COORDINATING COMMITTEE RECORD OF DISCUSSION ON THE REDEFINITION OF ITEM 1549(A) PHOTOMULTIPLIER TUBES 29TH JANUARY, 1959

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00647A000100110015-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 15, 1999
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: February 10, 1959
• Content Type: MIN

Approved For Release 1999/ 9/16: CIA-RDP62-00647A000100110015-4
w 14F
February 10th. 1959
COORDINATING COMMITTEE
COCOM Document No. .41152 40-L-
RECORD OF DISCUSSION
ON
THE REDEFINITION OF ITEM 1 a : PH CTOMULTIPLIER TUBES
29th January. 1959
Present: Belgium(Luxembourg), 0anada, Denmark, France, Germany., Italy,
Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States.
References: COCOM 3300; COCOM Documents 3015.49/1 and 3415.49/1.
1. The CHAIRMAN invited Delegates to give their views on the proposal
submitted by the French Delegation on the 16th January.
2. The GERMAN Delegate stated that his authorities would have preferred
to maintain the item as at present defined. They had no objection, however,
to changing the colour temperature figure from 2,3500 to 2,850? K provided
that the sensitivity characteristics relating to the Tatter were changed as
had been proposed by the French Delegation.
3. The NETHERLANDS Delegate stated that his authorities were expe-
riencing some difficulty in accepting the French proposal. They considered
that the blackening of the glass to which the French export had referred might
be prevented if instead of 2,850? a colour temporature of 2,600? K were fixed
in combination with a sensitivity exceeding 65 microamperes per Lumen. The
French proposal had included a suggestion as to a figure between 80 and 100
microamperes; the Netherlands authorities felt that this might be slightly
too high. If the figure of 2,850? were accepted, the Netherlands experts
believed that this should be combined with a sensitivity figure of 70 micro-
amperes per Lumen.
4. The UNITED STATES Delegate stated that he had earlier accepted the
United Kingdom proposal,which had boon construed simply as a correction.
5. The ITALIAN Delegate stated that he had received instructions to join
the majority, if any.
6. The FRENCH expert stated that in the production of a photomultiplior
tube efforts were made to obtain a given sonsi.tftItjr,corresponding to a given
colour temperature. This sensitivity was not a constant, but varied with the
different colour temperatures used for the measuring operations. Thus, for
one photomultiplier tube there was a wide range of sensitivities corresponding
to a wide range of colourrtomporature of 2,350? K. One Delegation now proposed
the figure of 2,850? K. The export said he welcome the views of other
Delegations as to the sensitivity figures -thich should correspond to one or
the other of the colour temperatures mentioned.
7. The GERMAN Delegate stated that when this matter had first been
discussed the Committee had had in mind something specific which they wished
to cover in the definition. If now, for domestic reasons, one Delegation
desired to change these figures or to have alternative figures, the German
Delegation would raise no objection as long as the definition covered only
what had boon in mind at the outset.
temperatures used for measurements. 'The Committee had selected the
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8. The UNITED KINGDOM Delegate stated that it was the contention of
his authorities that the figure of 2,850? ought to have boon written into
the definition in the summer and that for such a temperature the proper
sensitivity figure was 60 microamperes per Lumen. ..The only suggestion his
Delegation had put forward on the 15th December was that the figure of
2,350? should be changed to 2,850?. They had made no suggestion at all
about changing the sensitivity figure in any way.
9. Replying next to the point raised by his German colleague, the
United Kingdom Delegate stated that his Delegation considered that the
suggestion they had made on the 15th December did not alter the position at
all. No change in coverage had boon proposed, but merely a correction of
the figure appearing in the definition.
10. The FRENCH expert pointed out that the United Kingdom Delegation had
proposed to raise the colour temperature to 2,850? but to maintain the sensitivity
figure at 60 microamperes per Lumen; in that case the scope of the embargo would
be increased. That had not been the Committee's intention last May, and it did
not, in the view of the French Delegations seem necessary now. The French
Delegation could have accepted the United Kingdom proposal if sensitivity
curves wore constant, but that was not the case, and if it wore desired to
maintain the scope of the definition unchanged, then the Sdnsitivity should be
raised to the figure of 100 microamperes per Lumen.
11. The CHAIRP.4AN concluded from what had boon said so far that agreement
could only be reached to change the colour temperature to 2,850? if all
Delegations accepted a change in the sensitivity figures too.
12. Thy: FRENCH export recalled that when this definition had been
studied in the summer he had quoted as a reference a photomultiplier tube
manufactured in the Soviet Bloc by the Funkwork (Erfurt) in Eastern Germany,
whose characteristics, for the Typo 2740, wore:
12 stages:
Photocathode surface of 10 sq. ems. and
Sensitivity 120 microamporew per Lumen for a colour temperature of
2,3500 K.
This type was equipped with a caesium-antimony photocathode. When Item 1549
had boon drafted it had boon atreod that a sensitivity of half of this would
be suitable - and that was why the figure of 60 microamperes per Lumen had
been selected.
13. The CHAIRMAN asked that Delegations should be prepared, when this
matter was next discussed, either to agree to leave the present definition
unchanged or to be prepared to accept the change to 2,8500 accompanied by a
change in the sensitivity figures.
14. It was AGREED to resume discussion on the 12th February.
Approved For Release 1999/09/16 : CIA-RDP62-00647A000100110015-4