The Manhattan Project Essay, Research Paper
Manhattan Project
The Einstein Letter
Leo Szilard, like many other foreign-born physicists in the U.S. who had fled fascism, knew Germany was conducting nuclear research. Having learned the Germans had banned the export of uranium, he believed the Germans were developing an atomic bomb. Fearing what would happen if Germany developed a nuclear weapon, he urged Dr. Albert Einstein to convince the American government to support nuclear research.
On August 2, 1939, a month before Germany invaded Poland, Einstein wrote a letter to President Roosevelt, recommending that the U.S. fund nuclear research, stating that it could result in “extremely powerful bombs” made of uranium. Einstein’s recommendation was based on the research of physicists Leo Szilard and Enrico Fermi. Szilard had developed the theory of nuclear fission. But it was Fermi who was the first to actually produce nuclear fission in the laboratory, which won him the 1938 Nobel Prize for Physics.
Based on Einstein’s letter, President Roosevelt authorized a study, but the decision to devote full energy to the production of the bomb was not made until December 6, 1941: the day before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
General Leslie Groves
General Groves was chosen to make the atomic bomb a reality, code named the Manhattan Project. He named J. Robert Oppenheimer, a brilliant nuclear physicist from the University of California at Berkeley as director. Together they chose Los Alamos, New Mexico, a remote location not far from Santa Fe, as the site for the design and construction of atomic bombs. Oppenheimer gathered scientists, many of them Nobel Prize winners, from the most prestigious universities in the U.S.: University of California at Berkeley, University of Chicago, Columbia University, as well as several British and Canadian scientists.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built power stations, factories, foundries, blast furnaces, steel works, hospitals, laboratories and housing at Los Alamos. It involved over 200,000 people and cost the U.S. two billion dollars. The Manhattan Project was a collaboration of American science and industry carried out under the direction of the U.S. Army. The Manhattan Project was conducted in complete secrecy not only from the enemy but from the American public. Most of the factory workers were unaware of what they were producing.
Manhattan Project Support Facilities
As part of the Manhattan project, two different facilities were built to produce weapon-grade uranium and plutonium. The Manhattan Project was building two different types of atomic bombs, a uranium bomb and a plutonium bomb, because uranium was difficult to produce in quantities needed. Plutonium, an artificially manufactured element derived from uranium, could be produced in sufficient quantity but it needed a different kind of bomb detonation device.
Uranium Production: Oak Ridge, Tennessee
A huge gas diffusion plant was built to produce weapon-grade uranium. An extremely corrosive uranium hexafluoride gas was pumped through barriers that had millions of tiny holes. The lighter molecules containing the needed uranium-235 were diffused faster than the heavier uranium-238 molecules. After the gas had been cycled through thousands of barriers it was “enriched” to a high concentration, 90 percent, of pure uranium-235.
Plutonium Production: Hanford, Washington
Nuclear reactors were built to provide the neutrons to produce plutonium from uranium. When the plentiful uranium-238 isotope is bombarded with neutrons, it changes into a new element. This new element changes into plutonium-239. Plutonium-239, like uranium-235, undergoes fission and can be used as bomb material. Producing plutonium-239 in large quantities requires an intense source of neutrons.
Trinity Test Site, Alamogordo, New Mexico
The first atomic bomb tested at Trinity on July 16, 1945 proved that the U.S. was in possession of the most destructive weapon ever devised by man. The bomb was powered by the splitting of all the nuclei in several kilograms of plutonium. A sphere of plutonium the size of a baseball produced an explosion equal to 15,000 to 20,000 tons of TNT. When the bomb exploded at Trinity at 5:30 a.m., it vaporized the tower and turned asphalt around the base of the tower to green sand. Suddenly the sky was brighter than several suns. Seconds after the explosion came a huge blast that sent withering heat across the desert.
A massive orange and yellow cloud in the shape of a mushroom surged and billowed upward reaching into the sub-stratosphere up to an elevation of 41,000 feet. A soldier 10,000 feet away was knocked off his feet by the force of the shock wave. The flash of light was seen more than ten miles away, and a soldier five miles away was temporarily blinded. The explosion was heard 50 miles away.
Russian Spy at Los Alamos
A German refugee working on the British team of scientists at Los Alamos, Klaus Fuchs, was a Soviet spy. He and other spies passed information about American nuclear research to the Soviets from 1942 to 1949. This could explain Stalin’s indifferent reaction when Truman told him at the Potsdam Conference that the U.S. had a new weapon. Fuchs was caught and convicted of espionage, and sentenced to 15 years in prison for disclosing nuclear secrets. After his release, he went to East Germany to work in their nuclear research center.
Другие работы по теме:
Нью-Йорк /english/
Нью-Йорк (штат), Манхаттан и его география, финансовый район, восточная часть города, развлечения в Манхаттане.
New York
(Part I) New York is the largest city in the world & the biggest seaport. It is the money-center of the U. S. New York is situated in north-east of the USA in the state of N. Y. Of the Empire State.
Beowulf Essay Research Paper At 845 am
Beowulf Essay, Research Paper At 8:45 a.m. EDT, the first of two airliners crashed into the World Trade Center, opening a horrifying and apparently coordinated terrorist attack on the United States, which saw the collapse of the two 110-story towers into surrounding Manhattan streets and a later attack on the Pentagon.
Harold Clayton Urey Essay Research Paper Jikesh
Harold Clayton Urey Essay, Research Paper Jikesh Patel 11/3/00 Block F Harold c. Urey Harold Clayton Urey was a scientist whose discovery of deuterium helped him win the Nobel Peace Prize for Chemistry in 1934. He also made fundamental contributions to the production of the atomic bomb through his development of the isotope separation processes for the Manhattan Project.
Atomic Bomb Essay Research Paper Through the
Atomic Bomb Essay, Research Paper Through the centuries, man has tried many attempts in inventing a mass killing mechanism. Alas, in 1945, such a mechanism was created. The atomic bomb was created after many years of the study of atoms. Finally, a way to split the atoms was born. Germany was the first to try, using uranium-235 to make a bomb.
Ethics In America Essay Research Paper New
Ethics In America Essay, Research Paper New York ?Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers, you did for me.? Matthew 25:40 The poor, the sick, and the children. These are the three most vulnerable groups in our society and in upper Manhattan?s Washington Heights neighborhood there are plenty of them.
Drop The Bomb Better Version Essay Research
Paper Atomic Bombs Dropped on Japan, Justified? On August 6th and 9th of 1945 U.S. bombers dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing utter destruction and many deaths.
Capital Punishment And Torture Unconstitutional Or Junstice
? Essay, Research Paper Capital punishment and torture are often looked down on in today?s societies because they are viewed as cruel and unconstitutional, but perhaps they would help in more ways then we would like to admit. They can be beneficial in many ways such as encouragement to be truthful, encouragement to live by the laws, and as a source of punishment.
Nuclear Arms Essay Research Paper On August
Nuclear Arms Essay, Research Paper On August 6, 1945, Hiroshima was devastated by “a most cruel and terrible new bomb,” as described by Emperor Hirohito, one of the Axis leaders during World War II. Since then, nuclear weapons have become a major threat to humanity as more and more missiles, bombs, and other weapons are created by different countries.
Please Essay Research Paper aquifer while rain
Please Essay, Research Paper aquifer while rain falling onto the shoreline regions recharges the shallow aquifers system only. Earlier studies of the groundwater flow potentials at a Brookhaven landfill found that there was little to no , 1995). The town maintains a monitoring network in multi-well clusters in the vicinity of the landfill.
A Mystical Place Essay Research Paper Have
A Mystical Place Essay, Research Paper Have you ever been in a place that left you totally in awe? have you ever wished that you could stay in that place forever? If only our dreams would always come true! My experience in one of Manhattan’s toy stores was wonderful. it was full of beauty; and fortunately, my aunt chose to share this magical place with me. it was almost thanksgiving and my aunt and I were spending quality time together.
The Atomic Bomb In World War 2
Essay, Research Paper Atomic Bombing: America s Only Choice It was discovered at the University of Chicago that neutrons striking the element uranium caused the atoms to split apart. The discovery, based on Einstein s E=mc2 theory that mass has the potential to unleash great amounts of raw energy, showed that among the pieces of a split atom were newly produced neutrons.
Development Of The Atom Bomb Essay Research
Paper Development of:The Atom Bomb “In the 1930s, some scientists theorized that bombarding an atom’s nucleus with a neutron from another atom would cause the first atom to split in two. The splitting atom would release another neutron, which would then strike a neighboring atom, causing it to split, and so on.
Atomic Bomb Essay Research Paper This was
Atomic Bomb Essay, Research Paper This was the basis for the atomic bomb. Throughout this research paper, I will trace the history of the atomic bomb. In addition, who was involved and why, what happened in this event, and explain the impact that it had on the world. After Einstein predicted, that mass could be converted into energy.
The Dropping Of The Atomic Bomb Essay
, Research Paper The dropping of the A-bomb was a direct result of world conflict, at the fault of everyone involved. The blame has been placed on many people, from Oppenheimer making the bomb to the pilots dropping it. However, the blame of the disastrous A-bomb cannot be placed solely on one person. There were many people who were involved in the dropping of the bomb and the making of the bomb.
New York Essay Research Paper NEW YORK
New York Essay, Research Paper NEW YORK CITY New York is probably one of the most interesting cities in the world. It has something to offer to everybody. If you are looking for culture you make the right choice visiting one of the hundreds great museums in the city.
New York
New York City isn’t the capital of USA and it isn’t the capital of New York State, but residents of the “Big Apple” considering their city the capital of the globe. It is because New York is the home of the United Nations and the largest investment market in the world.
Harlem Renaissance Essay Research Paper Harlem RenaissanceWhat
Harlem Renaissance Essay, Research Paper Harlem Renaissance What is a renaissance? A renaissance is a movement or period of vigorous artistic and intellectual activity. There was a famous renaissance in Europe during the transition from medieval times to modern times that is still taught today. There was, also, a not so well known renaissance that occurred in the United States from the 1920 s to the 1930 s in Manhattan.
Blah Essay Research Paper For my senior
Blah Essay, Research Paper For my senior thesis, I will be conducting further research on my project, and the idea from which my project came. This research will include different experimental approaches and setups, the outcomes of these new schematics, and the way in which the project was originally approached.
The Manhatten Project Essay Research Paper The
The Manhatten Project Essay, Research Paper The Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was born into a “World in Crisis” (Snyder, 356). The terrible Adolf Hitler had come to power in Germany, and Italian armies sought control in Europe. “In the summer of 1939 war broke out in Europe. Within a year German and Italian armies controlled a large part of the continent[Europe]” (Killingray, 6).
Manhattan Project 3 Essay Research Paper Manhattan
Manhattan Project 3 Essay, Research Paper Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project was the name for the United States program to develop an atomic bomb during the second world war. It was the largest scientific effort undertaken at that time. It involved thirty-seven laboratories throughout the country.
Manhattan Project Essay Research Paper Manhattan ProjectThe
Manhattan Project Essay, Research Paper Manhattan Project The Manhattan Project is the code name for the US government’s secret project that was established before World War II and culminated in the development of the nuclear bomb. The idea of forming a research team to create a nuclear weapon was endorsed in a letter than Einstein sent to Franklin Roosevelt, the president of the United States at the time.
WWII Essay Research Paper WWII was one
WWII Essay, Research Paper WWII was one of the longest most deadly wars ever know to man. Most of the countries were either affected by it or directly involved with it. The United States did not directly join the war until December of 1941. In August of 1945 an event happened that would change the way we look and execute war tactics.
Concert Report Essay Research Paper Bill Housmanconcert
Concert Report Essay, Research Paper Bill Housman concert report #5 On the night of Friday April 28th, 2000 I attended a piano recital. A good friend of my mothers named Sarah Goodman, who has been playing the piano since the age of 6 was holding a solo performance in a small concert hall in the upper east side of Manhattan.
MS Power Point Essay Research Paper Reflection
MS Power Point Essay, Research Paper Reflection on MS Power Point The Microsoft Power Point presentation that we just completed was a fun project. I learned how to set up Power Point slides while infiltrating animation and sound.