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The atomic bomb: its history and the struggles of scientists

Shoji Nagamiya

Abstract

In this article, I trace the early historical developments that ultimately led to the creation of the atomic bomb. Even after the completion of weapons, many scientists continued to argue that nuclear armaments were indispensable for maintaining the global balance of political power [1]. This study focuses on several scientists who confronted profound moral dilemmas concerning the use of bombs against Japan. Some openly opposed its deployment. Others sought to warn a Japanese physicist in the hope of averting further devastation. Still, others expressed deep remorse in its aftermath. In addition, the experience of an individual directly affected by the bombing is discussed. By examining these episodes, this article aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on how scientific research should be guided by ethical principles in the future.

The atomic bomb: its history and the struggles of scientists

Abstract

In this article, I trace the early historical developments that ultimately led to the creation of the atomic bomb. Even after the completion of weapons, many scientists continued to argue that nuclear armaments were indispensable for maintaining the global balance of political power [1]. This study focuses on several scientists who confronted profound moral dilemmas concerning the use of bombs against Japan. Some openly opposed its deployment. Others sought to warn a Japanese physicist in the hope of averting further devastation. Still, others expressed deep remorse in its aftermath. In addition, the experience of an individual directly affected by the bombing is discussed. By examining these episodes, this article aims to contribute to the ongoing discourse on how scientific research should be guided by ethical principles in the future.

Paper Structure

This paper contains 18 sections, 1 equation, 13 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Preface
  2. Fermi and the Neutron Beam
  3. Fermi’s Escape to the United States
  4. From the Discovery of Nuclear Fission to the Chain Reaction
  5. Toward CP-1 (Chicago Pile No.1)
  6. Developments in the United Kingdom
  7. The Manhattan Project
  8. Political Aspects of 1945
  9. Before the Bombing of Japan and the Dilemma among Scientists
  10. The View from the US Army toward Japan
  11. Scientists in the Midst of the Bombing
  12. Two Scientists After the War
  13. J. Robert Oppenheimer
  14. Owen Chamberlain
  15. Survivors from the Atomic Bomb
  16. ...and 3 more sections

Figures (13)

  • Figure 1: Left: Enrico Fermi (1901--1954). Right: James Chadwick and a schematic illustration of the atomic nucleus, showing its constituent protons and neutrons.
  • Figure 2: Two letters from Enrico Fermi to G. B. Pegram, Chair of the Department of Physics at Columbia University. The letter on the left, dated 4 September 1938, inquires about a possible position at Columbia, while the one on the right, written shortly thereafter, informs Pegram of Fermi’s plan to travel from Stockholm to the United States on the occasion of the Nobel Prize ceremony. Both letters are reproduced from Ref. lee.
  • Figure 3: Scientists associated with the discovery of nuclear fission. From left: Friedrich Strassmann, Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner, and Otto R. Frisch (top). Their schematic explanation of the fission process is shown at the bottom.
  • Figure 4: Leó Szilárd (left) and his concept of a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction capable of releasing an enormous amount of energy.
  • Figure 5: The Chicago Pile No. 1 (CP-1) reactor directed by Enrico Fermi (left) and several of the scientists involved in its construction (right).
  • ...and 8 more figures