Making of the Atomic Bomb

  1373. “Nothing very . . . very interesting”: ibid., p. 315.

  1374. “a uranium . . . neutron capture”: McMillan (1939).

  1375. “the two-day . . . explanation”: McMillan (1951), p. 316.

  1376. “Segrè . . . the story”: ibid., p. 317.

  1377. “As time . . . vacation”: ibid., p. 318.

  1378. “When he . . . work together”: ibid., p. 319.

  1379. “Within a . . . like uranium”: Wilson (1975), p. 33.

  1380. “Radioactive element 93”: McMillan and Abelson (1940).

  1381. “it might . . . contribution”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 127.

  1382. idea occurred to von Weizsäcker: cf. Irving (1967), p. 68.

  1383. “finding that . . . neptunium”: McMillan (1951), p. 321.

  1384. “I left . . . national defense”: ibid., p. 322.

  1385. “excellent public . . . children have”: L. Fermi (1954), p. 145.

  1386. “an . . . annual”: ibid., p. 148.

  1387. “ ‘D’you know . . . crab grass”: quoted in ibid., p. 147.

  1388. “purposely studied . . . Americanization”: Segrè (1970), p. 104.

  1389. Segrè at Purdue: Segrè discusses this episode, including Lawrence’s attitude, in Emilio Segrè OHI, AIP, p. 33.

  1390. “the machine . . . I do”: ibid.

  1391. “we had . . . scary problem”: Segrè (1981), p. 11.

  1392. “Fermi . . . 94]”: ibid.

  1393. “I suggested . . . his collaborators”: Seaborg (1976), p. 5.

  1394. Two searches: both of which may be followed day by day in ibid.

  1395. 0.6 microgram: ibid., p. 13.

  1396. “key step . . . discovery”: Seaborg (1958), p. 4.

  1397. Seaborg remembers: cf. Bickel (1980), p. 188.

  1398. “With this . . . 94”: Seaborg (1976), p. 25.

  1399. “This morning . . . neutrons”: ibid., p. 34.

  1400. larger critical mass: Gowing (1964), p. 68.

  1401. “This first . . . is manageable”: quoted in ibid., p. 67ff.

  1402. “I remember . . . 28 years”: James Chadwick OHI, AIP, p. 105.

  Chapter Twelve: A Communication from Britain

  1403. Conant: cf. Conant (1970), Kistiakowsky and Westheimer (1979).

  1404. “the most . . . race”: Conant (1970), p. 252.

  1405. “What shall . . . formality”: quoted in ibid., p. 253.

  1406. “I said . . . the Interior”: ibid., p. 52.

  1407. “I did . . . or weapon”: ibid., p. 49.

  1408. “Conant achieved . . . chemistry”: Kistiakowsky and Westheimer (1979), p. 212.

  1409. “strong belief . . . involving Briggs”: Conant (1970), p. 276ff.

  1410. “Light a . . . possibilities?”: quoted in Childs (1968), p. 311.

  1411. Compton follow-up letter: K. Compton to V. Bush, March 17, 1941. OSRD S-l, Bush-Conant File, folder 19.

  1412. “by nature . . . solution”: ibid.

  1413. “I told . . . trail behind”: VB to F. Jewett, June 7, 1941. Bush-Conant File, f. 4.

  1414. “a very . . . atomic weapon”: Wilson (1975), p. 205.

  1415. Bainbridge contacted Briggs: on the evidence of V. Bush to F. Jewett, April 15, 1941: “The immediate reason being a suggestion from Bainbridge that we send a member of our group to London on the uranium problem.” Bush-Conant File, f. 19.

  1416. “I am . . . my head”: Bush (1970), p. 60.

  1417. “it would . . . present time”: VB to FJ, April 15, 1941.

  1418. “It was . . . scientific problems”: Compton (1956), p. 45.

  1419. “disturbed . . . bloodedly evaluate”: VB to FJ, April 15, 1941.

  1420. “fitness . . . task”: Compton (1956), p. 46.

  1421. “Arthur Compton . . . and strong”: Libby (1979), p. 91ff.

  1422. “tallness . . . enormously”: ibid., p. 16.

  1423. “a small . . . place”: Compton (1967), p. 31.

  1424. “probably the . . . of physics”: quoted in Pais (1982), p. 414.

  1425. “Bohr spoke . . . different manner’ ”: Nielson (1963), p. 27.

  1426. “In 1940 . . . time later”: Compton (1967), p. 44.

  1427. “There followed . . . interested”: Compton (1956), p. 46.

  1428. first NAS report (May 17, 1941): Bush-Conant File, f. 3.

  1429. “the matter . . . applications multiply”: ibid.

  1430. “And only . . . negative”: Conant (1970), p. 278.

  1431. “authoritative and impressive”: discussed in FJ to VB, June 6, 1941. Bush-Conant File, f. 4.

  1432. “a lurking . . . well balanced”: ibid.

  1433. “This uranium . . . doubt”: VB to FJ, June 7, 1941. Bush-Conant File, f. 4.

  1434. “We told . . . at Columbia”: Seaborg (1976), p. 42.

  1435. “to crush . . . against England”: Hitler directive #21, “Operation Barbarossa,” Dec. 18, 1940, quoted in Churchill (1949), p. 589.

  1436. “What worried . . . to priorities”: Conant (1970), p. 278ff. Conant (1943), p. 5, confirms this recollection.

  1437. Briggs learned from Lawrence: a letter dated July 10, 1941, according to Conant (1943), p. 13.

  1438. “In the . . . no money”: Eugene T. Booth, personal communication.

  1439. “The government’s . . . war program”: Compton (1956), p. 49.

  1440. “More significant . . . entirely feasible”: Conant (1970), p. 280.

  1441. eight of twenty-four physicists: Conant (1943), p. 20.

  1442. “In essence . . . ‘draft report’ ”: ibid.

  1443. MAUD Report: given in full in Gowing (1946), p. 394ff.

  1444. “With the . . . in order”: Conant (1943), p. 21.

  1445. “During July . . . uranium program”: Conant (1970), p. 279.

  1446. “If each . . . efficiently”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 138.

  1447. “Fritz Houtermans . . . brilliant ideas”: Frisch (1979), p. 71ff.

  1448. “that at . . . energy”: Bethe (1967), p. 216.

  1449. “but fell . . . the Nazis”: Frisch (1979), p. 72ff.

  1450. Houtermans report: cf. Irving (1967), p. 84.

  1451. “Every neutron . . . thermal neutrons”: quoted in ibid., p. 85.

  1452. “at worst . . . been defeated”: quoted in Clark (1981), p. 126.

  1453. “Although personally . . . Lord Cherwell”: Churchill (1950), p. 814.

  1454. “If Congress . . . receive one”: Weart and Szilard (1978), p. 146.

  1455. “most important . . . and determined”: Conant (1943), p. 19.

  1456. “The minutes . . . and distressed”: Oliphant (1982), p. 17.

  1457. “came to . . . for submarines”: quoted in Davis (1968), p. 112.

  1458. “I’ll even . . . in Berkeley”: quoted in Childs (1968), p. 315. Childs attributes this wire to Lawrence. Since he was in Berkeley and Oliphant in Washington, I take it to be Oliphant’s.

  1459. “How much . . . complete consideration”: quoted in ibid., p. 316ff.

  1460. Oliphant sees Conant and Bush: cf. Bickel (1980), p. 166. Bickel interviewed Oliphant at length.

  1461. “gossip . . . subjects”: Conant (1943), p. 19.

  1462. “non-committal . . . of fission”: quoted in Gowing (1964), p. 84n.

  1463. “that the . . . serious consideration”: quoted in Conant (1943), p. 20.

  1464. “Certain developments . . . its development”: Compton (1956), p. 6.

  1465. “out of the blue”: interview with Edward Teller, Stanford, Calif., June 19, 1982.

  1466. “I decided . . . bombs”: Blumberg and Owens (1976), p. 110.

  1467. “Next Sunday . . . believed me”: NOVA (1980), p. 3.

  1468. Hagiwara lecture: quoted in “Concerning uranium, Tonizo Laboratory, April 43.” Document copy and translation in the private collection of P. Wayne Reagan, Kansas City, Mo.

  1469. Chicago meeting: Conant lists Pegram as a fourth participant. C
ompton, who believed the meeting to be crucial to his future and who describes it in detail, does not.

  1470. “It was . . . talk freely”: Compton (1956), p. 7.

  1471. “very vigorous . . . whole field”: Conant (1943), p. 21.

  1472. “Conant was . . . be convinced”: Compton (1956), p. 7ff.

  1473. “I could . . . research programs”: Conant (1970), p. 280.

  1474. “If this . . . do it”: Compton (1956), p. 8.

  1475. “the results . . . been exposed”: Conant (1943), p. 22.

  1476. “I grew . . . a Russian’ ”: interview with George Kistiakowsky, Cambridge, Mass., Jan. 15, 1982.

  1477. “When I . . . have reservations?”: Conant (1970), p. 279.

  1478. “counted . . . significant”: ibid., p. 280.

  1479. Bush memorandum: VB to J. B. Conant, Oct. 9, 1941. Bush-Conant File, f. 4. Quotations describing Bush’s meeting with FDR come from this memo.

  1480. “emphasized to . . . are over”: VB to F. Jewett, Nov. 4, 1941. Bush-Conant File, f. 4.

  1481. Bush to expedite research: cf. VB to FDR, March 9, 1942: “In accordance with your instructions [on October 9] I have since expedited this work in every way possible.” Bush-Conant File, f. 13.

  1482. “called . . . hundred pounds”: Compton (1956), p. 53ff.

  1483. Dunning and Booth choosing gaseous diffusion: Booth et al. (1975), p. Iff.

  1484. “Our . . . enriched uranium”: Eugene T. Booth, personal communication.

  1485. barrier materials: cf. Cohen et al. (1983), p. 636ff.

  1486. “One cannot . . . more tons”: FP 143, Fermi (1962), p. 99. Herbert Anderson’s headnote here confirms the chronology of this incident.

  1487. “He urged . . . so well”: Compton (1956), p. 55.

  1488. October 21 in Schenectady: Compton (1956), p. 56, says Cambridge, but Hewlett and Anderson (1962), p. 46, referring to the minutes of the meeting, locate it here.

  1489. “I have . . . deliberation”: quoted in Childs (1968), p. 321.

  1490. Conant scolded Lawrence: ibid., p. 319.

  1491. “leftwandering activities”: quoted in ibid.

  1492. “Many of . . . of them”: USAEC (1954), p. 11.

  1493. “causes and . . . with us”: quoted in Childs (1968), p. 319.

  1494. Oppenheimer debated Lawrence: cf. ibid.

  1495. “It was . . . direct use”: USAEC (1954), p. 11.

  1496. “I . . . forget it”: Smith and Weiner (1980), p. 220.

  1497. “Kistiakowsky . . . members objected”: Compton (1956), p. 56ff.

  1498. “In our . . . grave responsibility”: quoted in Childs (1968), p. 321.

  1499. “the destructiveness . . . of inertia”: Compton (1956), p. 57.

  1500. “No help . . . helpful suggestions”: ibid., p. 58.

  1501. “It was . . . atomic bomb”: quoted in Irving (1967), p. 93.

  1502. “he was . . . his trip”: E. Heisenberg (1984), p. 77ff.

  1503. “with . . . hospitality”: ibid., p. 78.

  1504. “Being aware . . . this conversation”: quoted in Jungk (1958), p. 103ff.

  1505. “The impression . . . actual events”: Rozental (1967), p. 193.

  1506. “Heisenberg and . . . a standoff”: Oppenheimer (1963), III, p. 7.

  1507. Heisenberg reactor drawing: reported by Hans Bethe in Bernstein (1979), p. 77.

  1508. “Bohr . . . all else”: E. Heisenberg (1984), p. 81.

  1509. “bond to . . . Bohr’s reply”: ibid., p. 80.

  1510. “a state . . . despair”: ibid., p. 81.

  1511. “he had . . . enough spoon”: Mott and Peierls (1977), p. 230.

  1512. third NAS report: Report to the President of the National Academy of Sciences by the Academy Committee on Uranium, Nov. 6, 1941. Bush-Conant File, f. 18.

  1513. “The special . . . with U235”: ibid., p. 1.

  1514. “a fission . . . can be”: ibid.

  1515. “The mass . . . fast neutrons”: ibid., p. 2.

  1516. “may be . . . itself”: ibid., p. 3.

  1517. “approaching . . . test”: ibid., p. 4.

  1518. “in . . . four years”: ibid.

  1519. “The possibility . . . this program”: ibid., p. 6.

  1520. “more . . . of accomplishment”: Compton (1956), p. 61.

  1521. “leaving Briggs . . . Ernest Lawrence”: VB to FJ, Nov. 4, 1941. Bush-Conant File, f. 4.

  1522. “Jan 19 . . . FDR”: Bush-Conant File, f. 13.

  1523. “The meeting . . . more firmly”: Compton (1956), p. 70.

  1524. “a worthy . . . said Conant”: ibid., p.70ff.

  1525. “the construction . . . secret project”: Conant (1970), p. 282.

  1526. December 7, 1941: I rely primarily on Prange (1982) for this summary reconstruction, but cf. also Murukami (1982), Coffey (1970) and Toland (1970).

  1527. “must be . . . ever seen”: quoted in Prange (1982), p. 500.

  1528. “Negotiations with . . . disclose intent”: quoted in ibid., p. 402.

  1529. “a defense . . . Philippines”: quoted in ibid., p. 403.

  1530. “This dispatch . . . tasks assigned”: quoted in ibid., p. 406.

  1531. “more . . . phrasing”: quoted in ibid., p. 409.

  1532. “Well . . . it”: quoted in ibid., p. 501.

  1533. Nagasaki torpedoes: cf. ibid., p. 323.

  Chapter 13: The New World

  1534. “Szilard at . . . customers”: Fermi (1962), p. 1003.

  1535. thirty tons of graphite: ibid., p. 546.

  1536. “Much of . . . with heap”: Segrè (1970), p. 116.

  1537. “We . . . oxide”: Fermi (1962), p. 1002.

  1538. The cans: cf. FP 150, ibid., p. 128.

  1539. “This structure . . . as possible”: ibid.

  1540. “We were . . . exhausting work”: Wilson (1975), p. 86.

  1541. “We . . . four pounds”: Fermi (1962), p. 1002.

  1542. “Fermi tried . . . and precision”: Wilson (1975), p. 87.

  1543. k: cf. FP 149, Fermi (1962), p. 120.

  1544. “Now that . . . Pearl Harbor”: ibid., p. 1002ff.

  1545. “the atmosphere . . . optimism reigned”: Conant (1943), II, p. 2.

  1546. the next day: i.e., Dec. 19, 1941. Compton gives Dec. 20 but cf. Hewlett and Anderson (1962), p. 53.

  1547. “On the . . . 18 months”: AHC to VB et al., Dec. 20, 1941, p. 2. Bush-Conant File, folder 5.

  1548. “This figure . . . per year”: Compton (1956), p. 72.

  1549. Anderson scouting locations: cf. his letter to Szilard, Jan. 21, 1942, Szilard Papers.

  1550. “egg-boiling”: ibid.

  1551. “Each was . . . for Chicago”: Compton (1956), p. 80.

  1552. “We will . . . war”: quoted in Compton, “Operation of the Metallurgical Project,” memorandum, July 28, 1944. Bush-Conant File, f. 20a.

  1553. “Finally, wearied . . . to Chicago”: Compton (1956), p. 81.

  1554. “had come . . . moving again”: L. Fermi (1954), p. 174.

  1555. “was unhappy . . . quite efficiently”: ibid., p. 169.

  1556. THANK YOU . . . ORGANIZATION: AHC to LS, Jan. 25, 1942. Szilard Papers.

  1557. uranium press: Libby (1979), p. 70. Libby’s chronology here is garbled, however.

  1558. “There are . . . ordered one”: L. Fermi (1954), p. 186. LF believed the pile was canned to exclude the air, but cf. FP 151, Fermi (1962), p. 137: “Particular care was taken to eliminate as much as possible the moisture.”

  1559. “required soldering . . . the job”: Wattenberg (1982), p. 23.

  1560. “To insure . . . their heads”: L. Fermi (1954), p. 186.

  1561. “Like the . . . winter meant”: Churchill (1950), p. 536.

  1562. “well-fed . . . fighting”: Guderian, quoted in Shirer (1960), p. 862.

  1563. “The winter . . . certain”: Churchill (1950), p. 537.

  1564. “The work . . . near future”: quoted in Irving (1967), p.
94.

  1565. “Experimental Luncheon”: cf. Goudsmit (1947), p. 170.

  1566. “too busy . . . moment”: quoted in ibid., p. 171.

  1567. “Pure uranium-235 . . . colossal force”: quoted in Irving (1967), p. 99.

  1568. “it would . . . to detonate”: quoted in ibid., p. 100.

  1569. “The first . . . be done”: quoted in Groves (1962), p. 335. Note that this is testimony obtained surreptitiously by bugging while its subjects, who have claimed it was mistranslated and misinterpreted, were prisoners of war. To the extent that it is reliable it is far more candid than published statements, however.

  1570. “In the . . . its importance”: Speer (1970), p. 225.

  1571. “The word . . . reaction”: quoted in Irving (1967), p. 108.

  1572. “As . . . a pineapple”: quoted in ibid., p. 109.

  1573. “His answer . . . the war”: Speer (1970), p. 226.

  1574. “Hitler had . . . see it”: ibid., p. 227.

  1575. “on the . . . propelling machinery”: ibid.

  1576. “In the . . . prime movers”: Heisenberg (1947), p. 214.

  1577. “We may . . . finding out”: VB to FDR, March 9, 1942. Bush-Conant File, f. 13.

  1578. March 9 report: “Report to the President, status of tubealloy development” (n.d.). Bush-Conant File, f. 13.

  1579. “I think . . . the essence”: FDR to VB, March 11, 1942. Bush-Conant File, f. 13.

  1580. “While all . . . the other”: JBC to VB, May 14, 1942. Bush-Conant File, f. 5.

  1581. Conant reviewed the evidence: cf. ibid.

  1582. “if the . . . of machinery”: ibid.

  1583. Seaborg to Chicago: chronology and details of this section follow Seaborg (1977).

  1584. “This day . . . Project”: ibid., p. 2.

  1585. 250 ppm: Seaborg (1958), p. 16.

  1586. “We conceived . . . were employed”: ibid., p. 8.

  1587. “I . . . precipitation”: Seaborg (1977), p. 9.

  1588. “Sometimes I . . . right now”: ibid., p. 42.

  1589. “We looked . . . concrete bench”: ibid., p. 56.

  1590. “I always . . . fit”: ibid., p. 112.

  1591. “It was . . . balance”: Seaborg (1958), p. 38.

  1592. “the fellows . . . Hall”: Seaborg (1977), p. 66.

  1593. “But to . . . the north”: ibid., p. 68.

  1594. “Our witnesses . . . stay”: ibid., p. 70.

  1595. “it was . . . call”: ibid., p. 75.

  1596. “I do . . . a whole”: G. Breit to L. Briggs, May 18, 1942. Bush-Conant File, f. 5.