The physics of the Manhattan Project / B. Cameron Reed.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Reed, Bruce Cameron.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Manhattan Project (U.S.).

Nuclear physics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (181 p.)

Edition:

2nd ed.

Place of Publication:

Heidelberg, Germany ; New York : Springer, 2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

The development of nuclear weapons during the Manhattan Project is one of the most significant scientific events of the twentieth century. This book, prepared by a gifted teacher of physics, explores the challenges that faced the members of the Manhattan project. In doing so it gives a clear introduction to fission weapons at the level of an upper-level undergraduate physics student. Details of nuclear reactions, their energy release, the fission process, how critical masses can be estimated, how fissile materials are produced, and what factors complicate bomb design are covered. An extensive list of references and a number of problems for self-study are included. Links are given to several spreadsheets with which users can run many of the calculations for themselves.

Contents:

Preface

Part 1. Energy Release in Nuclear Reactions, Neutrons,

Fission, and Characteristics of Fission

1.1 Notational Conventions for Mass Excess and Q-Values

1.2 Rutherford and the Energy Release in Radium Decay

1.3 Rutherford’s First Artificial Nuclear Transmutation

1.4 Discovery of the Neutron

1.5 Artificially-Induced Radioactivity and the Path to Fission

1.6 Energy Release in Fission

1.7 The Bohr-Wheeler Theory of Fission: The Z2/A Limit Against Spontaneous Fission

1.8 Energy Spectrum of Fission Neutrons

1.9 Leaping the Fission Barrier

1.10 A Semi-Empirical Look at the Fission Barrier

Part 2. Critical Mass and Efficiency

2.1 Neutron Mean Free Path

2.2 Critical Mass: Diffusion Theory

2.3 Effect of Tamper

2.4 Estimating Bomb Efficiency - Analytic

2.5 Estimating Bomb Efficiency – Numerical

2.6 Another Look at Untamped Criticality: Just One Number

Part 3. Producing Fissile Material

3.1 Reactor Criticality

3.2 Neutron Thermalization

3.3 Plutonium Production

3.4 Electromagnetic Separation of Isotopes

3.5 Gaseous (Barrier) Diffusion

Part 4. Complicating Factors

4.1 Boron Contamination in Graphite

4.2 Spontaneous Fission of 240Pu, Predetonation, and Implosion

4.3 Tolerable Limits for Light-Element Impurities

Part 5. Miscellaneous Calculations

5.1 How Warm Is It?

5.2 Brightness of the Trinity Explosion

5.3 A Model for Trace Isotope Production in a Reactor

Appendix A Selected -Values and Fission Barriers

Appendix B Densities, Cross-Sections, and Secondary Neutron Numbers

Appendix C Energy and Momentum Conservation in a Two-Body Collision

Appendix D Energy and Momentum Conservation in a Two-Body Collision That Produces a

Gamma-Ray

Appendix E Formal Derivation of the Bohr-Wheeler Spontaneous Fission Limit

Appendix F Average Neutron Escape Probability From Within a Sphere

Appendix G The Neutron Diffusion Equation

Appendix H Questions and Answers

Appendix I Further Reading

Appendix J Useful Constants and Conversion Factors.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-282-99687-8

9786612996870

3-642-14709-7

OCLC:

682911990