he ch oice or tho protorable type c an bo do oo a rosult onl y ot careful ocient1f1c ond engtneor studios In order that o mey retain o ad1na oeition wo should not aeloy in u n rtak1ng an aotive p g thio tUrec tion c It s n tor conotruction ot r program unit ho recOI Jmendat1ona ln I gw t 1g45 e uld eupply •n experuc on · moena ot reech1ns tho hi h r odiotion lov•l• o tho inwrior ot the Eantord p11••• This would meke poeaible tollo•1ns 1n the l aborotory ottecta on motor1al thet will occur 1n 'he Hantord unit end tor ich we hove at present no Diethod ot 1n eoUeatioJ1 The rgonne 200 kw P1lo 111 go port oy in thia d1x-ect1on re obina porhepa 1 10 tho r auietton leYel ot the lt llantord unit A 1t0re powo rtul pile at Clinton ot trom 5 ooo to no ooo kw capec1t7 111 equal or exceed the lwol ot bo Uentor-4 graphite un1to b Operation ot such e p1lo would give alueble ex• perienoe 1n the prObler w to be met workiDS •1 th 1-- 9 large ao le units o Q proauc·uon of the order ot O per cont ot the total - 9 aupplf would be dd•d to that cam 1 ne trQC tantord DECLASSIFIED Authority II L • v ojor A• sECRET • tallurgttal J aboratocy Foteroo n - Fago 6 u Cono1dorot1on noodo tbuo to ' le given to tbe choice ot the typo ot pilo n oGt w otul now 1n pror oting the Zlflttoneil 1ntorest 1 thin e conth or two 1 t lo expected thei tho roaoorch and dol'olopmeni tor Hallford will be far onougb olone th t ' ho ambors of tb o otallurg1 el f roJcc t c n telco t tmo to consider in detoi l tho toctor undorlytu g tbi cho1co '1hoy will then bo aekod t-o prft ro proposal f or cona1derot1on by the bOVornment hevi own KT oc v etoreon File DECLASSIFIED r Authority_ N® l 9 Z YQ t cRE 1