Schreiber, Cole

Shand, Paul

English

University of Northern Iowa

University of Northern Iowa UNI ScholarWorks Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) 2019 Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) Aug 2nd, 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM The Manhattan Project and the Globalization of Nuclear Weapons Cole Schreiber University of Northern Iowa Paul Shand University of Northern Iowa Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/surp Let us know how access to this document benefits you Recommended Citation Schreiber, Cole and Shand, Paul, "The Manhattan Project and the Globalization of Nuclear Weapons" (2019). Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP). 34. https://scholarworks.uni.edu/surp/2019/all/34 This Open Access Poster Presentation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Work at UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP) by an authorized administrator of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks@uni.edu. Funded by Physics Department, Physics Student Research & Awards Fund and Dr. Gerald Intemann Undergraduate Research FundResultsConclusions• James Chadwick discovered the neutron in 1932 by bombarding beryllium with alpha particles.• In 1934, Enrico Fermi bombarded uranium with neutrons and he thought he discovered Transuranic elements.• Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassman also bombarded uranium with neutrons in 1938 and discovered barium in the decay products.• Lise Meitner and Otto Frisch correctly explained Hahn’s experiment in terms of splitting of the nucleus.Discovery of FissionManhattan Project and the Globalization of Nuclear WeaponsCole Schreiber, P. M. ShandDepartment of Physics, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA  50614Manhattan Project• Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard sent a letter to President Roosevelt stating that Germany could weaponizefission.• President Roosevelt signed off on the project and started to mobilize and coordinate efforts with various companies, renowned scientists, and the military to build a nuclear weapon.• Project sites were stationed across the country working on various aspects of the bomb.• Many processes were involved, from enriching uranium to determining the detonation time of the bomb.• The first nuclear test, called the Trinity Test, took place in the deserts of New Mexico.Physics of the Fission Bombs• Initiators used for “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” bombs.• Plutonium 239 has high spontaneous fission rate. • Initiator comprised of beryllium and polonium separated by a foil.• When crushed, alpha particles are emitted and thus neutrons are released.Fat Man and Little Boy• The Fat Man bomb core weighed in at about 6.3 kg and the Little Boy at about 60 kg.• The Fat Man used an implosion method and the Little Boy used a gun type method to achieve supercriticality.• The Fat Man bomb was dropped on Nagasaki and the Little Boy bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.• President Truman had a difficult time weighing the option to use the bombs against Japan.• President Truman decided to use the bomb to save American lives and avoid another D-Day.Nuclear Proliferation• After WWII other nations started to develop nuclear weapons.• Nuclear weapons became more destructive with the invention of the hydrogen bomb that utilizes nuclear fusion.• Great Britain developed its first atomic weapon in 1952, Russia in 1949, and other countries followed suit in the following years. • The limited test ban in 1963 restricted areas where tests could be conducted.• The Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that was signed in 1968 states that nuclear weapons will not be spread to other countries who do not have them.• If there is noncompliance with the NPT, not much is being done save for sanctions.• North Korea has developed nuclear weapons even with punishing sanctions.https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/anniversary-hiroshima-nagasaki-atomic-bomb-world-war-ii/19/https://allthatsinteresting.com/little-boyhttps://www.atomicheritage.org/history/debate-over-bomb-annotated-bibliographyhttps://www.sciencealert.com/what-are-the-actual-differences-between-a-hydrogen-and-an-atomic-bomb

The Manhattan Project and the Globalization of Nuclear Weapons

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The Manhattan Project and the Globalization of Nuclear Weapons

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