Heisenberg and the critical mass
Abstract
An elementary treatment of the critical mass used in nuclear weapons is presented and applied to an analysis of the wartime activities of the German nuclear program. In particular, the work of Werner Heisenberg based on both wartime and postwar documents is discussed.
- Publication:
-
American Journal of Physics
- Pub Date:
- September 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1119/1.1495409
- Bibcode:
- 2002AmJPh..70..911B
- Keywords:
-
- 01.65.+g;
- 28.70.+y;
- 89.20.Dd;
- History of science;
- Nuclear explosions;
- Military technology and weapons systems;
- arms control