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Preparation of Minerals in Rome has studied the roasting of nonferrous ores, the flotation of zinc ores, electrochemical refining, and similar subjects.

Steel refining and production problems have been researched at the plant laboratory of Italsider. Work has included iron ore concentration, blast furnace studies, oxygen refining, continuous casting, and steel fabrication. These studies have all been directed toward improvements in steel production. However, little effort on ferrous physical metallurgy has been observed in publications emanating from Italsider facilities. In contrast, the laboratories of the Cogne Steel Company have concentrated their effects on ferrous physical metallurgy and the development of improved steels and improved heat treatment procedures.

b. Physics and mathematics

Italian physics research is concentrated in a few fields, with most of the effort being devoted to the nuclear sciences and technologies (35%) and the physics of solid states (30%). The remaining physics effort is nearly equally divided among the areas of relativity and gravitation, molecular and atomic physics, acoustics, fluid mechanics, magnetohydrodynamics, plasma, quantum electronics, and optics. A major portion of the fundamental research is conducted at the university institutes and laboratories, whereas research of an applied nature is being fostered at the government-supported agencies and in the laboratories of industry.

High-energy research into the physics of elementary particles appears to hold the major interest in the nuclear sciences. The largest portion of such research occurs at the Universities of Rome and Trieste. At the University of Rome, research in elementary particles is fairly up-to-date and comparable with that being done in other advanced countries. Because they have access to the Adone storage ring, the Italians can examine the gamma-gamma interaction processes needed to observe charged pion collision production peaks. Others at the university are investigating multihadronic cross sections based on electron annihilation. They are making theoretical evaluations of results obtained in experimental research in the United States on protion-antiproton annihilation cross sections. Coupled with their advanced theoretical research, Italian physicists at the University of Rome engage in well balanced programs of experimental research. This is possible because they have access to the high-energy electron-synchrotron at Frascati where research dealing with neutral-pion photo-production on protons from deuterium is being done. High-energy research at the University of Trieste is advanced and of high quality in both theory and experimental work, and studies in photo- and electro-production, pion distributions in high multiplicity interactions and resonances, and the photo-production of positive pions are underway. Most of the high energy research done at the other universities is theoretical, excepting that being done at the University of Bari where resonance productions in pion interactions are being conducted in the laboratory.

Basic research in low-energy physics is limited to theoretical studies dealing with the structure of nuclei and elastic scattering cross-sections. Approaches are also being studied which the investigators hope will evolve into new theories concerning unstable states. In experimental research at the University of Bari, measurements of forward scattering angles related to carbon isotopes are underway for the purpose of gaining information concerning angular correlation. Efforts are being directed by physicists at the University of Pisa toward studying forward neutrino-induced reactions on the double-shell nuclei. The low-energy nuclear researchers at the CNEN laboratory in Rome are studying reactions and level structures and decay schemes through the use of an isotope of lutetium. During the past 5 years, CNEN has expanded its own research centers in nuclear physics and engineering, radiation biology, and atomic fuel treatment, and has the responsibility of establishing atomic powerplants in Italy. These involve the 200-megawatt Simen plant with its gas cooled reactor on the Garigliano river, and the 255-megawatt Selni plant with a Westinghouse pressurized water reactor at Vercelli. CIRENE, the first Italian power reactor (35 megawatts) was developed by the CISE in Milan and is one of the earliest series of experimental power reactors of advanced design financed by CNEN.

Solid state physics research, which lags such research in other advanced countries by 3 years, is concentrated in the various large universities, CNEN laboratories, and industry-supported research institutes. Industrial concerns are interested primarily in solid-state research from the standpoint of semiconductor device development, metallurgy, magnetic materials and, in some cases, the photographic properties of various silver halides. Research also includes studies of local antiferromagnetic ordering commonly observed in ferromagnetic alloys. At the University of Genoa, research deals with magnetic moments of samarium in the various metals

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APPROVED FOR RELEASE: 2009/06/16: CIA-RDP01-00707R000200080002-5