6.10 Appendix J: Further Reading
247
6.10.3 Technical Works
Amaldi, E.: From the Discovery of the Neutron to the Discovery of Nuclear Fission.
Physics Reports 111 (1–4), 1–331 (1984). Masterful account of the development of
nuclear physics during the 1930’s; contains over 900 references. Amaldi’s career
began as a student of Fermi.
Bernstein, J.: Plutonium: A History of the World’s Most Dangerous Element.
Joseph Henry Press, Washington (2007). Reviews the history of the discovery and
manufacture of plutonium, its bizarre chemical properties, and the important but
often-overlooked contributions of metallurgists at Los Alamos.
Bernstein, J.: Nuclear Weapons: What You Need to Know. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, UK (2008). This companion volume to the above entry summarizes the development of nuclear weapons from the discoveries of Thomson and
Rutherford through the first North Korean test of 2006. Full of interesting personal
anecdotes and sidebar stories.
Bernstein, J.: A Memorandum that Changed the World. Am. J. Phys. 79(5), 440–
446 (2011). Bernstein analyzes the Frisch-Peierls memorandum of early 1940 which
first brought the possibility of fission weapons to the attention of British government
officials. Frisch and Peierls drastically underestimated the critical mass of
235 U, but
their analysis was fundamentally correct.
Brode, H.L.: Review of Nuclear Weapons Effects. Ann. Rev. Nuc. Sci. 18, 153–
202 (1968). This article gives an advanced technical account of the fireball, shock,
thermal, radiation, electromagnetic pulse, and fallout effects of nuclear explosions.
Broyles, A.A.: Nuclear Explosions. Am. J. Phys. 50(7), 586–594 (1982). An
undergraduate-level account of the effects of nuclear explosions.
Fermi, E.: Experimental Production of a Divergent Chain Reaction. Am. J. Phys.
20(9), 536–558 (1952). Description of Fermi’s first critical pile, published on the
tenth anniversary of that achievement.
Garwin, R.L., Charpak, G.: Megawatts and Megatons: A Turning Point in the
Nuclear Age? Knopf, New York (2001). Excellent treatment of nuclear power,
nuclear weapons, radiation effects, waste disposal, and associated environmental
and political issues.
Glasstone, S., Dolan, P. J.: The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, 3
rd edition. United
States Department of Defense and Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington (1977). This sobering volume summarizes technical analyses of
the shock, blast, thermal, and radiation effects of nuclear explosions on structures
and people. Available as an electronic book on CD from http://www.amazon.com/
The-Effects-Nuclear-Weapons-Authoritative/dp/1422050645.
Guerra, F., Leone, M., Robotti, N.: The Discovery of Artificial Radioactivity.
Phys. Perspect. 14(1), 33–58 (2012). This paper examines the circumstances of the
discovery of artificial radioactivity by the Joliot-Curies’ in early 1934. Can be read
as a complement to Amaldi (1984) above.
Hawkins, D.: Project Y, the Los Alamos Story. Tomash, Los Angeles, (1983).
Originally published as Los Alamos report LAMS-2532, Manhattan District History,
247
6.10.3 Technical Works
Amaldi, E.: From the Discovery of the Neutron to the Discovery of Nuclear Fission.
Physics Reports 111 (1–4), 1–331 (1984). Masterful account of the development of
nuclear physics during the 1930’s; contains over 900 references. Amaldi’s career
began as a student of Fermi.
Bernstein, J.: Plutonium: A History of the World’s Most Dangerous Element.
Joseph Henry Press, Washington (2007). Reviews the history of the discovery and
manufacture of plutonium, its bizarre chemical properties, and the important but
often-overlooked contributions of metallurgists at Los Alamos.
Bernstein, J.: Nuclear Weapons: What You Need to Know. Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge, UK (2008). This companion volume to the above entry summarizes the development of nuclear weapons from the discoveries of Thomson and
Rutherford through the first North Korean test of 2006. Full of interesting personal
anecdotes and sidebar stories.
Bernstein, J.: A Memorandum that Changed the World. Am. J. Phys. 79(5), 440–
446 (2011). Bernstein analyzes the Frisch-Peierls memorandum of early 1940 which
first brought the possibility of fission weapons to the attention of British government
officials. Frisch and Peierls drastically underestimated the critical mass of
235 U, but
their analysis was fundamentally correct.
Brode, H.L.: Review of Nuclear Weapons Effects. Ann. Rev. Nuc. Sci. 18, 153–
202 (1968). This article gives an advanced technical account of the fireball, shock,
thermal, radiation, electromagnetic pulse, and fallout effects of nuclear explosions.
Broyles, A.A.: Nuclear Explosions. Am. J. Phys. 50(7), 586–594 (1982). An
undergraduate-level account of the effects of nuclear explosions.
Fermi, E.: Experimental Production of a Divergent Chain Reaction. Am. J. Phys.
20(9), 536–558 (1952). Description of Fermi’s first critical pile, published on the
tenth anniversary of that achievement.
Garwin, R.L., Charpak, G.: Megawatts and Megatons: A Turning Point in the
Nuclear Age? Knopf, New York (2001). Excellent treatment of nuclear power,
nuclear weapons, radiation effects, waste disposal, and associated environmental
and political issues.
Glasstone, S., Dolan, P. J.: The Effects of Nuclear Weapons, 3
rd edition. United
States Department of Defense and Energy Research and Development Administration, Washington (1977). This sobering volume summarizes technical analyses of
the shock, blast, thermal, and radiation effects of nuclear explosions on structures
and people. Available as an electronic book on CD from http://www.amazon.com/
The-Effects-Nuclear-Weapons-Authoritative/dp/1422050645.
Guerra, F., Leone, M., Robotti, N.: The Discovery of Artificial Radioactivity.
Phys. Perspect. 14(1), 33–58 (2012). This paper examines the circumstances of the
discovery of artificial radioactivity by the Joliot-Curies’ in early 1934. Can be read
as a complement to Amaldi (1984) above.
Hawkins, D.: Project Y, the Los Alamos Story. Tomash, Los Angeles, (1983).
Originally published as Los Alamos report LAMS-2532, Manhattan District History,