Manhattan District History; Book IV - Pile Project; X - 10; Volume I - General Features

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Thio voluao of Book IT of tho ^ianhattaa Hatriat Mi*tor/ hao bora wrlttoa to prorido tho k-oador with tho background noooaoary for a oloaror undorataading of tho auooooding — Trow of thio book. A briof dloouooiaa of tho Indopandont roaooroh oa radioaotirlty and nuoloar phyoloo loading up to tho dlooorary of ylutonlua la proooatod* ao wall m tho M a tniatratiTO arroagoaoato undor whloh tho Pllo Projoot hoo oporatod froa Joauary 194* to SI noooabor 1946. Poatureo which haro booa o o a m to aoro thaa ono phoao of tho Pllo Projoot ■ro inoludod la thla roluaa to avoid ropotltloa la ouoooodlai; roluaao. Book IT of tho Maahattaa Dio trio* Hiotory ha* booa wrlttoa ao of IX Daooabor 1944* la aa offort to proooat a ol«ar« ooasrohoaolvo hiotory of tho Pllo Projoot to that dato, adauto dotallo and highly t.chaioal dloouoolooo haro booa avoided whoravar poaaiblo. Tho annaarji ooatoiao aa abotraot of ovory aaln subjoot troatod la tho toxt and lo koyod to tho tori ia auoh a aanaor that paragraph nuabaro and hoadlngo ia tho suaoary oorroopoad to tho varlouo oootloao 3*o oupploooatary aatorial, or roforoneoo aro inoludod la **\r ▼oluao. A. gloooary of torao io prooentod la Appendix a. Othor phooao of tho hiotory of tho Pile iYojoot aro doaoribad in* Book IT - Vbluao 2 - Raaaaroh

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vom m i - asm tm features 2-3 Discovery and Effects of Neutrons SECTION 3 - A I MIST RATIO H 3-3 Offic«^>f Scientific Research and Development 3-4 Manhattan Engineer District 4-5 Selection of Contractors 3 . University of Chicago b* Stone and Webster Engineering Corporation

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distribution of iafocncatioa 6,1 6-6 Security of Cnforreation 6*2 SECTION 8 - CARE OP HEAL BSTATB 8-2 Village Rsaidencea and Buaineaa .Buildings 8*1 8-3 Farma and Orcharda 0*1 --5 Sfcreeta and Highways 3%2 3-6 Electric Power Linsa 3.2 c, General Electric Company

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by ssany attaipts to convert uranium to m m olor.ento higher in the atonic scale by bombardment with neutron.. This work established the fact that uraniua-235 and uranium-238 fission upon bombardment. In 1940. h o m w , evidence obtained proving that uranium can undergo trmnmautation to new elements higlwr la the atoaic scale. This « u followed by the dieoovery end isolation of plutonitmu 8. Administration. . sttort* were cede to Interest the Ocvernasnt la resesroh oa uranium fission beceuse of the possible military use of the large aaounta of energy released by fiealoa. This resulted la the formation of the Advisory Coamittea oa Uranium. With the organisation of the National Defense Research Committee* nuclear physics researoh oa uranium was conducted at several universities under HDHC contracts. Xa Oeoesaber 1941, the t&ranium Section was reorganised under the Qffioe of Soiantifie Research and Qsveloptnent and aa "all out" effort wee begua et the tmivereity of Chicago under the direction of Dr. A. H. Ccrspton. The Manhattan Engineer District was organised and assuoed over-all direotloa ef the Pile Project effective Id August 194*. The OSHD re- .mined in charge of research until 1 Hay 1949 whea the Sushettaa Dist rict assumed full jurisdiction over all phases of the Project* differed from the usual procedure because the urgent military need fcr plutonium did not permit the completion of the ou«ternary exhaustive research end pilot plant studies prior to design and oonetructlon of the large scale production plants. Ihe research program was conducted under the auspices of the Metallurgical Laboratory at the University of Chicago* The separation chemistry of the Pile PTojcot was studied on a

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d ira otly affootod the >utcarr» o f the ^ and I t «m » thH it a i. neoes. history *as cheeked and, a fte r m vXoymntt each person *a» ^ aoeea. to only such information as wm necessary fo r tfas aoepUbioa o f h i* task* Personnel wrere allowed to enter only those arsas in «hioh tfMy worked and *ere constantly w in d ed a f th eir security o b lig a ti* * * saant and ju risdiction m » latch greater a t the SmTord Btsgineer ffcrfes than at the itaiversity of Chicago or a t the Clinton Laboratories hmwnrf o f the a t** o f the Project and the msaber <*f persons p lo yed * Zte Jtate aoforoad by the C«*fcractor*s patrolnett, afeo worn deputised by the Bentm County s h eriff* A special set of tram * m guUM m * w e enacted by the ^arraiss loners o f Beaton Comty, fb» antlre reservation was re s trlo - permitted on the plant area* dur5ng the construction period but have since been boarded up. at ao». wrfced for other uses* The farm and orolnrdS h a w been operated by Fradoral Prison Industries. One jfrrigatioa district 1* being used ani ths other has been abandoned. The highways and railroad .have been improved suid one oleotric power line has boon diasvmtled rfhile the others

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are being maintained and aome portion* ar® ia uaa. the National ?ef«nse Heseareh vosmittee and was later direoted by a auboomitfeM of the Office of Scientific Tte*earoh and Development. In August 1942 tha Manhattan engineer District was formed and from 1 May 1943 unljtjl 51 Decsaber 1946 tha Project has been undap tha diraotioa of has served aa Diraator of tha ttetallurgio*l Projectj tha VSX Division of tha iSaplosives Department and tha Sngineering Department of tha du Pont Company were ia oharga of dasign and construction of tha Hanford Engineer Storks and Clinton tabors tar las and of operation of tha Hanford Sngineer tforke, until 31 August 1944, at which time, tha Ceneral Slaotria Company assumed responsibility for operating tha Sanford phase of

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for the production plants and attendant service and housing facilities, yet remote from large centers of population, and near abundant supplies of water and 9* The construction of intricate production plants, on which the design was ever-changing, and attendant service and housing facilities, in ths shortest pos sible time, during a period in which the supplies of labor# construction equipment, and building materials ?* The full-scale operation of unorthodox production plants without the benefit of complete research or «* Bie protection of all personnel Area the serious health hasards that aeeoapany all stages of the process* a* All action in connection with the institution and proseouticn of this project was taken under authority granted by Congress in the Acts which are described in another book (Book I)| the funds used wore likewise appropriated by Acts there described# b, Under the authority vested in hi* by these Acts, the President of the United States issued orders and authorisations which are described in the sans book (Book I)# o* Major General L* ft* Groves directed or authorised the general policies and directives under which the JJanhattan District carried out the work* The 3-1 Committee of the OSHD and the Military

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irrrolvod, as rtoordsd in tho *iaut»s of asstlags or in other documents U tiw pro jest filss« (Hook III, Appsadix Dl| i h also Ssotioa Organise tion and Fnrseaast).

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ooverad in 1896 by 3. Becquercl* He had wrapped a bit of a uranium salt in black paper and placed it near a photographic plate with a sheet of silver between the aalt and the photographic plate, ifter a few hours a distinct photograph!* effect m m observed which indicate* that the uranium salt gave off setae radiation sufficiently penetrating to pass through the silver plate and affect the photographic emulsion. Subsequent experiments with different salts of uranium proved that the emission came fro* the uranium* This work was followed lay the iso* lation of radium by P* Curie and H* Curie in 189* and the discovery that thorium, polonium, raditas* and actinium also gave off penetrat* ing radiations* A great many substances were later found to be radio* active, but practically all of these appeared to come originally Stem either uranium or thorium* Subsequent work proved that three series of naturally radioactive elements exist* The starting materials, uraniiu&-2$®, uraaium>»288# and thorium, disintegrate naturally, forming radioactive elements lower in the atomic seal** This cycle Is re* peated until stable isotopes of lead are fcrmsd as the final products of all three series* The flret general theory of radioactive trans formations, that the disintegration of an atom is accompanied by the sent into another, the dream of scientists since the earliest days of

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lmter f swat t* be plutoaiua-zsi, fh twila a lil t m dissever** hy 1 M 1 , The first pure plateata»4*9 was lseUte4 la the fora ef its

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delivering plwtoaloo ayproatlaatoly throo yaaro nftor tha aaatrallaatloa of rmmh uador tho Jlotnllorglaol Projoot. oorh on tho ffaaford plaato aad fete ailatoa Uboratarioo «ao ^ogroaoiag problaoo o* the laafard Snglaoor Arti, Snglaoor *orko raqulrod ooaploto corporation batonaa tho roaoarah u 4 daalga organlaatlona, tiaoo thaao plaato a m tho firat of their typo to bo daolgaed and tho doolgn had to bo aeffieiently floaifele to pomit ahaagoo diotatod by anhaaqneat roaoarah tad oponiiot, Thia «aa par* tiottlarly tree ia tho dealga af tho Separation Plants ohioh were finally doaigaod far tho uao of oithor of too preeaaaea* tho quality af tho dooiin oork oao thorn by tho abilitf of the Pileo to oporato under uaforaeeea oenditlone and tho ability of tho antiro plant to praduoo at or above tho propoaod aapaaity (800 Tel. «). *-*• Saiaatloa of Sontraataro.

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tlaa ar*aniantl«». AM tha paak af aatirltjrf Jaaa 19dd# 90* of 1«» daalfft and aonatrnatloa flaraaa n r * aaplayad on tha Pila •ad tralnad far Sdafard Stiflnaar *arka oparatlna a* tha Katallurgiaal Labaratarjr and at CXlataa Ubaratarlaa. Tha T rim Caa tra aW aaardad aaay •abaontraata far apaalallaad *ark, la ardar ta faallltata aanatwatlaa by atillaUf aa mail privately cwnad aqalpaaat at poaalbla and ta radaaa tha bardaa af labar raaralteaat. tlaa af raapaaalbUltgr ralatlaa ta aparatla* af tha Saafnrd ftt«iaaor Wtofe u d alliad raaaarah w a nadartafca* by tha Oaaaral Slaotrla Oaapaaf, Tha aa* aantraat far aparatlon «aa ldaatlaal ta that uadar whlah da fc*t had aparatad ftraa tha aoaplatlaa af aaaatraatiaa la Karah ltd* aataay ratlraaaat froa tha atoala flald* aahiavaaaat af tha aaahlaad afforta aad raaoaroaa af aur aalantlfla natlaa and dlraatiaa af thl» JVojaat, with ita prafata aalantlfla aad aaflnaarlnf prablaaa, fcara baan a graat faat af adalalatratioa* tha aaaaptlaaal dagraa af anoaaaa la attrlbntabla ta tha high oallbra, alaaa aaaparatlaa, aad foraalght af thaaa paraoaa rapraaaatlag tha Mrvaral raapaaalbla orgaalaatloaa la naaaf*naat# aalaatlfla aad taah* nlaal advaaaaaaata, aad aaflnaarlnf.

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IMS i* » approotinetely #487,753,108, acoarding to tha latest available dot*. Ihia mm inolodee the oooto of the Metallurgical laboratory, Clinton Laberatariee, oat tho Buford Xngineer Horko. Sot lnolude* la tho above toa a i« tho oooto of i dietrlet overhead! ilU tu yi il iii m fbed notarial*! aad othar plant* or projooto under tho Uuhattaa Dla** gioal Laboratory to 31 Ooooabor 194ft m approximately #33,894,388, ft breakdown of thla ooot ohooa that #3,984,378 aas apart for rwodolinf axlating faeilitioa and for a**r oeaatnaotlon, and that operating axponasa were approxlnataly #39,880*808, whilo aettlanaat of roatoratioa olaina anowted to $49,810 by tha oad of 1948* of thla *vm ahoa* that tha eoot of oonatraotion aao #15,041,000 and tha ooot of oporationa a u approxinately 122,250,000* jtofbrd laglnoar Work*. - Tha latoot available data ahona that tha total aoat of tho Banford Bngicasr ftorks to 31 Qeoaaher 1948 «ae $419,587,830, Tho ooot of oeaotrnotloa, 1348,101,340, in* oludlag #3,881,88ft for dealga, ia for all ooaatruotion oonpleted prior to 30 Juno 1948 bat inoludee liquidation of Project obligationa and ooat adjuatnanta through 81 Deoanber 194ft. Tho operation eoot, based

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of tbo f v s o *a4 orohsrio koto ) m m oporotoA olaoo tbo M^tiiitloi of

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th* S*tion«l Defense Heaeeroh Coaaittee of tha Offio* of Scientific Hataaroh and Development and latar wae reorganised directly under tha Offloa of Solantlfio Hataaroh and Devalopaent, Tha Itanhattan Diatriot of th* Ccrpe of Ingineera gradually aaauoed oontrol froaa August 1948 until aaauning complete jurladiotioa on 1 aay 194J* Tha work con tinued undar tha relating contraota and new oontrwota vara awarded aa tha Project expanded. Only organisations and peraonnel tha* vara otmo e m e d with several phaaea of tha Pile Project will be mentioned here* Contributions of organiratione wad personnel to any particular phae* of tha Project are diaouaaad in th* r*ap**tiv* succeeding rolnsaaa. periodio reporta on ita progreea vara urnda to hia until hit death and subsequently to Preaidant Barry 8* truman. Serving on th* Toy Policy Staff, General George 0. Kareh*ll. Manhattan Engineer Diatriot, the Pile Project waa under tha direction and later Director of tha Office of Scientific 3esearoh and

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Derelopaent, and Dr. J« 3, Conant, hie aaalatent* The progjraai ohief o. Manhattan Bnglneer District. - The Manhattan Snginaar District of the 0<xrp« of Bnglneers waa foraad during August 1941 by Colonel J« C. Marshall* Oft 17 Septsabsr 1942 Brigadier General, now Sajor Ceneral, L. X, Groves of tho Corps of Bngineere m s pleoed 1* ooKplsts ohargs of *11 Arwy sotlrltiss routing to tbs Manhattan Oiatrlot Protest, Brigadier General f* F. Ferrell has aeted ss hss served ss Deputy District Engineer In charge of ths Pile Project Chicago, Zlllnoisf Clinton Lahoretorlee, Osk &ldge» Tenneeeee# and Hanford and Richland, Washington* Laboratories and ths Hanford Engineer Works and hare opsratsd ths ooapany, entered into preliminary contract negotiations with ths OSfiD

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It it aosipoeed of twe proton* and tvs neutrons amt has an a tends rasaber of too amt aa atomio amss of four* artificial nislatagratloo. - Ths breaking up of aa *les»nt whioh has bssa exposed to bonberdaant with partiolos m a h as neutrons or Atgalo fcss. - A t m X * aass Is ths relative weight of any atos ooapared to 13 for $*ys*n. it Is equal to ths total number of protons and neutrons la ths nucleus. Atoals ?tiahsr» * fho stools nunbsr of any a t o % or Qlmetnt, is equal protoa posssssss a unit positivs electrical charts, ths atondo Beta PartlsU* • A bsta partiols is aa olestroa which, for convaniencs, nay lm assuasd to hairs basn assoolatsd with a proton ia ths nuolsus of aa atoa in ths fora of a nsutroa* Thus, whsn a bsta partiols is eaittsd, ths nuolsus contains ons rssro proton than bofors resulting in trsnsautation to an aleaeat cos niaabor higher in ths atomic seals. Chain Roaotlon, • Ths tara chain reaction refers to the method of

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conducting the fission process so that it is self-contained and Disintegration* • I>ieintegratian is a term used to describe the break ing up of an atom under certain conditions* If an atom dieinte grate* naturally. It is radioactive. Artificial disintegration is that resulting frai* the bambardmemt of an atom with sub-atomic Sanaa Radiation. - 3 a m radiation Is the radiation of energy resulting frcsi the complete conversion of ness to energy* The game* ray has sere eleetrioal charge and sere mass and possesses a frequency which is dependent upon its energy# Samoa rays may he likened te light rays …