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Eugene Wigner is one of the very few scientists that maysafely be describedas creators of 20th-century physics.This volume of his Collected Works is devoted to hiscontributions to nuclear energy. In his Introduction andAnnotations A.M. Weinberg surveys Wigner's contributions tonuclear-reaction physics and nuclear engineering, at thesame time giving a glimpse of the early history ofnuclear-reactor technology. Wigner himself gave a lively andcritical account, which is published in this volume for thefirst time. Furthermore the book contains forty-two reportsand memoranda from 1941 to 1945 and twelve of Wigner's manypatents relating to nuclear energy.
List of contents
I Introduction: Eugene Wigner and Nuclear Energy.- Introduction: Eugene Wigner and Nuclear Energy.- II Memoir of the Uranium Project.- Memoir of the Uranium Project.- III Acrticles, Reports, and Memoranda on Nuclear Energy.- The Pre-Chicago Days Annotation by Alvin M. Weinberg.- 1. For Discussion of the Homogeneous and Lattice Arrangements for Power Plants.- 2. Approximation for Radius of Sphere Sufficient for Chain Reaction in Light Isotype.- 3. Diffusion of Slow Neutrons on Absorbing Materials.- 4. Solution of Boltzmann's Equation for Monoegenergetic Neutrons in an Infinite Homogeneous Medium.- 5. Review of the Measurements of the Resonance Absorption of Neutrons by Uranium in Bulk.- 6. Resonance Absoprtion of Neutrons by Spheres.- 7. Effect of Geometry on Resonance Absorption of Neutrons by Uranium.- 8. Effect of Temperature on Total Resonance Absorption of Neutrons by Spheres of Uranium Oxide.- 9. Absorption of Thermal Neutrons in Uranium.- 10. Density of Neutrons in Carbon Block with and Without Absorbing Material.- Reactor Engineering at Chicago, 1942-1945, and at Clinton, 1946-1947 Annotation by Alvin M. Weinberg.- Plutonium-Producing Reactors.- 11. Report of the Committee for the Examination of the Moore-Leverett Design of a He-Cooled Plant.- 12. General Considerations Concerning the Lattice Structure.- 13. Survey of the Power Plant Problem.- 14. A Plant with Water Cooling.- 15. On a Plant with Water Cooling.- 16. Preliminary Process Design of Liquid Cooled Power Plant Producing 5 x 105 kW.- 17. Memorandum from P-9 Committee.- Breeders.- 18. Breeders and Converters: Minutes of Lecture on April 7, 1945.- 19. Preliminary Calculations on a Breeder with Circulating Uranium.- 20. New Ideas for Nuclear Reactors.- 21. Project Hope: A Chemical Reprocessing Plantfor a Nuclear Power Economy.- Reactor Shielding.- 22. Protection Against Radiations.- 23. Penetration of Fission Neutrons Through Water.- 24. On the Available Information Concerning the Interaction of Neutrons with Matter.- Fission Products.- 25. The Rate of Decay of Fission Products.- Wigner Effect.- 26. The Effects of Radiation on Solids.- Reactor Theory Annotation by Alvin M. Weinberg.- 27. Theoretical Physics in the Metallurgical Laboratory of Chicago.- 28. Mathematical Problems of Nuclear Reactor Theory.- Microscopic Reactor Theory.- 29. Resonance Escape Probability in Lattices.- 30. On the Utilization of Thermal Neutrons.- Temperature Coefficients.- 31. Effect of the Temperature of the Moderator on the Velocity Distribution of Neutrons with Numerical Calculations for H as Moderator.- Macroscopic Reactor Theory.- 32. Approximate Boundary Conditions for Diffusion Equation at Inteface Between Two Media.- 33. On the Boundary Condition Between Two Multiplying Media.- 34. On Variations of the Power Output in a Running Pile.- 35. Use of the Pile Oscillator for the Measurement of Pile Constants.- 36. Effect of Small Perturbations on Pile Period.- 37. Efficiency of Control Rods Which Absorb Only Thermal Neutrons.- General Articles on Nuclear Energy and Energy Policy Annotation by Alvin M. Weinberg.- 38. Atomic Energy.- 39. Impact of the Developments in Atomic Energy on the Sciences.- 40. Ziele und Probleme von Reaktoren.- 41. Longer Range View of Nuclear Energy.- 42. Our Needs for Energy and Ways to Satisfy Them.- Book on Reactor Theory and Nuclear Physics.- IV The Wigner Patents.- The Wigner Patents.
Report
"...it is a highly desirable addition to the library in any college where a physics program is in place, and it is an indispensable addition in any school where nuclear engineering is also taught." - American Journal of Physics
"I would recommend it to any budding nuclear phycist - and the older ones too!" - Australian & New Zealand Physicist
