Linschitz, Henry, 1919-
Oral history interview with Henry Linschitz, 1988 February 23.
Discussion of Fritz London's papers, beginning in 1927, on chemistry, dispersion forces, adiabatic chemical reactions (Polanyi, Eugene Wigner, Eyring) and development of the theory of non-adiabatic chemical reactions (Clarence Zener, Edward Teller). Linschitz a chemistry student at Duke University; excitement of statistical and quantum mechanics courses taught by London; Linschitz's lecture notes, with corrections by London: detailed material on pre-1925 physics, Bohr model, classical dispersion theory; Linschitz recruited as City College graduate to Duke by Paul Gross, head of the Duke chemistry department. Leaves Duke to work with Kistiakowsky on shaped charges, 1943. Then to Los Alamos to work on implosion method lenses for atomic bomb; assembles bomb that was actually dropped (Philip Morrison). Returns to Duke after World War II. Recounts history of discovery of fission in 1939 (Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner); Bohr's liquid-drop model. Finishes thesis under Gross; London a bit aloof, closer to Lothar Nordheim and Hertha Sponer-Franck.
Education: BS in chemistry, College of the City of New York (1940), graduate studies in physical chemistry MA and PhD, Duke University (1941, 1946). He worked at the Explosives Research Laboratory in Pittsburgh during World War II, Section Leader at Los Alamos with G. B. Kistiakowsky, academic positions at Syracus University (1948-1957( and Brandeis University (1957- ) and became an Emeritus at Brandeis in 1989.
Eyring, Henry, 1901-1981
Gross, Paul Magnus
Hahn, Otto, 1879-1968.
Kistiakowsky, George B. (George Bogdan), 1900-1982
Linschitz, Henry, 1919-
London, Fritz, 1900-1954.
Meitner, Lise, 1878-1968.
Morrison, Philip J.
Nordheim, Lothar, 1899-
Polanyi, Michael, 1891-1976
Sponer, Hertha, 1895-1968
Teller, Edward, 1908-2003
Wigner, Eugene Paul, 1902-1995-
Zener, Clarence, 1905-
Duke University.
Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory.
Bohr theory.
Chemical reactions, Conditions and laws of.
Chemistry -- Study and teaching.
Dispersion relations.
Nuclear weapons -- Design and construction.
Quantum theory -- Study and teaching.
Shaped charges.
Oral histories. aat
Interviews. aat
Sound recordings lcgft
Heims, Steve J. interviewer.
AIP-ICOS
American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives. One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA