Calendar: 1957-1958 Page 424

XXX Vlll ANNUAL REPORT Departmental Notes Details of grants in aid of research in the Physics department are included in 11 Developments in Research new Siemens electron microscope pur- chased with special grant of $30 000 from the Rockefeller Foundation has been installed in the department It is being used for the detailed study of the structure of living organisms and tissues Further important research has been carried out on the structure of nucleic acid and nucleoproteins using the methods of X-ray-diffraction and biochemical analysis Further development has been made on the new high-resolution grating infra-red spectrometer This is now the most accurate instru- ment of its kind outside America and is rivalled only by one or two similar instruments on that Continent It is being used to study the precise geometry and molecular dynamics of polyatomic molecules and for investigating the spectra of high-frequency discharges and flames new type of double-beam infra-red reflecting microscope has been constructed which is being used to study the structures of biological fibres Photo-electric equipment for the vacuum ultra-violet is also in an advanced stage of development Much progress has been made by the Atmospherics Research Group working under the direction of Dr Chapman on the propagation of very-low-frequency waves between the ground and the ionosphere using lightning discharges at great distances as radio transmitters By this means the law of propagation of radio waves at frequencies as low as 40 cycles per second has been derived One important outcome of this work is the discovery of marked absorption band at frequencies of about kilocycles per second New magnetic-tape dual-channel recorders have been purchased and modified for simultaneous recordings at widely spaced stations This important extension of the work has been made possible through the generous co-operation of the Director of the Meteorological Oflice in providing facilities for the installation of the equipment at various meteorological stations This work will form part of the British contribution to the study of the ionosphere during the International Geophysical Year 1957-58 Electroencephelographic equipment has been bought and constructed for research into the relationship of electrical brain rhythms to visual and other activity Conferences and Lectures Professor Randall was invited to attend the annual biology symposium on Biocolloids at Oakridge Tennessee in April and made several contributions to the meetings Dr Μ Wilkins Deputy Director of the Medical Research Council Biophysics Research Unit was invited to attend the Gordon Research Conference at New Harrington and the Cold Spring Harbour Sym- posium both held in the United States in June Dr Brown and Dr Α Brown also of the Biophysics