Record of the first nuclear chain reaction, which occurred on 2 December 1942 in the atomic pile built by Enrico Fermi & colleagues in a University of
Record of the first nuclear chain reaction, which occurred on 2 December 1942 in the atomic pile built by Enrico Fermi & colleagues in a University of Chicago squash court. The plot records neutron intensity as a function of time. Just left of centre are 3 successive increases in neutron intensity, caused by progressive removal of the main control rod. Each rise levels off because the pile is still sub-critical. At far right is an exponential peak, with no levelling off. It marks the onset of criticality - the first chain reaction - at pm. The peak declines sharply after insertion of the safety control rod.
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Photo credit: © ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: atomic, bomb, chain, early, energy, historical, history, manhattan, nuclear, pile, power, project, reaction, research, technology, trace, weapon, weapons
