LA-13577-T Thesis Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. 9e $ ~ o ;KJ (J)CPL Asfl Igniting the Light Elements: ~~~ The Los Alamos Thermonuclear Weapon Project, 1942-1952 Los Alamos NATIONAL LABORATORY Los Alamos National Laboratoy is opera fed by the tlniversify of California for fhe Unifed Sfafes Departrm?nf of Energy under con fracf W-7405-ENG-36. This thesis was accepted by the Department of Science and Technol- ogy Studies, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, in partial ful$llment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The text and illustrations are the independent work of the author and only the front matter has been edited by the ClC-l Writing and Editing Stafl to conform with Department of Energy and Los Alamos National Laboratoy publica- tion policies. An Affirmative Action/’Equal Opportzmify Employer This report was preparedasan accountof worksponsored by an agency of theUnited States Government.Neither The Regentsof theUniversity of Cal~ornia, the United States Government noranyagency thereoJ nor any of their employees, makes anywarranty,express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness,or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed, or represents that its usewould not infringeprivately ownedrights. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer,or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by The Regents of the University of Calfornia, the United States Government, or any agency thereof. The views and opinionsof authorsexpressed herein do not necessarily state or ref7ect those of % Regents of the University of Caljlomia, the United States Government, or any agency thereof. Los Alarms National Laboratoy stronglysupports academicj-eedomand a researcher’s right to publish; as an institution, however, the Laboratoy does not endorsethe viewpoint of a publication or guaranteeits technical correctness. DISCLAIMER Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document. LA-13577-T Thesis Issued: July 1999 , Igniting the light Elements: The Los Alamos Thermonuclear Weapon Project, 1942–1952 Anne Fitzpatrick” ‘Consultant at Los Akzmos. The George WashingtonUniversity, Center for Histoy of Recent Science, Department of Histoy, 801 22nd Sfreet, N. W., Washington, DC 20052. Los Alamos NATIONAL LABORATORY Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 Acknowledgments I would like foremost to thank Joe Pitt, who first sent me to New Mexico, where 1 met Bob Seiclel; our acquaintance was an act of fate. Subsequently, I discovered that Los Alamos not only changed the world, but it changed my life. No less influential were my advisory committee members at Virginia Tech. Burton Kaufman consistently supported my work since my undergraduate days. Bert Moyer, Richard Hirsh, and Dick Burian were always encouraging, and provided valuable comments and critiques. All of my committee members were excellent teachers. All of the people of Los Alamos National Laboratory who welcomed me and assisted me with this project are too numerous to mention here, but several were outstanding. Beverly Mattys, Judy Rose, and Evelyn Martinez in the Technology and Safety Assessment Division Office kept everything running smoothly. Dale Henderson was helpful in introducing me to many knowledgeable people. Steve Becker, Pat Garrity, Larry Germain, John I Hopson, Karl Lautenschlager, Steve Maaranen, Jas Mercer-Smith, Ray Pollack, John Richter, Rod Schultz, Paul Whalen, and Steve Younger I provided enlightening information. Many people assisted me with the research for this study. Roger Meade and Linda Sandoval allowed me access to the Los Alamos Laboratory Archives. Jack Carter, Marcia Gallegos, Linda Kolar, and Marlene Lujan in v the Los Alamos Report Library let me scour their old documents. Bill Davis and Herb Rawlings-Milton of the National Archives helped me to collect much important historical documentation. A couple of individuals at Los Alamos assisted in other capacities. Bill Palatinus read every page of this dissertation and worked tirelessly to see that it survived security review. Carolyn Mangeng supported me professionally, and became a role model and friend along the way. Several people from the history of science and science studies communities gave helpful feedback. Professors Lillian Hoddeson and Andy Pickering at the University of Illinois, and Tom Cornell at the Rochester Institute of Technology shared ve~ useful critiques. Professor Joseph Wieczynski at Virginia Tech inspired me to retain my academic first love -- Russian history -- while I pursued this project. Many of those who were the subjects of this study graciously told me their stories. They are Hans A. Bethe, Bengt Carlson, Foster Evans, Ed Hammel, Roger Lazarus, J. Carson Mark, Nick Metropolis, Robert Richtmyer, Robert Serber, Edward Teller, Anthony Turkevich, and Edward Voorhees. Spencer Weart and the American Institute of Physics Center for the History of Physics Grants-in-Aid Program kindly sponsored my interviews with Drs. Richtrnyer and Serber. Thanks to my parents for everything else. This dissertation is dedicated to Michael Henderson, nuclear weapons wizard and mentor to this historian. vi Table of Contents . TITLE PAGE . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..Ill ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. v TABLE OF CONTENTS.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. vii ABSTRACT . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. x CHAPTER ONE. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 INTRODUCTION AND LITERATURE REVIEW: WHY THE H-BOMB STILL MATTERS .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. 1 1.1. LOSALAMOSANDT~RSSIONPROmCTHISTORES.................................................................... 8 1.2. Thermonuclear WEApONssTuDms . ... .. .. .. .. ... .... ... ... ... .. .. .. .... ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... ... .. 10 1.3. POLITICALHISTORY.......................................................................................................... 16 1.4. O~ICIWAND~CHNICaHISTORES................................................................................... 19 1.5. SOCIOLOGY..................................................................................................................... 23 1.6. PARTICIPANTS’ACCOUNTS................................................................................................. 24 1.7. CULTURALHISTORIES........................................................................................................ 31 1.8. A~CHNOLOGICALSYS~OFWAPONS RES~RCH~DD~LOPM~ .................................... 31 1.9. GOALOFTHISSTUDY........................................................................................................ 36 2.0. CHAPTERORGANIZATIONANDSUMMARES............................................................................ 40 CHAPTER TWO . .. ... .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .46 THE FISSION BOMB HAD TO COME FIRST .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .46 2.1. THEMANHATTANDISTRICTASA~CHNOLOGICfiSYS~M....................................................... 50 2.2. CALCULATINGATOMICDEVICES:ACRITICfiPROBLEMFORLOSWAMOS................................... 55 2.3. GETTINGTHEJOBDONEONTIME:MECHANIZATIONOFFISSIONCALCULATIONS...........................63 2.4. THEEMERGENCEOFLABOR-SAVING~C~OLOGY.................................................................. 76 2.5. WARTIMEMISSION:LOSALAMOSESTABLISHESANAPPROACHTOPROBLEM-SOLVING.....................79 2.6. ~OM~DTO ~C ............................................................................................................ 83 2.7. NEWLIFEFOROLDMODELS:ESTABLISHINGLOSALAMOS’SPOSTWARMISSION............................. 94 CHAPTER THREE .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..99 THE SUPER AND POSTWAR COMPUTING: MACHINES CAN CALCULATE, BUT CAN HUMANS?. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .99 3.1. FERMIANDTHEFUSIONWEAPON:ORIGINSOFT= SUPER.......................................................101 3.2. NOSUPERFORWART1wLOSfiAMOS..................................................................................105 3.3. ENTERVONNEUMANN.....................................................................................................117 3.4. POSTWAREXODUS,OTHERTHERMONUCLEARCREATURES.......................................................l24 3.5. coMPumRsoFTmwTuW ...............................................................................................l29 3.6. TAMINGANDwCHANIZINGmRGEANIM~S:HIPPOANDBABYHIPPO......................................l33 3.7. MONTECARLO................................................................................................................137 3.8. ADVANmDWmPONS.ORALARGE``BANG''?........................................................................l38 3.9. WHATDOMACHINESKNOWANYWAY?RE-EVALUATINGTHEENIACCALCULATIONS...................143 4.0. AFAMLYoFwAmNs......................................................................................................l5o