On the morning of July 16, 1945 at around 5:30 a bomb detonated in the desert of New Mexico, USA. This was no ordinary explosion; it was the world’s first test of a nuclear bomb. Codenamed “Trinity,” the test marked a major milestone in the Manhattan Project, a highly secretive effort led by physicist Robert J. Oppenheimer. Let’s check out a chapter in the story of Robert Oppenheimer.
Oppenheimer had estimated the explosion’s power to be around 0.3 kilotons of TNT, but the blast surprised him, reaching a devastating 15-20 kilotons. The intense heat instantly vaporized a steel tower, and the shockwave was felt up to 160 kilometers away. A massive mushroom cloud rose nearly 12 kilometers into the sky, a sight both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
As he watched the explosion’s impact, Oppenheimer famously quoted a line from the Bhagavad Gita:
Now I Am Become Death, The Destroyer Of Worlds.
We might wonder, how did Oppenheimer know about the Bhagavad Gita? The Trinity test deeply affected him, marking a turning point in his life. While he had helped create a powerful weapon, Oppenheimer soon became a vocal advocate for nuclear disarmament, haunted by the destructive potential he had helped unlock.
Story Of Robert Oppenheimer
Julius Robert Oppenheimer, known as the “Father of the Atomic Bomb,” directed the Manhattan Project, which developed the first nuclear weapons. Born in 1904 to a German-Jewish family in New York City, Oppenheimer was considered a child prodigy. By age 10, he was studying advanced physics and chemistry and had impressive knowledge of mineralogy. At just 12, he was invited to lecture at the New York Mineralogical Club.
In 1922, when he attended Harvard to complete his graduation, Oppenheimer earned his four-year degree in just three years, finishing at the top of his class. He majored in chemistry and displayed knowledge in various subjects, including physics, philosophy, literature, and even Eastern religion. However, during his time at Harvard, he realized that his true passion lay in physics. Later, in 1923, at the age of 23, he completed his PhD, but a darker side lingered beneath the surface. His friends noted that Oppenheimer exhibited self-destructive tendencies. Robert Oppenheimer was a chain smoker and suffered from depression. He once told his brother:
I Need Physics More Than Friends
Oppenheimer and the Impact of Nazi Germany
He focused primarily on his studies rather than the outside world until the 1930s, when Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany. Gradually, he became more politically aware due to Hitler’s tyranny. Many German scientists fled to America during this time, including notable figures like Albert Einstein, John von Neumann, who pioneered modern computers, Leo Szilard, and Enrico Fermi, all of whom would play important roles in the story of Robert Oppenheimer. Hans Bethe, who discovered fusion in stars, and Edward Teller, the father of the hydrogen bomb, were also among them. Most of these scientists were German Jewish, which resonated with Oppenheimer, who came from a German Jewish family. As he began to pay attention to the atrocities committed against the Jews, his interest in politics began to develop. This is a quote from him in 1936:
I began to understand how deeply political and economic events could affect men’s lives. I began to feel the need to participate more fully in the life of the community. “Oppenheimer started going to political meetings and discussion groups. He began giving money to support causes like labor unions and striking farm workers”
Influenced by left-wing ideology, Oppenheimer attended many political meetings and donated money to various labor unions and striking farm workers. In September 1939, when Hitler invaded Poland, it marked the beginning of World War II. Although America was not yet ready to engage in the conflict, the country was preparing for the worst.
Research on Uranium & Nuclear Chain Reaction
In August 1939, Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard wrote a letter to American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, warning him that Hitler was working on nuclear weapons and might succeed in creating an extremely powerful bomb. They urged the President to prepare for this threat. Upon reading the letter, Roosevelt set up an advisory committee on uranium, taking immediate action. A team of scientists and military personnel was formed to investigate whether uranium could be developed into a weapon.
Following the committee’s findings, the U.S. government began funding research led by Enrico Fermi and Leo Szilard to explore how nuclear chain reactions work and how to separate uranium isotopes. It’s important to note that naturally occurring uranium on Earth is primarily uranium-238, with less than 1% being the isotope uranium-235. Only uranium-235 can be used to make bombs, so the scientists’ first challenge was to find a way to isolate uranium-235 from uranium-238. However, the American government instructed these scientists not to share information with Albert Einstein, fearing his left-leaning ideology might pose a security risk.
Interestingly, Einstein valued sleep highly, sleeping around 10 hours a night and even taking strategic naps during the day. This stands in stark contrast to today’s social media motivational “gurus,” who often advocate for minimal sleep, claiming that successful people get by on just 5-6 hours a night. In reality, adequate sleep is essential for everyone’s health and productivity. Apart from a few exceptions, most people need 7-9 hours of sleep to perform at their best.
Discovery of Plutonium in the Story of Robert Oppenheimer
In December 1940, while conducting independent research on nuclear fission, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Edward Teller, and other scientists discovered another element that could potentially be used to make nuclear weapons: plutonium. On October 11, 1941, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a message to British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, proposing collaboration between the two countries on atomic development. Less than two months later, on December 7, 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, and the United States officially entered World War II.
A State of War has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire
President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced that the United States would join the Allied powers fighting against Germany and Japan. By this point, it was clear that the scientific mission of developing nuclear weapons had turned into a military endeavor. The U.S. ultimately spent $2.2 billion on this project, equivalent to about $24 billion today, or nearly 2 trillion Indian rupees.
The American military’s engineering branch, the Army Corps of Engineers—responsible for building ports and airfields for the military—was approved by President Roosevelt in June 1942 to take part in this effort. The Corps’ North Atlantic Division office was located in Manhattan, New York City, and when they received the task of developing the nuclear weapon, they established their headquarters in the same building on the 18th floor. These headquarters became known as the Manhattan Engineer District.
Manhattan Project
On August 13, 1942 the U.S. military set a course for the project, and the following month, on September 17, Colonel Leslie Richard Groves was appointed as its head. Groves chose J. Robert Oppenheimer to lead the design of the atomic bomb. To keep the project secret, they selected a hidden location in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which came to be known as the “Secret City” because an entire city was constructed solely for this mission. Thousands of scientists, researchers, and workers relocated there, all with a single purpose: to produce uranium-235 from uranium-238.
The key issue was that uranium-238 is not fissionable and cannot sustain the nuclear chain reaction necessary to create a bomb. Extracting uranium-235 was crucial, as only uranium-235 can undergo such a reaction. The plan was to test four different methods to separate uranium-235 from uranium-238: gaseous diffusion, centrifugation, electromagnetic separation, and liquid thermal diffusion. After evaluating these four methods, two were somewhat successful: electromagnetic separation and gaseous diffusion. In electromagnetic separation, a large apparatus is used to separate uranium-235 from uranium-238 effectively.
Gaseous Diffusion and Plutonium Production in Nuclear Development
In gaseous diffusion, uranium hexafluoride gas is passed through a porous membrane. This process allows the lighter uranium-235 molecules to pass through while filtering out the heavier uranium-238 molecules.
In addition to these efforts, there was a search for a third site to design and manufacture the bombs. General Groves emphasized the need for a remote location to ensure that the project remained a secret. Oppenheimer identified the perfect spot: the Pecos Valley in New Mexico. It was a place where he had spent happy summers, surrounded by stunning mountains and beautiful landscapes. After establishing all the necessary locations, the final step was clear: they needed to conduct practical tests to initiate a chain reaction.
