Oral history interview with Lew Kowarski, 1969 March 20 to 20 November 1971.

  1. Resources
  2. View Resource

ArchivalResource

Oral history interview with Lew Kowarski, 1969 March 20 to 20 November 1971.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/82251258

Childhood in Russia, family and early schooling; Paris University, first publication, work on crystal growth in Jean Perrin's lab, doctoral thesis. History of Frédéric Joliot-Curie's work, his lab, character, and collaboration with Irene Curie and other scientists in context of pre-war scientific establishment in France; Kowarski's work as Joliot's secretary at the Institut Curie, reactions to Joliot's Nobel Prize; work on magic numbers. Work on fission: Hans von Halban, Enrico Fermi, Otto Hahn, Leo Szilard, ca. 1939; effects of science in wartime France. Applications of fission chain reaction and patents; flight to England with Halban and heavy water supply. Kowarski's integration into English scientific community: James Chadwick, John Cockcroft, the Maud Committee, Marcus Oliphant; course of development of Halban's group in Canada; Kowarski's work between Great Britain and U.S. Return to Europe in 1946; political climate of postwar France, particularly the influence of communism. French Commission on Atomic Energy (CEA), its internal politics, science and scientists in postwar France: Joliot, Pierre Auger, Jean Perrin, Curie, Jules Guéron, Bertrand Goldschmidt. Growth of energy. Family life and marriages; visit to U.S., 1946; comparison of postwar science in U.S. and France. History of French reactors. Kowarski's impressions of French scientific unity and his role in it; introduction of computer technology into nuclear topics; European Nuclear Energy Agency (ENEA); Kowarski's involvement. Contemporaries: J. Robert Oppenheimer, Niels Bohr; developments in CERN and ENEA; reflections on attainment of goals and shortcomings of CERN; thoughts about being a scientist in an international community.

Transcript, 327 pp.

American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library

Information

SNAC Resource ID: 8279208

Related Entities

There are 19 Entities related to this resource.

Joliot-Curie, Irène, 1897-1956

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w68t5h2k (person)

Oppenheimer, J. Robert, 1904-1967

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6xb349g (person)

J. Robert Oppenheimer: Physicist (quantum theory and nuclear physics). On the physics faculty at California Institute of Technology and University of California, Berkeley in theoretical physics, 1929-1947; director of Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, 1943-1945; chairman of the General Advisory Committee of the Atomic Energy Commission, 1946-1952; director of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton, 1947-1966....

Bohr, Niels, 1885-1962

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6t836n5 (person)

Niels Bohr was a Danish physicist who made tremendous contributions to his field, transforming accepted notions of atomic structure, helping to develop nuclear fission, and advocating for international cooperation in crafting responsible nuclear policy. Bohr was born in Copenhagen in 1885 into a family that encouraged his academic pursuits. Christian Bohr, his father, was professor of physiology at the University of Copenhagen. Bohr credited his father for awakening hi...

Joliot-Curie, Frédéric

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w66q31rb (person)

Kowarski, Lew

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6j10pnx (person)

Kowarski (1907-1979). Physicist (nuclear physics). Director of scientific services, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique (France), 1946-1952; staff member to senior physicist, European Organization for Nuclear Research from 1953; and adviser, French delegation, United Nations Atomic Energy Commission, 1946-1948. From the description of Papers, 1907-1981, (bulk 1930-1981). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 83225211 Physicist (1907-1979) (nuclear physics). Director of scientific s...

Cockcroft, John, Sir, 1897-1967

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6fq9vrq (person)

Physicist. Cockcroft died in 1967. From the description of Private office papers, 1939-1961. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80180932 ...

Weiner, Charles.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6f19158 (person)

Charles Irwin Weiner is an historian. From the guide to the Joseph Henry's lectures on natural philosophy: teaching and research in physics, 1832-1847, 1965, 1965, (American Philosophical Society) ...

European Nuclear Energy Agency.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6h191b4 (corporateBody)

Fermi, Enrico, 1901-1954

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6736s35 (person)

Enrico Fermi was a physicist. From the description of Letters, 1918-1926, to Enrico Perisco. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 173466015 From the guide to the Enrico Fermi letters, 1918-1926, to Enrico Perisco, 1918-1926, (American Philosophical Society) Physicist. From the description of Papers of Enrico Fermi, 1919-1954. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 71068165 Physicist (slow neutrons, artificial radioactivity, beta-ray emission, statistical mode...

Chadwick, James, 1891-1974

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w690252b (person)

Chadwick (1891-1974) was Lyon Jones Professor of Physics, University of Liverpool, 1935-1948. From the description of Papers, ca. 1921-1974. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 78411798 From the description of Conversation with A. W. Merrison, 1968. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 79016747 Physicist (1891-1974). From the description of Papers, 1940-1974. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 78630825 Died 1974. From the description of Oral histor...

Université de Paris

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6330k2q (corporateBody)

Institut Curie

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64b7079 (corporateBody)

Hahn, Otto, 1879-1968

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dj5gs2 (person)

German physical chemist. From the description of Papers. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84584649 From the description of Unidentified materials. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80453274 German radiochemist. From the description of Autograph statement unsigned (working draft) : [n.p.], [n.d.]. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 270508943 ...

Oliphant, Mark, 1901-2000

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6125s1p (person)

Died 14 July 2000. From the description of Oral history interview with Sir Mark Oliphant, 1971 November 3. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 84185678 Sir Mark Oliphant, founder and first director of the Research School of Physical Sciences at the Australian National University was appointed Governor of South Australia in 1971. From the description of Typescript address [manuscript]. 1973. (Libraries Australia). WorldCat record id: 225840733 Director, Resear...

Guéron, Jules.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6jw8gq0 (person)

(1907-1990) French atomic physicist. Professor, University of Strasbourg; British-Canadian Atomic Energy Project; Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique; European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom); Professor, University of Paris-Sud. From the description of Uranium notebook, 1943-1946. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 154305823 ...

Perrin, Jean, 1870-1942

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6v420jw (person)

Szilard, Leo

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6dn46tv (person)

Leo Szilard was a nuclear physicist, biologist and advocate of global arms control. Aaron Novick is a biophysicist. From 1948 to 1952, they jointly investigated the genetics and physiology of bacteria and viruses at the Institute of Radiology and Physics (University of Chicago). From the description of Research files, 1948-1969. (University of California, San Diego). WorldCat record id: 37952289 Gertrud Weiss studied medicine at the University of Vienna. After completing her...

European Organization for Nuclear Research

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6kq1xzf (corporateBody)

The European Organization for Nuclear Research/Organisation europénne pour la recherche nucléaire, widely known as CERN, was established in Geneva, Switzerland in 1954 to coordinate and perform research on fundamental particles. The member states are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, West Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. From the description of Records, 1952-1987. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 80830917 From the ...

Goldschmidt, Bertrand.

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6ft9qxb (person)

Born 1912. From the description of Oral history interview with Bertrand Goldschmidt, 1976 September 10. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 81511408 ...