254
Index
fission, 32–35, 55, 57, 60, 89, 120, 121,
123, 124, 147, 150, 168, 183, 185–187,
219, 229, 232
inelastic scattering, 32–35, 55, 60, 120,
173
neutron capture, for uranium, 30, 34
thermal neutron, 121, 124, 127, 129, 146,
192, 229
Curie, Irène, 7, 17
D
Davy Crockett nuclear device, 182
Delta () values, 193
Dempster, Arthur, 16
Depleted uranium (DU; 238 U), 70
Diffusion
derivation of equation, 59
gaseous (barrier), 130, 137
theory, 51, 58–60, 66, 101, 103, 106, 229
E
Efficiency
critical mass and, 52, 119
definition, 51
of nuclear explosion, 51
tamped, 89
Electromagnetic pulse, 182
Energy
activation, 20, 29, 32
conservation of, in collisions, 10, 12,
103, 104
Coulomb energy (fission), 35, 45, 212,
239
of deformed nucleus, 44, 45, 46, 202, 212
release in fission, 19
release in radium decay, 3
surface, 22, 25, 41, 44, 205, 240
Evaluated Nuclear Data Files (ENDF), 63,
193
F
Fat Man, 6, 51, 52, 77, 80, 108, 130, 148, 151,
152, 154, 155, 176, 188, 242, 244
Fermi, Enrico, 6, 15, 119, 146, 147, 244–246
Fissile material, production of
electromagnetic separation, 130, 131,
236
gaseous diffusion, 143
plutonium production, vii
reactor criticality, 119
reproduction factor, 119, 121, 123
Fission
and jumping sand grains, 175, 188
artificially-induced radioactivity and, 14,
15
barrier
leaping, 29
semi-empirical model, 35
vs. mass number, 30, 48
Bohr–Wheeler theory of, 20
discovery of, 1, 15–19, 35
energy release in, 19
in nuclear weapon, 35
liquid drop model, 21
neutron energy spectrum, 240
numerical model of fission process, 39
process of
interpretation, 18
schematic illustration, 21
spontaneous
of plutonium, 35
timescale, 63
Z 2 /A limit against, 20
Frisch, Otto, 18, 91, 188
Frisch-Peierls Memorandum, 91, 92, 247
G
Gamma rays
collisions involving, 8–10, 12, 197, 240,
241
electromagnetic pulse, 182
involved in neutron discovery, 237
Gaseous diffusion, 137, 143, 233, 239, 242
Graphite
boron contamination in, 146
core of Hanford reactor, 128
neutron thermalization by, 124
Groves, Gen. Leslie, 153, 242
Gun-type fission weapon, 81, 149, 234
H
Hafemeister, David, 31
Hahn, Otto, 6, 17, 18
Hanford reactors, 128, 130, 146–148, 168,
170, 171, 187
I
Implosion, 63, 64, 77, 80, 81, 98, 148,
151–157, 166, 168, 188, 234, 244
Impurities
in graphite, 146
light elements in bomb core, 145
Index
fission, 32–35, 55, 57, 60, 89, 120, 121,
123, 124, 147, 150, 168, 183, 185–187,
219, 229, 232
inelastic scattering, 32–35, 55, 60, 120,
173
neutron capture, for uranium, 30, 34
thermal neutron, 121, 124, 127, 129, 146,
192, 229
Curie, Irène, 7, 17
D
Davy Crockett nuclear device, 182
Delta () values, 193
Dempster, Arthur, 16
Depleted uranium (DU; 238 U), 70
Diffusion
derivation of equation, 59
gaseous (barrier), 130, 137
theory, 51, 58–60, 66, 101, 103, 106, 229
E
Efficiency
critical mass and, 52, 119
definition, 51
of nuclear explosion, 51
tamped, 89
Electromagnetic pulse, 182
Energy
activation, 20, 29, 32
conservation of, in collisions, 10, 12,
103, 104
Coulomb energy (fission), 35, 45, 212,
239
of deformed nucleus, 44, 45, 46, 202, 212
release in fission, 19
release in radium decay, 3
surface, 22, 25, 41, 44, 205, 240
Evaluated Nuclear Data Files (ENDF), 63,
193
F
Fat Man, 6, 51, 52, 77, 80, 108, 130, 148, 151,
152, 154, 155, 176, 188, 242, 244
Fermi, Enrico, 6, 15, 119, 146, 147, 244–246
Fissile material, production of
electromagnetic separation, 130, 131,
236
gaseous diffusion, 143
plutonium production, vii
reactor criticality, 119
reproduction factor, 119, 121, 123
Fission
and jumping sand grains, 175, 188
artificially-induced radioactivity and, 14,
15
barrier
leaping, 29
semi-empirical model, 35
vs. mass number, 30, 48
Bohr–Wheeler theory of, 20
discovery of, 1, 15–19, 35
energy release in, 19
in nuclear weapon, 35
liquid drop model, 21
neutron energy spectrum, 240
numerical model of fission process, 39
process of
interpretation, 18
schematic illustration, 21
spontaneous
of plutonium, 35
timescale, 63
Z 2 /A limit against, 20
Frisch, Otto, 18, 91, 188
Frisch-Peierls Memorandum, 91, 92, 247
G
Gamma rays
collisions involving, 8–10, 12, 197, 240,
241
electromagnetic pulse, 182
involved in neutron discovery, 237
Gaseous diffusion, 137, 143, 233, 239, 242
Graphite
boron contamination in, 146
core of Hanford reactor, 128
neutron thermalization by, 124
Groves, Gen. Leslie, 153, 242
Gun-type fission weapon, 81, 149, 234
H
Hafemeister, David, 31
Hahn, Otto, 6, 17, 18
Hanford reactors, 128, 130, 146–148, 168,
170, 171, 187
I
Implosion, 63, 64, 77, 80, 81, 98, 148,
151–157, 166, 168, 188, 234, 244
Impurities
in graphite, 146
light elements in bomb core, 145