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The electron is fundamental to almost all aspects of modern life,
controlling the behavior of atoms and how they bind together to
form gases, liquids, and solids. Flash of the Cathode Rays: A
History of J.J. Thomson's Electron presents the compelling story of
the discovery of the electron and its role as the first subatomic
particle in nature. The book traces the evolution of the concept of
electrical charge, from the earliest glow discharge studies to the
final cathode ray and oil drop experiments of J.J. Thomson and
Robert Millikan. It also provides an overview of the history of
modern physics up to the advent of the old quantum theory around
1920. Consolidating scholarly material while incorporating new
material discovered by the well-respected author, the book covers
the continental and English race for the source of the cathode
rays, culminating in Thomson's corpuscle in 1897. It explores the
events leading to Millikan's unambiguous isolation of the electron
and the simultaneous circumstances surrounding the birth of Ernest
Rutherford's nuclear atom and the discovery of radioactivity in
1896. The author also focuses on the controversies over N-rays,
Becquerel's positive electron, and the famous Ehrenhaft-Millikan
dispute over subelectrons. Scholarly yet accessible to those with
basic physics knowledge, this book should be of interest to
historians of science, professional scientists and engineers,
teachers and students of physics, and general readers interested in
the development of modern physics.
Heavy water (deuterium oxide) played a sinister role in the race
for nuclear energy during the World War II. It was a key factor in
Germany's bid to harness atomic energy primarily as a source of
electric power; its acute shortage was a factor in Japan's decision
not to pursue seriously nuclear weaponry; its very existence was a
nagging thorn in the side of the Allied powers. Books and films
have dwelt on the Allies' efforts to deny the Germans heavy water
by military means; however, a history of heavy water has yet to be
written. Filling this gap, Heavy Water and the Wartime Race for
Nuclear Energy concentrates on the circumstances whereby Norway
became the preeminent producer of heavy water and on the scientific
role the rare isotope of hydrogen played in the wartime efforts by
the Axis and Allied powers alike. Instead of a purely technical
treatise on heavy water, the book describes the social history of
the subject. The book covers the discovery and early uses of
deuterium before World War II and its large-scale production by
Norsk Hydro in Norway, especially under German control. It also
discusses the French-German race for the Norwegian heavy-water
stocks in 1940 and heavy water's importance for the subsequent
German uranium project, including the Allied sabotage and bombing
of the Norwegian plants, as well as its lesser role in Allied
projects, especially in the United States and Canada. The book
concludes with an overall assessment of the importance and the
perceived importance of heavy water for the German program, which
alone staked everything on heavy water in its quest for a nuclear
chain reaction.
Heavy water (deuterium oxide) played a sinister role in the race
for nuclear energy during the World War II. It was a key factor in
Germany's bid to harness atomic energy primarily as a source of
electric power; its acute shortage was a factor in Japan's decision
not to pursue seriously nuclear weaponry; its very existence was a
nagging thorn in the side of the Allied powers. Books and films
have dwelt on the Allies' efforts to deny the Germans heavy water
by military means; however, a history of heavy water has yet to be
written. Filling this gap, Heavy Water and the Wartime Race for
Nuclear Energy concentrates on the circumstances whereby Norway
became the preeminent producer of heavy water and on the scientific
role the rare isotope of hydrogen played in the wartime efforts by
the Axis and Allied powers alike. Instead of a purely technical
treatise on heavy water, the book describes the social history of
the subject. The book covers the discovery and early uses of
deuterium before World War II and its large-scale production by
Norsk Hydro in Norway, especially under German control. It also
discusses the French-German race for the Norwegian heavy-water
stocks in 1940 and heavy water's importance for the subsequent
German uranium project, including the Allied sabotage and bombing
of the Norwegian plants, as well as its lesser role in Allied
projects, especially in the United States and Canada. The book
concludes with an overall assessment of the importance and the
perceived importance of heavy water for the German program, which
alone staked everything on heavy water in its quest for a nuclear
chain reaction.
The electron is fundamental to almost all aspects of modern life,
controlling the behavior of atoms and how they bind together to
form gases, liquids, and solids. Flash of the Cathode Rays: A
History of J.J. Thomson's Electron presents the compelling story of
the discovery of the electron and its role as the first subatomic
particle in nature. The book traces the evolution of the concept of
electrical charge, from the earliest glow discharge studies to the
final cathode ray and oil drop experiments of J.J. Thomson and
Robert Millikan. It also provides an overview of the history of
modern physics up to the advent of the old quantum theory around
1920. Consolidating scholarly material while incorporating new
material discovered by the well-respected author, the book covers
the continental and English race for the source of the cathode
rays, culminating in Thomson's corpuscle in 1897. It explores the
events leading to Millikan's unambiguous isolation of the electron
and the simultaneous circumstances surrounding the birth of Ernest
Rutherford's nuclear atom and the discovery of radioactivity in
1896. The author also focuses on the controversies over N-rays,
Becquerel's positive electron, and the famous Ehrenhaft-Millikan
dispute over subelectrons. Scholarly yet accessible to those with
basic physics knowledge, this book should be of interest to
historians of science, professional scientists and engineers,
teachers and students of physics, and general readers interested in
the development of modern physics.
From Nuclear Transmutation to Nuclear Fission, 1932-1939 deals with
a particular phase in the early history of nuclear physics: the
race among four laboratory teams to be the first to achieve the
transmutation of atomic nuclei with artificially accelerated
nuclear projectiles (protons) in high-voltage discharge tubes. This
volume covers the background of the development of particle
accelerators in the 1920s, the growth of the laboratories and their
teams, the race itself, and its aftermath.
The book provides an overview of the history of nuclear physics,
from Ernest Rutherford's nuclear atom of 1911 to nuclear fission on
the eve of World War II. It focuses on the details of the
laboratory "race," which was won by the English team in 1932. The
volume also covers the reaction of the different laboratories to
the discovery of nuclear fission, their wartime roles, and a brief
epilogue on the later careers of the principal personalities.
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