Colloquium
Building the Implosion Nuclear Bomb, 1944-45
Prof. Mac Hull (retired)
Department of Physics
U. of New Mexico
Thursday, January 17, 2008, 1:40 p.m., SCIC 126
Topics that may be covered (provided time and mood permit): The beginnings of nuclear physics to 1943. Discovery of fission and design of nuclear reactors (called "Piles" in 1943) and nuclear weapons. Refining U235 and making Pu239. The gun bomb ("Little Boy") and the implosion bomb ("Fat Man"). Explosive lenses: casting large pieces of high exposive--very carefully! The Trinity Test and Hiroshima, Nagasaki. Implications for US and world policy.
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