Index
A
Activation energy, 29, 32
Aluminum (tamper), 73
Atomic number (Z), 4, 23, 35, 47
B
Becker, Herbert, 6–8
Beryllium oxide (tamper), 70, 71
Beryllium radiation, 7, 12–14
Bessel functions, 110, 238
Beta-decays, 15, 16, 31, 32, 34, 127, 167,
234
Bismuth, 130, 167–171
Bohr, Niels, 18, 20, 21, 22, 25, 34–39, 199,
200, 213
Bohr–Wheeler spontaneous fission limit
theory, 20, 199
Boron contamination in graphite, 146
Bothe, Walther, 6–8, 147
Bragg-Kleeman rule, 164
C
Calutron
definition, 131
stage of, 143
Castle Bravo test, 182
Chadwick, James, 1, 6–8, 11–14, 16, 163
Channels, reaction, 15
Characteristic length
definition, 237
scattering, 62
Complicating factors
boron contamination in graphite, 146
light-element impurities, 145, 163, 164
predetonation
Fat Man probability, 152, 188
light-element impurities, 163
Little Boy probability, viii
spontaneous fission and, 148–150,
152, 161, 163, 166
yield model of, 156
spontaneous fission, 145, 148–150, 152,
155, 156, 161, 163, 166, 168
stopping power, 163–165
Composite core, 52, 76, 77, 81, 239
Coster-Mullen, John, xiii
Coulomb energy (fission), 45, 239
Criticality
diffusion theory for fission weapon core,
51, 58
expansion distance to shutdown, 88
Peierls’ analysis of, 240, 241
reactor, 119, 146, 237, 238
shutdown, 82, 83, 108
threshold, 62, 64, 68, 70, 77, 83, 98, 102,
110, 230, 231, 237
untamped, 52
Critical mass
bare core, 58, 102
composite core, 52, 76, 77, 81
cylindrical core, 110, 116
simplified approximations for, vii
tamped, 67, 71, 76, 81, 108, 237
tamped composite core, 76
Cross sections
boron vs. carbon, 146, 237
definition, 53
elastic scattering, 55, 60, 127
fast neutrons, 32, 33, 120, 193, 229
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to
Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
B. C. Reed, The Physics of the Manhattan Project,
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253
A
Activation energy, 29, 32
Aluminum (tamper), 73
Atomic number (Z), 4, 23, 35, 47
B
Becker, Herbert, 6–8
Beryllium oxide (tamper), 70, 71
Beryllium radiation, 7, 12–14
Bessel functions, 110, 238
Beta-decays, 15, 16, 31, 32, 34, 127, 167,
234
Bismuth, 130, 167–171
Bohr, Niels, 18, 20, 21, 22, 25, 34–39, 199,
200, 213
Bohr–Wheeler spontaneous fission limit
theory, 20, 199
Boron contamination in graphite, 146
Bothe, Walther, 6–8, 147
Bragg-Kleeman rule, 164
C
Calutron
definition, 131
stage of, 143
Castle Bravo test, 182
Chadwick, James, 1, 6–8, 11–14, 16, 163
Channels, reaction, 15
Characteristic length
definition, 237
scattering, 62
Complicating factors
boron contamination in graphite, 146
light-element impurities, 145, 163, 164
predetonation
Fat Man probability, 152, 188
light-element impurities, 163
Little Boy probability, viii
spontaneous fission and, 148–150,
152, 161, 163, 166
yield model of, 156
spontaneous fission, 145, 148–150, 152,
155, 156, 161, 163, 166, 168
stopping power, 163–165
Composite core, 52, 76, 77, 81, 239
Coster-Mullen, John, xiii
Coulomb energy (fission), 45, 239
Criticality
diffusion theory for fission weapon core,
51, 58
expansion distance to shutdown, 88
Peierls’ analysis of, 240, 241
reactor, 119, 146, 237, 238
shutdown, 82, 83, 108
threshold, 62, 64, 68, 70, 77, 83, 98, 102,
110, 230, 231, 237
untamped, 52
Critical mass
bare core, 58, 102
composite core, 52, 76, 77, 81
cylindrical core, 110, 116
simplified approximations for, vii
tamped, 67, 71, 76, 81, 108, 237
tamped composite core, 76
Cross sections
boron vs. carbon, 146, 237
definition, 53
elastic scattering, 55, 60, 127
fast neutrons, 32, 33, 120, 193, 229
© The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to
Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
B. C. Reed, The Physics of the Manhattan Project,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61373-0
253