COLLIDER GIVEN CLEARANCE TO TAKE NEXT STEP

An international collaboration of 650 scientists representing 15 nations was given approval to take the next step in the design of the Superconducting Super Collider, officials announced Feb. 3. The giant scientific measurement device is under construction in Ellis county, about 15 miles south of Dallas.

The two lead scientists will prepare a design report for a large detector, called "GEM," named for three kinds of subatomic particles: gammas, electrons, and muons.

The collaboration has "achieved a strong international balance," says Roy F. Schwitters, director of the Super Collider Laboratory. Japanese participation is particularly noteworthy, with 86 scientists to date representing 15 Japanese universities and institutions.