How do you put out a sodium fire?
LATHROP: Well, the advice that I tend to give the firefighters around here is, “If in doubt, do nothing.” The experiments are all built like fireplaces, so it would be a reasonable alternative to just let it burn out. But it is possible to actually use salt of soda ash and smother it with dry powder.

If the experiment goes as planned, and you gather the knowledge you’re seeking, what happens next in the process?
LATHROP: Again, the goal would be to build a model that had a similar magnetic behavior to the earth. And then we would use that model in conjunction with other scientists who build theoretical and computer models of the earth. And we’d have them do mock predictions on the experiment, where you can test how well they are at predicting future behaviors. And then by doing that sort of comparison, one can tune their models and improve their models so that we instill confidence in the predictions that they can make.

The problem with doing that against the earth directly is that they can make a prediction right now, but you may have to wait 100 years to see if they were right or wrong. The experiment runs relatively more rapidly in terms of the way the magnetic field evolves. So they can make a prediction, which you only have to wait five minutes to test. And so then we can have some give and take in improving the models and building a predictive model for the earth’s field.

Tell me what practical applications are there for the general public. How does this knowledge base that you are building lead to advances in development in energy? Does it lead to development in nuclear medicine?
LATHROP: Well, let me try and be fairly specific that even sort of when we have the ability to predict what the earth’s magnetic field is going to do, then that gives us a tool by which to prepare for those changes. And if, in fact, we are headed for a reversal, then there are changes that are needed in several areas. One has to do with satellite design and the hardening of satellites because if we head toward a reversal, the near-earth space environment is going to be much more hostile. And the people that are tasked with maintaining and developing satellites will need to take a different approach then they do now. Different, and unfortunately, some are more expensive. So if it’s necessary, it needs to be done. If not, then that’s also important information. Well, I guess that also applies to manned space flight, in as much as as if we head toward a reversal and are continuing to do manned space flight, we will have to take more serious precautions than protecting astronauts from solar radiation, especially during solar max, where the solar activity is much more violent. And then lastly, there have been effects on earth during solar max due to the influx of the sun on the power grid and the communications, and if we’re going to head toward a reversal, all of those problems are going to become more serious. And so we need to spend time figuring out how to lower our risks of having problems in the power grid or communications.

Now, that all sounds, actually, rather serious. And it is, but it’s a long-term, serious problem in the sense that, you know, if we develop this science, we’re going to have perhaps a hundred or hundreds of years to actually develop toward being able to take care of that. So these are relatively long-term problems we’re grappling with.

And the design of the sphere itself was done by your group, and then you had a company manufacture it?
LATHROP: Right. So both for the two-foot and ten-foot models, we did all the design here at the University. And then the two-foot model was built by the Bechdon Corporation here in Maryland, Upper Marlboro, Maryland. That’s the titanium one. And then the ten-foot model, again, we designed in-house, and it was built in Cincinnati, Ohio, by Central Fabricators.

How many people do you have working on this project?
LATHROP: There are four others beside myself right now that are working immediately on that. I have three graduate students and one technician. So it’s a relatively small team.

And you’re facility is located on the campus of the University of Maryland.
LATHROP: That’s right, in College Park. And we’re fortunate to have a large high bay, sort of warehouse-size structure, here in the Institute. As well, the Institute was set up for large experiments, so there’s lots of infrastructure in place for doing what you might call industrial-sized experiments.

This sounds like an important project. Are you funded solely by the university or are there outside investors as well?
LATHROP: So the University supports part of the project. I mean at least in the fact that I’m a tenured faculty and have state support for much of my salary. But the bulk of the funds for these projects have come from the Federal Government, from the National Science Foundation, who’s the part of the Federal Government who is tasked with funding basic science in the U.S. And they’ve been very supportive.

This is quite interesting; I hope you acquire the knowledge that you’re seeking.
LATHROP: Well, I appreciate it.