Show m Man Probes Surface of Moon An Ephraim native is conducting conducting conducting conduct conduct- ing an an intriguing University of Ut Utah h research project which will provide Earthlings with new knowle knowledge Ige about the surface of the moon Kay 27 is attending attending attending attend attend- ing the University on a NASA Fellowship He is the son of Mr and Mrs Mis Sherman Sherma N. N of pf Ephraim The f former Sanpete Co County nty res resident d nt believes believes' the moon is not made of solid rock but has hasa a granular or non cones ve surface surface surface sur sur- face perhaps perhaps' extending as deep as as' feet teet Its probably an accumulated d body h he says a bunch of debris b beaten f n by me meteorites meteorites' me s. s Specifically Mr thesis thesis' concerns crate ring on the moon which most scientists believe believe believe be be- lieve is caused by meteoric imp im im- im- im p pact ct But how do you explain in ina a crater crater miles wide he asks Most astronomers are asking asking asking ask ask- ing the same questions plus a afew afew afew few others like why are there thereso so many craters on the moon and how d do you account for the he heavy Vy concentration of small craters around the giants experiments are th the result of ohi ofa a theory postulated by his Ms' thesis director Dr Melvin Mel Mel- M Melvin vin viii A A. Cook pr professor of metallurgy metal metal- metal meta metallurgy and professor of median median- mechanical cal engine engineering r at the sity Cook is a a former farmer duPont explosives expert who received his PhD Ph.D. in physical chemistry with honors from Yale University University University sity in 1937 The theory and the research work would give most curious moon watchers a ready made explanation one-mile one Barringer crater would measure up to 10 miles across in granular granular granular lar material says Mr Morten- Morten sen You Yo can predict craters ten times the size normally found in rocky material materia Because of Surveyor photos NASA officials officials' now believe the surface of the moon at the landing landing landing land land- ing point has about the same surface stiffness as as' wet be beach h sand However they are still stin not convinced that the entire i surface is granular Mr Mor Mor- says The young NASA Fellow is making is own craters to prove Dr Cooks Cook's theory and he has come up with some real eye- eye openers openers Mr has run over 1000 experiments in a lab resembling the dark corner of ofa a waterfront warehouse For the past 18 months he has been firing firing firing fir fir- ing an air rifle and a. a 22 caliber into sand pumice talc clay and other granular material Each bullet is weighed and the velocity velocity velocity velo velo- city measured with two break- break wires He then measures the volume and diameter of the crater crater crater cra cra- ter later correlating the data The experiments are now in the velocity hyper-velocity impact range several times the speed of sound in these materials also drops a steel ball ban from a foot 20 high lift i f which which he made himself and x photographs all experiments with a high speed c camera mer The The- camera shoots up to pictures pictures pic- pic tures per second allowing the i Utahn to capture the actual cra cra- process on film Th The photos thousands of them are as fascinating as Mr method of research re- re search It is difficult to tell the difference between the craters made in the laboratory and those found on the moon Kay has now re-created re every basic type of moon crater He has even produced secondary a large crater and anda a splattering of smaller ones ones ones' nearby all an from the same im im- pact This would not occur in rock he explains K Kay y says some scientists believe the mountains mountains moun moun- found within various im impact impact un- un pact craters are the result of active But that's like lightning striking twice is Mr reply The young PhD Ph.D. candidate has produced the same type of moun crater tain taro phenomenon in his lab in granular material with a single impact Mr plans to finish his thesis this spring a copy of which will be sent to the National Nation Nation- al Aeronautics and r Space Admin Admin- The year old graduate graduate graduate grad grad- student is a native of Eph Eph- raim He received his bachelor of science and master of science degrees from Utah State University University sity in mechanical engineering His graduate work at th the University University University Uni Uni- of Utah is in the Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of Metallurgy |