Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project: insights into J. Robert Oppenheimer, ”Father of the atomic bomb”

Cynthia C. Kelly9812564187, 9789812564184, 9789812700933, 981256599X

2004 marked the centennial of the birth of J Robert Oppenheimer, and brought historians and scholars, former students, nuclear physicists, and politicians together to celebrate this event. Oppenheimer’s life and work became central to 20th century history as he spearheaded the development of the atomic bomb that ended World War II. This book provides a spectrum of interpretations of Oppenheimer’s life and scientific achievements. It approaches the extraordinary scientist and teacher from many perspectives, chronicling the years from his boyhood through his role as director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory and afterwards. The book also discusses Oppenheimer’s connection to New Mexico, which hosted two of the Manhattan Project’s most crucial sites, and addresses his lasting impact on contemporary science, international politics, and the postwar age.

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Table of contents :
CONTENTS……Page 6
INTRODUCTION……Page 10
DEFYING THE ODDS Cynthia C. Kelly President of the Atomic Heritage Foundation……Page 12
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING OPPENHEIMER……Page 18
OPPENHEIMER RECONSIDERED The Honorable Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico……Page 20
ROBERT OPPENHEIMER: KING OF THE HILL Richard Rhodes Author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb and Dark Sun……Page 24
A NOVEL IDEA OF OPPENHEIMER Joseph Kanon Author of Los Alamos and The Prodigal Spy……Page 33
CHAPTER 2: LIFE AT LOS ALAMOS……Page 42
PRESERVATION ON THE PAJARITO PLATEAU Stuart Ashman Director, Office of Cultural Affairs, State of New Mexico……Page 44
J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER AND THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO: A RECIPROCAL RELATIONSHIP Ferenc Szasz Professor, Department of History, University of New Mexico……Page 49
ROBERT OPPENHEIMER: AWINDOW ON HIS LIFE AT LOS ALAMOS Kai Bird Fellow at theWoodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars Martin Sherwin Professor of History at Tufts University……Page 75
CHAPTER 3: OPPENHEIMER’S PLACE IN HISTORY……Page 86
STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS Everet Beckner Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs, National Nuclear Security Administration, Department of Energy……Page 88
THE CAUTIONARY TALE OF ROBERT OPPENHEIMER Gregg Herken Professor, School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts, University of California, Merced……Page 95
THE EARLY YEARS OF ROBERT OPPENHEIMER Jon Hunner Associate Professor, Director of Public History Program at New Mexico State University……Page 98
GENERAL GROVES’ INDISPENSABLE SCIENTIST Robert S. Norris Natural Resources Defense Council……Page 114
Crash Implosion……Page 121
Bomb Production and Little Boy’s Uranium……Page 122
CHAPTER 4: PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON OPPENHEIMER……Page 126
Introduction……Page 128
Oppenheimer in the Classroom……Page 129
Oppenheimer’s Group……Page 133
Oppie’s Seminar……Page 138
Closing Remarks……Page 143
Ph.D. Candidates Supervised by RobertOppenheimer with date of Final Examination and Title of Thesis……Page 146
REMEMBERING OPJE: TEACHER, SCIENTIST AND FRIEND David Pines Institute for Complex Adaptive Matter, University of California Office of the President, Oakland, California……Page 150
J. ROBERT OPPENHEIMER: CONSUMMATE PHYSICIST Maurice M. Shapiro Professor, University of Maryland……Page 157
Cosmic-Ray Primaries……Page 158
Showers: Radiation and Pair-Production……Page 159
Could the Muons be Yukawa Particles?……Page 160
Appendix: Oppenheimer’s Principal Collaborators in Cosmic-Ray Theory……Page 161
A FEW WORDS FROM AN OPPENHEIMER Andrew R. Oppenheimer……Page 162
APPENDICES……Page 166
APPENDIX I — AGENDA FOR OPPENHEIMER AND THE MANHATTAN PROJECT……Page 168
APPENDIX II — CONTRIBUTORS……Page 172
INDEX……Page 176