and topical meetings are arranged frequently. Per- 

 haps even more important than the formal mechan- 

 isms are the daily interactions of people in the pro- 

 gram divisions, in the laboratories, and in the uni- 

 versities. 



High energy physics (FY 1978 operating costs, 

 $186 million). The program scope encompasses 

 research into all aspects of elementary particle 

 phenomena, including theoretical and experimental 

 study of the fundamental structure and transfor- 

 mations of matter and energy. Accelerators and 

 related experimental facilities are operated for the 

 use of university and ERDA laboratory scientists 

 in conducting high energy physics experiments. 

 New accelerator concepts and technology are de- 

 veloped and new facilities are designed. New ex- 

 perimental techniques and detection devices are 

 developed. The program includes about 90 percent 

 of the total U.S. national effort in the field of high 

 energy physics. 



Nuclear physics (FY 1978 operating costs, $66 

 million). This program covers experimental and 

 theoretical studies of atomic nuclei, using probes 

 available from medium energy and heavy ion ac- 

 celerator facilities. The studies seek improved 

 understanding of nuclear matter. They deal with 

 the forces, symmetries, and conservation laws 

 determining nuclear properties and dynamics. The 

 program substructure consists of three major ele- 

 ments: Medium energy physics, heavy ion physics, 

 and nuclear theory. Medium energy physics in this 

 context is taken to mean studies of nuclear interac- 

 tions of ions of mass less than 5 and with energies 

 above the pion production threshold, but less than 

 6 GeV. Heavy ion physics is taken to mean studies 

 of nuclear interactions of accelerated ions whose 

 mass is 5 or greater. 



Inertial confinement fusion (FY 1978 operating 

 costs, $105 million). Areas of research in this pro- 

 gram include systems studies and applications, 

 diagnostics development, electron beam systems 

 research and development, Nd: glass laser devel- 

 opment, COt laser system development, new laser 

 systems research and development, pellet design 

 and fabrication, and target interaction experi- 

 ments. All of the research is considered applica- 

 ble to the program objectives. 



Weapons research, development, and testing (FY 

 1978 operating costs, $594 million). Areas of re- 

 search and technology development (RD&T) in 

 this program include nuclear weapons develop- 

 ment, nuclear design technology, nonnuclear de- 

 sign technology, fabrication and metrology, testing 

 and facility technologies, computational science, 

 materials research and development, physical pro- 

 cesses in nuclear explosives, and other supporting 

 research relevant to weapons sciences. The last 

 four of these areas have sometimes been identified 



as including some basic or fundamental research. 

 About 2.5 percent of the total RD&T operating 

 program might be considered to fall in the basic 

 research category. As noted earlier, work under 

 this program results in a great many publications in 

 major scientific journals. The following are typical 

 of the subjects and disciplines reflected in these 

 publications: Energy transport, explosion re- 

 search, atomic physics, behavior of materials at 

 high temperatures, transition element chemistry, 

 low temperature physics, geodynamics, atmos- 

 pheric physics, astrophysics, nondestructive test- 

 ing, nuclear physics, measurement standards, hy- 

 drodynamics, particle transport, radiation flow, 

 high pressure equations-of-state, neutron cross 

 sections, composites, surface metallurgy and film 

 deposition, polymers, ceramics, glass and glass 

 ceramics, analytical techniques, numerical analy- 

 sis, mathematical physics, statistics, image analy- 

 sis and enhancement, symbolic and algebraic mani- 

 pulation, programing languages, and multidimen- 

 sional codes. 



Geothermal energy (FY 1978 operating costs, $94 

 million). Areas of research and technology devel- 

 opment in this program include geothermal drilling 

 technology, power conversion systems for geo- 

 thermal applications, heat exchangers and rejec- 

 tion systems, management of geothermal brines, 

 geothermal reservoir assessment and confirma- 

 tion, environmental control for geothermal sys- 

 tems, extraction technology, and materials devel- 

 opment and corrosion studies. The last two areas 

 are identified as including basic or fundamental 

 research. About 2 percent of the total program is 

 considered basic research. 



Magnetic fusion energy (FY 1978 operating costs, 

 $200 million). Areas of research and technology 

 development in this program include atomic, mole- 

 cular, and nuclear data; plasma theory; computa- 

 tional plasma research; plasma physics data and 

 diagnostics; plasma engineering; superconducting 

 magnets; energy storage; and fusion reactor ma- 

 terials. Only the last of these is identified as includ- 

 ing basic or fundamental research, so that about 

 1.5 percent of the total program falls in a basic 

 research category. The program clearly includes 

 much of the Nation's pioneering research in plas- 

 ma physics, but, in the context of the program 

 objectives, this research is classed as applied. 



Solar energy development (FY 1978 operating 

 costs, $231 million). ERDA's solar energy activities 

 feature programs dealing with each major avenue 

 for use of this energy source: Photovoltaic energy 

 conversion, ocean thermal energy conversion, 

 fuels from biomass, environmental and resource 

 assessment, solar heating and cooling of buildings, 

 solar thermal electric conversion, agricultural and 

 industrial process heat, wind energy conversion, 



ENERGY RESEARCH i DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION 1 69 



