Chadwick, Liverpool and the bomb.

David. King, Charles (1997) Chadwick, Liverpool and the bomb. PhD thesis, University of Liverpool.

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Abstract

The author intends to set out in this thesis Chadwick's scientific and diplomatic contribution to the development of the atomic bombs that ended World War Two. The far-reaching consequences of Chadwick's efforts to establish a nuclear physics research prograrmne, both academic and commercial, in austere post-war Britain are also shown. A brief history of Chadwick's academic career, at Manchester, Cambridge and Liverpool Universities is given, which indicate how his intimate knowledge of atomic and nuclear physics culminated in the building of a state-of-the-art 37" pole diameter cyclotron at Liverpool University. The help that Lawrence and his colleagues generously and freely gave to Chadwick is also acknowledged. The crucial role of the Liverpool cyclotron in determining the necessary nuclear fission cross-section measurements needed to establish the feasibility of an atomic bomb, is also discussed. Chadwick's precise and penetrating insight of the bomb's feasibility, was presented in the final Maud Report that was sent, prior to the bombing of Pearl Harbour, to the U.S.A. It was this Report that convinced the Americans that an atomic bomb was a feasible and obtainable objective and started, as a matter of urgency, American fission bomb research. A brief history of fission and the events surrounding its discovery is also presented, as is a comparative discussion on the German and Japanese progress in atomic bomb research in World War Two. It would not have been possible to give specific details of many of the above events without primary source material to substantiate them The author has located a large number of previously un-published letters, documents and photographs - only some of which have been included - but all of which are being incorporated into a Chadwick Archive at Liverpool University.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	23 Oct 2023 10:18
Last Modified:	23 Oct 2023 10:32
DOI:	10.17638/03175960
Copyright Statement:	Copyright © and Moral Rights for this thesis and any accompanying data (where applicable) are retained by the author and/or other copyright owners. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge.
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3175960