[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 66 (Thursday, May 21, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5348-S5349]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




THE SPALLATION NEUTRON SOURCE: A CRITICAL ELEMENT OF OUR VISION OF THE 
                                 FUTURE

 Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, the Spallation Neutron Source 
currently being developed at Oak Ridge, Tennessee will be the most 
powerful spallation source of neutrons in the world. It will enable 
scientists to ``see'' and thus understand the physical, chemical, and 
biological properties of materials at the atomic level.
  In nuclear physics, Mr. President, the study of neutrons led to the 
development of nuclear weapons, nuclear energy, medical isotopes, and 
our understanding of the energy and evolution of the stars and the 
origins of the solar system.
  In condensed matter physics, neutrons are used--among other things-- 
to study magnetic materials, magnetic resistance, and the dynamic 
aspects of glasses, liquids, amorphous solids, and phase behavior.
  In materials science, neutrons are used to study diffusion, crystal 
structures, the spatial distribution of impurities, and the stress 
capacities of forgings, castings, and welds.
  In chemistry, neutrons are used to determine molecular, crystal, and 
large-scale structure.
  In biology, neutrons are used to determine the structure of protein 
and protein complexes in lipids and biological membranes, and to 
determine the molecular arrangements on biological surfaces to help us 
better understand the function of cell surface receptors.
  The one common requirement in all of these research fields is an 
intense source of neutrons. And the only such source other than a large 
nuclear reactor is an energetic particle accelerator such as the 
Spallation Neutron Source.
  Mr. President, as I've just pointed out with this by-no-means-
complete list of examples, neutron scattering has now become an 
indispensable tool within a broad range of scientific disciplines: 
physics, chemistry, materials science, nuclear physics, biology, earth 
science, engineering and medicine--which is why the Spallation Neutron 
Source is a critical element of our vision of the future.
  Far from a jobs program or a pie-in-the-sky experiment, Mr. 
President, spallation is the newest anchor of our national research 
effort. And it will contribute to America's economic and technological 
growth in thousands of ways.
  By helping us understand the properties of materials at the atomic 
level, U.S. chemical companies will produce better fibers, plastics, 
and catalysts; U.S. pharmaceutical companies will produce better 
drugs--with higher potencies and fewer side effects; U.S. automobile 
manufacturers will build cars that run better and are safer to operate; 
and U.S. aircraft manufacturers will build planes that are stronger, 
lighter, faster, and safer--with fewer defects, lower stress levels, 
and greater fuel efficiency.
  We'll create stronger magnets and magnetic materials--that will 
result in more efficient electric motors and generators, better 
magnetic recording tapes, computer hard drives, and medical magnetic 
resonance systems.
  And all across America, U.S. industries will produce everything from 
better low-fat foods, credit cards, and cosmetics, to clothes that 
don't wrinkle and bags that don't break, to better airport detection 
equipment and bulletproof vests.
  In the next century, the achievements will be even greater--
especially in the field of medicine. We'll see drug delivery systems 
that release medicine precisely when and where the body needs it--
without side effects; artificial blood that will eliminate the need to 
screen for viruses or procure exact blood types in times of emergency; 
corrosion-resistant medical implants that will last a lifetime and 
never have to be replaced; and smaller, faster electronic chips that 
will lower energy costs and increase convenience in hundreds of 
products.

[[Page S5349]]

  In other words, Mr. President, spallation is not only essential to 
the advancement of important scientific research, it's absolutely 
critical to retaining our competitive edge in the global economy and 
the quality of life we have come to enjoy.
  Completion of the Spallation Neutron Source--on time and on budget-- 
must be a priority for another reason as well. Over the last 20 years, 
America has fallen alarmingly behind Europe in the availability of up-
to-date neutron sources and instrumentation. The major research 
reactors in our inventory--the HFIR at Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and the 
High Flux Beam Reactor--were built more than 30 years ago. With the 
demise of the ANS (Advanced Neutron Source), and all it represented in 
terms of maintaining America's strength is neutron science, we cannot 
reasonably expect those aging facilities to sustain our entire neutron 
scattering effort.
  Fortunately, unlike ANS--whose pricetag [$3B] and lack of public 
support caused the Administration to abandon the effort--Spallation is 
both affordable [$2B] and strongly endorsed by both the White House and 
the Congress.
  Mr. President, the Spallation Neutron Source is a big part of that 
vision of our vision for the future. As with all of America's truly 
imaginative ventures--the space program, the Human Genome Project, the 
Hubble telescope--its benefits will be felt for years to come.
  But there is another reason Spallation must be supported, Mr. 
President. It is, in my view, exactly the kind of project the federal 
effort was designed to produce and support: It's good science--that is 
both knowledge-driven and mission-driven; it will be fiscally 
accountable--if we in Congress do it right; it has a consistent 
approach; it will have measurable results; it will create a flow of 
technology, from research through commercialization; it will promote 
excellence throughout the American research infrastructure, and across 
a broad range of initiatives; and it will create partnerships among 
industry, academia, and the national labs.
  And because of the way it was set-up as a cooperative partnership 
among the national labs--Lawrence Berkeley will be responsible for the 
ion source; Los Alamos, for the linear accelerator; Brookhaven, for the 
accumulator ring; Argonne, for the instrumentation and experiment 
facilities; and Oak Ridge for the conventional facilities, target 
apparatus, and overall project management--it will increase Congress' 
ability to focus on the importance of science and technology; decrease 
the likelihood that it will get side-tracked by politics; and ensure 
that spallation is consistent and effective.
  In other words, Mr. President, the real effects of this project don't 
end with Spallation, they begin with it--and with us and our commitment 
to science and technology future.

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