Prelude to the Nuclear Race
Leó Szilárd
It was in 1933 that a little known scientist, Leó Szilárd was in London reading an article in The Times newspaper. It reported a speech given by Ernest Rutherford announcing that there was little possibility of using nuclear energy for practical purposes. Rutherford referred to a speech he had given the year before about the work of his students being able to split an atom, emitting a alpha particle as well as releasing large amounts of energy from the process. He had said that, "We might in these processes obtain very much more energy than the proton supplied, but on the average we could not expect to obtain energy in this way."1
Szilárd was not happy with what Rutherford had said, instead he had a strong belief that it was possible to use the newly discovered ability of being able to split an atom to sustain a nuclear chain reaction. This was a radical idea, it meant that with very little initial input to the reaction, large amounts of energy could be outputted. He was so confident at the fact that it was capable that he decided to patent this idea the year later.
We now know who was correct, the idea that Szilárd had thought of soon formed the basis of the operation behind the production of nuclear weapons as well as nuclear energy.
In 1939, just before the commencement of WWII, a team of German scientist had been successful with a nuclear fission experiment. Nuclear fission is when an element is able to gain a neutron and become an unstable isotope and then quickly split into smaller atoms and releasing more neutrons in the process. These new neutrons can then react with more of the original element and the process occurs again. In each reaction, more and more energy is released. With enough of the original element, a chain reaction can occur and large amounts of energy can be released in the process.2 After learning of the news, Szilárd with the help of Enrico Fermi performed experiments of their own and were able to discover that uranium was able to undergo nuclear fission and release many neutrons in the process. Their initial experiment with uranium was quick but the scientists then and there were aware of the capabilities of their new findings. Szilárd said:
Szilárd was not happy with what Rutherford had said, instead he had a strong belief that it was possible to use the newly discovered ability of being able to split an atom to sustain a nuclear chain reaction. This was a radical idea, it meant that with very little initial input to the reaction, large amounts of energy could be outputted. He was so confident at the fact that it was capable that he decided to patent this idea the year later.
We now know who was correct, the idea that Szilárd had thought of soon formed the basis of the operation behind the production of nuclear weapons as well as nuclear energy.
In 1939, just before the commencement of WWII, a team of German scientist had been successful with a nuclear fission experiment. Nuclear fission is when an element is able to gain a neutron and become an unstable isotope and then quickly split into smaller atoms and releasing more neutrons in the process. These new neutrons can then react with more of the original element and the process occurs again. In each reaction, more and more energy is released. With enough of the original element, a chain reaction can occur and large amounts of energy can be released in the process.2 After learning of the news, Szilárd with the help of Enrico Fermi performed experiments of their own and were able to discover that uranium was able to undergo nuclear fission and release many neutrons in the process. Their initial experiment with uranium was quick but the scientists then and there were aware of the capabilities of their new findings. Szilárd said:
"That night, there was very little doubt in my mind that the world was headed for grief."3
Let the Race Begin
Original document from Albert Einstein
to Franklin D. Roosevelt (click to enlarge)
In August 1939, just before the commencement of WWII, Szilárd drafted a letter to the US President Franklin D. Roosevelt detailing the possibility of using the discovery to produce weapons of never before seen destruction. It also warned him of the possibility of Nazi development of these weapons. Szilárd then consulted his friend Albert Einstein to sign the letter. The letter was sent to the president and soon resulted in the beginning of research into the capabilities of nuclear fission and eventually, the Manhattan Project.
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1. The Times Archive, 12 September 1933, “The British association – breaking down the atom”
2. http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power1.htm
3. New Scientist, Vol. 82 No, 1159, 14th June 1979, Pg.927
2. http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-power1.htm
3. New Scientist, Vol. 82 No, 1159, 14th June 1979, Pg.927
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