The Physics of the Manhattan Project

The Physics of the Manhattan Project PDF Author: B. Cameron Reed
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642147097
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 182

Get Book Here

Book Description
The development of nuclear weapons during the Manhattan Project is one of the most significant scientific events of the twentieth century. This book, prepared by a gifted teacher of physics, explores the challenges that faced the members of the Manhattan project. In doing so it gives a clear introduction to fission weapons at the level of an upper-level undergraduate physics student. Details of nuclear reactions, their energy release, the fission process, how critical masses can be estimated, how fissile materials are produced, and what factors complicate bomb design are covered. An extensive list of references and a number of problems for self-study are included. Links are given to several spreadsheets with which users can run many of the calculations for themselves.

The Physics of the Manhattan Project

The Physics of the Manhattan Project PDF Author: B. Cameron Reed
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 3642147097
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 182

Get Book Here

Book Description
The development of nuclear weapons during the Manhattan Project is one of the most significant scientific events of the twentieth century. This book, prepared by a gifted teacher of physics, explores the challenges that faced the members of the Manhattan project. In doing so it gives a clear introduction to fission weapons at the level of an upper-level undergraduate physics student. Details of nuclear reactions, their energy release, the fission process, how critical masses can be estimated, how fissile materials are produced, and what factors complicate bomb design are covered. An extensive list of references and a number of problems for self-study are included. Links are given to several spreadsheets with which users can run many of the calculations for themselves.

Atomic Bomb: The Story of the Manhattan Project

Atomic Bomb: The Story of the Manhattan Project PDF Author: Bruce Cameron Reed
Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers
ISBN: 1627059911
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 142

Get Book Here

Book Description
This volume, prepared by an acknowledged expert on the Manhattan Project, gives a concise, fast-paced account of all major aspects of the project at a level accessible to an undergraduate college or advanced high-school student familiar with some basic concepts of energy, atomic structure, and isotopes. The text describes the underlying scientific discoveries that made nuclear weapons possible, how the project was organized, the daunting challenges faced and overcome in obtaining fissile uranium and plutonium, and in designing workable bombs, the dramatic Trinity test carried out in the desert of southern New Mexico in July 1945, and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Manhattan Project

Manhattan Project PDF Author: Bruce Cameron Reed
Publisher: Springer Nature
ISBN: 3030457346
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 555

Get Book Here

Book Description
Though thousands of articles and books have been published on various aspects of the Manhattan Project, this book is the first comprehensive single-volume history prepared by a specialist for curious readers without a scientific background. This project, the United States Army’s program to develop and deploy atomic weapons in World War II, was a pivotal event in human history. The author presents a wide-ranging survey that not only tells the story of how the project was organized and carried out, but also introduces the leading personalities involved and features simplified but accurate descriptions of the underlying science and the engineering challenges. The technical points are illustrated by reader-friendly graphics. .

The History and Science of the Manhattan Project

The History and Science of the Manhattan Project PDF Author: Bruce Cameron Reed
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3662581752
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 553

Get Book Here

Book Description
The development of atomic bombs under the auspices of the U.S. Army’s Manhattan Project during World War II is considered to be the outstanding news story of the twentieth century. In this book, a physicist and expert on the history of the Project presents a comprehensive overview of this momentous achievement. The first three chapters cover the history of nuclear physics from the discovery of radioactivity to the discovery of fission, and would be ideal for instructors of a sophomore-level “Modern Physics” course. Student-level exercises at the ends of the chapters are accompanied by answers. Chapter 7 covers the physics of first-generation fission weapons at a similar level, again accompanied by exercises and answers. For the interested layman and for non-science students and instructors, the book includes extensive qualitative material on the history, organization, implementation, and results of the Manhattan Project and the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombing missions. The reader also learns about the legacy of the Project as reflected in the current world stockpiles of nuclear weapons. This second edition contains important revisions and additions, including a new chapter on the German atomic bomb program and new sections on British and Canadian contributions to the Manhattan project and on feed materials. Several other sections have been expanded; reader feedback has been helpful in introducing minor corrections and improved explanations; and, last but not least, the second edition includes a detailed index.

The Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project PDF Author: Jeff A. Hughes
Publisher: Columbia University Press
ISBN: 9780231131520
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 182

Get Book Here

Book Description
Launched in 1942, the Manhattan Project was a well-funded, secret effort by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada to develop an atomic bomb before the Nazis. The results--the bombs named "Little Boy" and "Fat Man"--were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945. A vast state within a state, the Manhattan Project employed 130,000 people and cost the United States and its allies 2 billion dollars, but its contribution to science as a prestigious investment was invaluable. After the bombs were dropped, states began allocating unprecedented funds for scientific research, leading to the establishment of many of twentieth century's major research institutions. Yet the union of science, industry, and the military did not start with the development of the atomic bomb; World War II only deepened the relationship. This absorbing history revisits the interactions among science, the national interest, and public and private funding that was initiated in World War I and flourished in WWII. It then follows the Manhattan Project from inception to dissolution, describing the primary influences that helped execute the world's first successful plan for nuclear research and tracing the lineages of modern national nuclear agencies back to their source.

The Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project PDF Author: B. Cameron Reed
Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers
ISBN: 1681746069
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 105

Get Book Here

Book Description
The development of nuclear weapons by the Manhattan Project during World War II was one of the most dramatic scientific/technological episodes in human history. This book, prepared by a recognized expert on the Manhattan Project, offers a concise survey of the essential physics concepts underlying fission weapons. The text describes the energetics and timescales of fast-neutron chain reactions, why only certain isotopes of uranium and plutonium are suitable for use in fission weapons, how critical mass and bomb yield can be estimated, how the efficiency of nuclear weapons can be enhanced, how the fissile forms of uranium and plutonium were obtained, some of the design details of the 'Little Boy' and 'Fat Man' bombs, and some of the thermal, shock, and radiation effects of nuclear weapons. Calculation exercises are provided, and a Bibliography lists authoritative print and online sources of information for readers who wish to pursue more detailed study of this fascinating topic.

The Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project PDF Author: Francis George Gosling
Publisher: DIANE Publishing
ISBN: 0788178806
Category : Atomic bomb
Languages : en
Pages : 75

Get Book Here

Book Description
A history of the origins and development of the American atomic bomb program during WWII. Begins with the scientific developments of the pre-war years. Details the role of the U.S. government in conducting a secret, nationwide enterprise that took science from the laboratory and into combat with an entirely new type of weapon. Concludes with a discussion of the immediate postwar period, the debate over the Atomic Energy Act of 1946, and the founding of the Atomic Energy Commission. Chapters: the Einstein letter; physics background, 1919-1939; early government support; the atomic bomb and American strategy; and the Manhattan district in peacetime. Illustrated.

The Pope of Physics

The Pope of Physics PDF Author: Gino Segrè
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 1627790063
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 387

Get Book Here

Book Description
One of Booklist’s Top 10 Science Books of the Year: “A superb biography . . . A definite study of Fermi’s life and work.” —The Wall Street Journal A Bloomberg Best Book of the Year A Finalist for Physics World’s Book of the Year A New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice Nobel Prize winner Enrico Fermi is unquestionably among the world’s greatest physicists, the most famous Italian scientist since Galileo. Called “the Pope” by his peers, he was regarded as infallible in his instincts and research. His discoveries changed our world; they led to weapons of mass destruction and, conversely, to life-saving medical interventions. This unassuming man struggled with issues relevant today, such as the threat of nuclear annihilation and the relationship of science to politics. Fleeing fascism and anti-Semitism, Fermi became a leading figure in America’s most secret project: building the atomic bomb. The last physicist who mastered all branches of the discipline, Fermi was a rare mixture of theorist and experimentalist. His rich legacy encompasses key advances in fields as diverse as cosmic rays, nuclear technology, and early computers. The Pope of Physics by Gino Segré and Bettina Hoerlin is “an engaging portrait of a man with boundless curiosity who delighted in his work” and an “entertaining and accessible biography of a scientist who deserves to be better understood” (Publishers Weekly, starred review). “Intimate, often charming stories of the famed physicist’s personal life . . . a book that’s both intelligent and extremely engaging.” —The Washington Post

Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project

Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project PDF Author: Cynthia C. Kelly
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 981256599X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 182

Get Book Here

Book Description
2004 marked the centennial of the birth of J Robert Oppenheimer, and brought historians and scholars, former students, nuclear physicists, and politicians together to celebrate this event. Oppenheimer's life and work became central to 20th century history as he spearheaded the development of the atomic bomb that ended World War II. This book provides a spectrum of interpretations of Oppenheimer's life and scientific achievements. It approaches the extraordinary scientist and teacher from many perspectives, chronicling the years from his boyhood through his role as director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and afterwards. The book also discusses Oppenheimer's connection to New Mexico, which hosted two of the Manhattan Project's most crucial sites, and addresses his lasting impact on contemporary science, international politics, and the postwar age.

The Manhattan Project

The Manhattan Project PDF Author: Al Cimino
Publisher: Arcturus Publishing
ISBN: 1784281123
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 219

Get Book Here

Book Description
The ramifications of the Manhattan Project are still with us to this day. The atomic bombs that came out of it brought an end to the war in the Pacific, but at a heavy loss of life in Japan and the opening of a Pandora's box that has tested international relations. This book traces the history of the Manhattan Project, from the first glimmerings of the possibility of such a catastrophic weapon to the aftermath of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It profiles the architects of the bomb and how they tried to reconcile their personal feelings with their ambition as scientists. It looks at the role of the politicians and it includes first-hand accounts of those who experienced the effects of the bombings.