James Chadwick advanced knowledge about the atom.
James Chadwick was born in 1891 in Manchester, England, and went on to become an accomplished physicist after studying at Manchester University and Cambridge. He is most notable for having discovered the existence of the neutron in 1932. The field of nuclear physics evolved because of his eye-opening discovery, and many questions about the atom were addressed by his research. Chadwick led an interesting and storied life before his death in 1974.
Nobel Prize
James Chadwick received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1935. He gave his recipient lecture on Dec. 12 of that year, titled "The Neutron and Its Properties." In it, he discussed past physics scholars who helped lead him to his own discovery by pursuing answers to the weight and mass of the atom. He described the nature of the neutron and structure of the nucleus, illustrating his talk with graphs and equations. Chadwick concluded his speech by stating: "These ideas thus explain the general features of the structure of atomic nuclei and it can be confidently expected that further work on these lines may reveal the elementary laws which govern the structure of matter."
Civilian Prisoner of War
Chadwick was granted a scholarship to study in Germany in the year 1913, just before the onset of World War I. He arrived to study with academic Hans Geiger in Berlin but was interned in a prisoner of war camp with other British citizens until 1918 when the war ended. Despite archaic materials and a lack of scientific literature, he kept pursuing his research to the best of his ability while imprisoned, and he was allowed to visit with German colleagues from time to time.
Knighthood
Chadwick was officially knighted in 1945 by King George VI in recognition of his accomplishments and contributions to the scientific community. He was known as Sir James Chadwick from that moment on. In 1970, the Order of the Companions of Honour was bestowed upon him. He was inducted due to his advancement of culture and service to his nation in the field of academics.
Manhattan Project
During World War II, Chadwick collaborated on the British atomic bomb project. He also acted as a scientific adviser to J. Robert Oppenheimer on the Manhattan Project, which officially began on Sept. 17, 1942. Chadwick helped to conduct research leading to the development of the atomic bomb and the production of fissile material, like special strains of uranium and plutonium. No atomic bomb had yet been produced before the Manhattan Project.
Tags: James Chadwick, atomic bomb, Manhattan Project, about atom, Nobel Prize
