Get to know Oppenheimer, the Father of the World Atomic Bomb
Ever heard of the name Oppenheimer? You may only know the name Albert Einstein in the world of physics. Though there is still another name that is very important in the development of physics. For this reason, knowing Oppenheimer, the Father of the World Atomic Bomb is important.
Julius Robert Oppenheimer was a theoretical physicist dubbed the Father of the Atomic Bomb.
The figure who was born in New York, United States on April 22, 1904, has contributed a lot to atomic and nuclear physics.
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| Julius Robert Oppenheimer (PHOTOGRAPH BY CORBIS HISTORICAL, GETTY IMAGES) |
Oppenheimer was also one of the nuclear physicists involved in the Manhattan Project.
The Manhattan Project was a research project developed by the United States with support from Britain and Canada during World War II.
The early life of Oppenheimer
Julius Robert Oppenheimer was the son of Ella and Julius Seligmann Oppenheimer.
Ella was a painter, while her father, Julius, was a successful textile importer.
Julius Robert Oppenheimer began his education at Alcuin Preparatory School.
In 1911, Oppenheimer continued his education at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School in New York. When he was 18 years old, the intelligent Oppenheimer managed to enter Harvard, where he majored in chemistry.
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Three years later, around 1925, Oppenheimer graduated from Harvard summa laude.
During his time at Harvard, Oppenheimer also excelled in Latin and Greek, physics, and chemistry.
He also published several poems and studied Eastern Philosophy, as well as various schools of philosophical thought originating from Asia.
Although Oppenheimer's educational life went easily, he experienced mental health problems.
After completing his education, Oppenheimer sailed to England to conduct research at the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge.
Under the control of Lord Ernest Rutherford, Oppenheimer had the opportunity to cooperate with the British scientific community in conducting atomic research.
At that time, another physicist, Max Born, invited Oppenheimer to the University of Göttingen in Germany, where he met other famous physicists, such as Niels Bohr and Paul A.M. Dirac. Still, at the same university, Julius Robert Oppenheimer earned his doctorate in 1927.
Involved in the Manhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research project developed by the United States with support from Britain and Canada during World War II.
The Manhattan Project was a secret project to develop the world's first nuclear weapon.
Between 1942 and 1946, the Manhattan Project was run under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the U.S. Army.
Meanwhile, Oppenheimer was appointed director of a secret laboratory at Los Alamos, New Mexico, with the task of designing the atomic bomb.
As the director, Oppenheimer sought to figure out what it would take to trigger and sustain the kind of neutron chain reactions essential to creating a nuclear explosion.
Oppenheimer's expertise and intelligence at that time also made his superiors feel amazed. Even Oppenheimer's ambition and skill have inspired other scientists.
Furthermore, in 1945, Oppenheimer and other thinkers gathered at the Trinity test site south of Los Alamos to conduct the world's first nuclear experiment.
The world's first nuclear test was a tense event. The atomic bomb was named Gadget.
Oppenheimer's atomic bomb destroys Hiroshima-Nagasaki
The two atomic bombs developed by Oppenheimer became the most recognizable atomic bombs of all time.
Not only that but the atomic bomb is also known to have successfully ended World War II when it was dropped by the United States on August 6 and August 9 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The atomic bomb used to bomb Hiroshima was named Little Boy, while the one to bomb Nagasaki was named Fat Man.
The atomic bomb killed at least 110,000 people and devastated both cities on an unprecedented scale of destruction.
Although Oppenheimer was proud of his achievement in creating the atomic bomb, there was regret in him after learning how many civilians had to be killed by the explosion.
After many achievements, Julius Robert Oppenheimer died on February 18, 1967, at the age of 62.
References: Hewlett, Richard G. Anderson, Jr. Oscar E. (1962). The New World 1939/1946: A History of the United States Atomic Energy Commission Volume I. Pennsylvania: The Pennsylvania State University Press.