The+Scientists+That+Created+and+Tested+Nuclear+Power-P5

=Hannah= = = = = =__The Scientists Behind Nuclear Power__=

Many of the scientists who worked on the atomic bomb were also connected to the hydrogen bomb. When the topic of nuclear weapons was first breached, Julius Robert Oppenheimer was for the creation of a fission bomb and Edward Teller the fusion bomb. There are two types of nuclear bombs, fission and fusion. The atomic bomb is a fission bomb, which means that it gains its power from the separation of atoms whereas the hydrogen/fusion bomb gains its power from the bonding of atoms. Fusion bombs release more power than fission bombs.

The Atomic bomb and all nuclear power in general were made possible by a discovery by an Italian-American named **Enrico Fermi** (1901-1954). Fermi discovered that in splitting an atom of uranium by hitting it with neutrons releases more neutrons. Those neutrons split more neutrons creating a huge chain reaction of destruction. He was a key member of the Manhattan Project, which created and tested the first atomic bomb. He believed that the chain reaction set by testing the fission bomb would never end and destroy the world.


 * Julius Robert Oppenheimer** (1904-1967) was a theoretical physicist and Director of the Los Alamos Laboratories, where the first atomic bomb was designed and created. He is often referred to as the "father" of the atomic bomb. Oppenheimer received his education from Harvard University in Massachusetts and Cambridge University in England. He was an influential part of the shift of international defense and war into the Nuclear Age. Though the United States Government honored him for his assistance in the creation of the weapon that helped to end World War II, he was later accused of disloyalty. This accusation was made because after the Soviet Union tested their first atomic bomb he proposed smaller nuclear weapons and was hesitant to engage in an nuclear arms race. He was given the choice to resign from his position on the Atomic Energy Comission (AEC) or have a hearing. His trial ruled that his opposition towards the creation of the hydrogen bomb was not grounds for his dismissal from the AEC. His associations with Communists from Berkeley were believed by the board to show a "serious disregard for the security system." He was stripped of his security clearance and all of his power and influence was lost.

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 * Edward Teller** (1908- ) is the "father" of the American hydrogen bomb. He did work on the atomic bomb, but never gave it as much focus as he did the hydrogen bomb. It was while working in the theoretical division at Los Alamos Laboratories that he was given the job to prove that the atomic blast would not destroy the earth. This was the time that he discovered that a more powerful weapon, fusion bomb, could be created. Despite his attempts, the U.S. government did not follow up on his discovery until the Soviet Union acquired atomic technology. Work on the Hydrogen bomb began in 1951. Because of Oppenheimer's objections toward the project, the rest of the research was finished in California at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratories. The first hydrogen bomb was tested in 1952.


 * Andrei Sakharov** (1921-1989) was the "father" of the Russian hydrogen bomb. When he was twenty-seven he disappeared to work on the top-secret hydrogen bomb project. The H-Bomb team worked in a secret city, "Installation", where he spent the next eighteen years of his life. By 1950, Sakharov and his partner Igor Tamm had come up with a theoretical basis for a controlled thermonuclear fusion. This type of reaction was peaceful and could be used to create electricity, but some of their research was also directed towards more violent uses. Sakharov created the device that uses a fission explosion to set off the more powerful hydrogen fusion bomb. Towards the end of the 1950's Andrei began to seriously consider the ethicality of his scientific advancements and became outspoken about his disagreement concerning the Soviet government.

These four men were some of the most influential people in the research and creation of nuclear energy and they are mainly responsible for bringing the world into the age of nuclear defense and warfare, thus making them hugely important to history. We learn about them in school because if it weren't for the American scientists World War II might have ended a different way and we would not be the super power we are. I included the information on Andrei Sakharov because I feel that it is necessary for us to learn that we were not the only country creating nuclear weapons. Thankfully, we were the first to make this discovery, but we were not the only ones. It is essential to remember that the world would be a different place if not for these dedicated men.

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