A front page article in the Feb. 6 Northern Star gives the mistaken impression that the commissioning of the Byron nuclear reactor will be a strong factor in the site selection of the new particle accelerator, the Superconducting Super Collider. In reality, the relevant factors which make Illinois an attractive site for the SSC include the already existing facilities at Fermilab, Northern Illinois’ stable geology and the proximity to a large technological and academic community (including NIU) along the I-5 Research Corridor.

In the end, politics will also be a factor.

David Hedin

assistant professor

department of physics