THE FIRST ARTIFICIAL NUCLEAR TRANSFORMATION AND THE FIRST "ATOM SMASHER MACHINE"

COCKCROFT, J.D. & E.T.S. WALTON.

Experiments with High Velocity Positive Ions. (I-) II. (II. Disintegration of Elements by High Velocity Protons. (2 papers).

London, Harrison and Sons, 1930 a. 1932. Royal8vo. 2 contemp. full cloth. A stamp to verso of titlepages. In: "Proceedings of the Royal Society", Series A, vol. 129 and vol. 137. V,698,XXXVIII pp., plates, textillustr. and portraits. + V,724, plates and textillustr. (Entire volumes offered). Cockcroft & Walton's papers: pp. 477-489, textillustr. a. 1 plate (vol. 129) + pp. 229-242, textillustr. and 1 plate (vol. 137).

Firs appearance of these two milestone papers in nuclear physics recording the set up of the first proton accelerator and describing the first nuclear reaction brought about artificially. the first paper describing the sccelarator, the second the nuclear reaction. their experiment with the accelerator is regarded as the first demonstration of the mass-energy equivalence. cockcroft and walton were awarded the nobel prize in 1951.

"Cockcroft, with the assistance of Walton, devised aninstrument in 1929 that could built up voltages(a voltage multiplier) and, in so doing, accelerate protons (which are easy to obtain by ionizing hydrogen atoms) to energies higher than those of natural alpha particles. In 1932 Cockcroft and Walton mbombarded lithium with such protons and produced alpha particles. It was clear, that what they had done was to combine lithium and hydrogen to form helium. This was the first nuclear reaction brought about through artificially accelerated particles and wihtout the aid of any form of natural activity....
Both during and after World War II, Cockcroft was engaged in work having to do with the development of the atomic bomb. And, as it happened, his very first artificially-induced nuclear reaction, that of lithium with hydrogen, proved to be of GREAT IMPORTENCE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HYDROGEN BOMB."(Asimov).

Sigmund Brandt "The Harvest of as Century", Episode 50.

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