图
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
KU prof researches
Wednesday, December 6, 1967
Bombardment by proton may cause universal life
GEOLOGY PROFESSOR AT WORK
Edward J. Zeller, professor of geology, adjusts a piece of technical equipment as part of a scientific experiment.
Changing diamonds into gasoline sounds like an interesting, if unprofitable, trick. More than a trick, it is part of the research by Edward J. Zeller, professor of geology, into the origins of man and the possibility of life on other planets.
The change is accomplished by bombarding industrial diamonds with hydrogen protons in the Van de Graaff accelerator in the KU physics department. After the bombardment, a sensory device will show the presence of hydrocarbons—the chemical bonds found in gasoline.
The gasoline is not in a liquid form, but trapped inside the diamond which, during the process, turns black from its original clear state.
Outgrowth of research
Bombarding of diamonds was an outgrowth of previous research by Zeller into the possibility of finding water on the moon. He said this is a problem facing manned moon rockets.
"There is no possibility of finding liquid water on the moon because of the extreme heat and the lack of atmosphere," he said. The water is trapped in the moon's surface just as the gasoline is trapped in the diamonds.
Theta Sigs pledge 26
Twenty-six KU coeds Tuesday pledged the Epsilon Chapter of Theta Sigma Phi, honorary journalism fraternity for women.
Patty Baldwin, Prairie Village junior; Randa Bowyer, Abilene, Tex.; senior; Susan M. Brandneuer, Shawnee Mission junior; Brenda Brenner, Princeton junior; Jacki Campbell, Hiwatha junior; Cydney Clutter, Hiwatha junior; Alex Clark Jr. junior; Linda Fabry, Wilmette, Ill. junior; Beverly Gibbs, Kansas City junior; Charla Jenkins, Emporia junior; Jackie Kemp, Kansas City, Mo.
He said the moon's surface is constantly bombarded by solar winds—flows of hydrogen gas away from the sun at a rate of two million tons per second at a velocity of 200 to 300 miles per second. The bombardment, similar to that in the accelerator, causes the oxygen in the moon's surface to combine with the hydrogen in the solar winds to form water within the moon's surface.
Zeller indicated the solar winds may also be the basis of life on this and other planets.
senior: Mary  MacQuildy, Omaha,
Wigita senior: Barbara  Musgrave,
Wigita senior:
Margaret Nordin, Manhattan junior; Margaret Ogilvie, Kansas City junior; Candace Osborne, Higginsville, Mo.; India junior; Pamela Peck, Hoisington junior; Jean Porchla, Kansas City junior; Carla Rupp, Moundridge junior; Kathryn Sanders, Lawrence junior; Cynthia Smith, Dodge City junior; Elizabeth Wongler, Lawrence graduate student; Rea Wilson, Shawnee Mission junior; Sharon Woodson, Topeka junior.
---
He said to have life there must first be an accumulation of organic material.
Previous theories have been that chemical bonds forming organic material took place between gases at high temperatures and pressures. Zeller said it is difficult to achieve the conditions to bring gas molecules close enough together to form organic compounds.
See Protons, page 16