Inside the Centre: The Life of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Page 112
disliked and unhappy at Los Alamos 338, 339, 425
takes to drink 425, 642
and daughter’s birth 426
treatment of children 339, 426, 643–4
with RO at Perro Caliente 460
at Berkeley 478
under FBI surveillance 482–3, 486
sworn at by RO 494
moves into Olden Manor, Princeton 506
with RO in Copenhagen and Paris 601
and RO’s resignation 602, 603
continues under surveillance 619–20
with RO in Tokyo 648
and family holidays in Virgin Islands 650, 666
at RO’s Fermi Award reception 657
and RO’s illness and death 666, 668
Oppenheimer, Katherine (‘Toni’; daughter) 426, 478, 506, 643, 644, 650, 668
Oppenheimer, Lewis Frank 25
Oppenheimer, Peter (son) 279, 281, 339, 426, 478, 506, 643–4, 650, 668
Oppenheimer, Robert
1904–29
German-Jewish background 3–4, 28
parents see Oppenheimer, Ella and Julius
birth 4, 24
childhood 13, 23, 24–7
schooling 27–9, 32–3, 34, 37–8, 44
friendships 30, 35, 37, see also Fergusson, Francis
interest in mineralogy 30–31, 44
and Smith as father figure 34–5, 43–4, 47
bullied 35, 37
interest in science 38–9
sailing adventures 39–40
illness 44, 47
in New Mexico 45, 46, 50–51
friendship with Horgan 46–8, 59–60, 72–3
interest in girls 49, 50, 51
at Harvard 52, 54, 61
and anti-Semitism 55–7
friendships 56–9, 60–61, 72, 78–9, 80–81
and Liberal Club 58
literary efforts 64–7
and Katherine Page 70, 71
takes holiday job in laboratory 71–2
passionately interested in physics 73–7
second-year courses 77
intense study 79–80, 81
final year and degree 81–2, 83
opts for Cambridge 83
in New Mexico 84–5
rejected by Rutherford as research student 85, 87–9
on walking holiday 84, 89, 90
friendlessness and misery at Cambridge 91–4
tutored by Blackett (q.v.) 94, 95, 96, 97
mental instability 96, 97–9, 100
tries to poison Blackett 97
as research student under Thomson 99–100
interest grows in theoretical physics 100
introduced to Cambridge clubs 100–1, 102
meets Dirac 101, and Ralph Fowler (qq.v.) 102
and Schrödinger’s (q.v.) theory 107
in Corsica 107, 108–10, 111, 112
reads Proust 110
keen to return to Cambridge 111–12
first publication 112
meets Ehrenfest (q.v.) 113
writes second paper on quantum mechanics 113, 114, 121–2
introduced to Bohr (q.v.) 113–14
impresses Born (q.v.) 114, 116
translates paper for him 116
at Göttingen 116–17, 121, 122–4
friendship with Charlotte Riefenstahl 124, 141–2
meets Arthur and Karl Compton (qq.v.) 125–6
disrupts Born’s lectures 127–8
reputation grows 128–9
PhD thesis published 129
researches quantum mechanics 131, 132
and Uhlenbeck (q.v.) 131, 132
offered NRC fellowship 132–3
collaborates on paper with Born 133–5
leaves Göttingen with doctorate 135–6
returns to US 137
homesickness 140, 163
holidays with brother 140 (see Oppenheimer, Frank)
welcomes Uhlenbecks to US 141
at Harvard 143–4
sends poem to Hound & Horn 144–5
moves to Caltech
and Pauling (q.v.) 146
woos his wife 146–7
offered posts 147–8
at Ann Arbor summer school 149
illness 149
moves into Perro Caliente 149–50
health improves 150
injured in car crash 150–51
at Leiden with Ehrenfest 140, 151, 152–3, 155–6
at Utrecht with Kramers 154
hears Heisenberg’s (q.v.) lecture 156, 157
meets Rabi (q.v.) 158–9
with Pauli at Leipzig 156, 158, 160–62
continued bad health 161–2
returns to US 162–3
envious of Frank and friends at Perro Caliente 163–4
1929–41
at Berkeley 165, 167, 168, 170–71
and Lawrence (q.v.) 169–70
at Caltech 171, 172–3
his students at Berkeley 174–5, 211–12, 213
collaborates with Harvey Hall 175
and insinuations of homosexuality 175–6
obsession with Dirac’s theory 176–7
and mother’s death 179–80, 181
and Pauli’s discussions on ‘neutrons’ at Ann Arbor 177–8, 179
attacked by Millikan (q.v.) 182, 183
and discovery of isotopes 183
collaborates with Carlson on neutrons 180, 181, 185, 186
keeps up with experimental developments 186, 191
and ‘quantum tunnelling’ 187
inexplicable behaviour regarding Anderson’s research 191–3, 194
his contributions to science 196, 203, 206
his Berkeley house 196–7
talks with Einstein (q.v.) 197
and situation in Germany 198, 230–31
studies Hindu literature 199–200, 201, 202–3, 217
his research agenda 203–4
works with Plesset 204–5
and Ehrenfest’s death 206–7
forgets Melba Phillips in car 210
collaborates with Lauritsen 213–14, and Melba Phillips 215, 216–17, 225
supports longshoremen’s strike 222–3
and brother’s marriage 223–4
interest in cosmic rays 224–5, 226
and Yukawa’s article on particles 226, 229
picks ‘theoretical fight’ with Heisenberg (q.v.) 227–8, 229, 230
his political awakening 231
arranges for aunt and cousin to settle in Berkeley 231
and Spanish Civil War 232, 236–7, 242
falls in love 233–5
involvement with unions and CP 236–44
meets Chevalier (q.v.) 238
his work on astrophysics 245, 247–51, 264, 283, 284
and discovery of nuclear fission 252, 256–8, 260, 261, 263–4
misses Serber (q.v.) 258
his students 258–60, 282–3, 288
supports Roosevelt 275
meets Katherine (Kitty) (q.v.) 276
meets Steve Nelson (q.v.) 280
and son’s birth 281, see Oppenheimer, Peter
continues to support CP 281
and the war 282–3
and Schwinger’s (q.v.) arrival as research associate 284
works on mesotrons 288–90
first hears of atomic bomb project 296
1941–45
under FBI surveillance 300–1, 310
his connections with CP 301, 302–4
involvement with atomic-bomb programme 302, 304, 306, 307, 309–10, 319–22
continues left-wing political activities 307–8
collaborates with Lawrence on bomb project 311–12
shows paper on Calutron to Lomanitz (q.v.) 312
appointed consultant to S-1 committee 312–14, 315, 316, 322
applies for security clearance 314
wants Bethe (q.v.) to be involved in bomb project 316–17
as leader and facilitator 322
; meets Groves (q.v.) 324–5
and establishment of Los Alamos 325–8
as Director 328–9, 330, 331, 333–4, 403–5
and ‘Chevalier Affair’ 334–7, see also Chevalier, Haakon
moves into Los Alamos 339
under G-2 surveillance 341, 342–3, see de Silva, Captain Peer and Pash, Lt-Colonel Boris
employs Joseph Weinberg (q.v.) 346
devises plans to spread false rumours about Los Alamos 346–7
and security 347, 351
and Condon’s (q.v.) resignation 349–50
summarises present state of knowledge 353
as member of Lewis committee 353–4
meets ‘Deak’ Parsons (q.v.) 354–5
insists on exchange of information between scientists 356–7
and surveillance of his associates 358–9
spends night with Jean Tatlock 359–60
Lansdale’s (q.v.) opinion of 361
granted clearance 363
reassured by Roosevelt 363
not entirely trusted 364
tells Groves and Johnson about Eltenton (q.v.) 367, 368–9
interviewed by Pash 369–73
interviewed by Lansdale 375–7
shows lack of loyalty to associates 377–8
names Chevalier and Frank Oppenheimer 382–5
and Jean Tatlock’s death 386–7
betrays Bohm and Peters 387–9
and Bohr’s visit to Los Alamos 398
and design and building of atomic bomb 405, 407, 408, 409, 410–11, 412, 413–4, 415–17, 419
replaces Teller with Peierls (qq.v.) 418
and completion of implosion bomb 423, 424
and daughter’s birth 426, see Oppenheimer, Katherine
chooses name for ‘Trinity Project’ 426–7
his memorial address for Roosevelt 428
hosts Target Committee 430
on Scientific Advisory Panel for post-war atomic policy 430–31, 434–5
opposes Szilard’s (q.v.) petition 436
and Trinity test 438, 439, 440, 444
after bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki 450, 452, 453, 457
his hopes for international cooperation dashed 459
at Perro Caliente 460
as emissary for Los Alamos scientists 464–5
farewell speech 467–8
1945–49
supports May–Johnson Bill 466, 471–3
gives evidence to Congress 471, 475, 505, and House Committee on Military Affairs 471, 473–5
disheartening interview with Truman 475–6
his speech to ALAS 476–8
stays in Pasadena 478
tries to influence US policy 478–9
plans with Rabi 479
on Acheson committee 479–80
proposes an international Atomic Development Authority 480–81, 483–4
under FBI surveillance 482–3, 484, 485–7
and Baruch Plan 483, 485, 490
opposes Los Alamos Bikini Atoll tests 488–9, 490
returns to lecturing at Berkeley and Caltech 490–91
publishes articles 491–2
invited to discuss astrophysics with Menzel 492
and creation of AEC 493
and Strauss (q.v.) 493
interviewed by FBI 493–4
as member of GAC 495
offered job of director of Institute for Advanced Study 495, 498
his interest in postdoctoral students 495–8, see Feynman, Richard, Schwinger, Julian and Pais, Abraham
voted chairman of GAC 498, 508
disillusioned by Soviet Union 498, 500
and renewed FBI surveillance 499
his FBI file sent to AEC 499–500
a moving force at Shelter Island Conference 501–3, 504, 505
receives honorary degree at Harvard 505
admires General Marshall 505–6
moves into Olden Manor, Princeton 506
attracts physicists and students to Institute 507–8
in Life magazine 508
publishes jointly with students 508–9
excited by Schwinger’s calculations 509–10, 511
lectures at MIT 510–11
impressed by Dyson (q.v.) 512
at Schwinger’s lecture 512
organises Pocono conference 513
scathing about Feynman’s (q.v.) methods
and Tomonaga 514–15
his pivotal role 516
at Caltech conference on cosmic rays 516
at Birmingham conference 519
reports on progress of QED at Solvay Congress (1948) 519–20, 521
attitude to QED changes 520–21
Time magazine profile 523–5, 539–40
worried about Hiss case 524
New York Times interview 525
invites Yukawa 525
disappointed in T. S. Eliot 526
as president of American Physical Society 527
refutes Slotnick’s work 527–8
organises Oldstone conference 529–30
his HUAC testimony (1949) 532–6
makes enemy of Strauss 537–9
Life magazine profile 539–42, 543, 544
his last publication in physics 542
1949–67
and Soviet atomic bomb 542–3
and debate over H-bomb programme 544–9, 552, 553, 558
writes GAC report 549–50
tempted to resign from GAC 555
sceptical that H-bombs can be made 559, 560, 561
opposes strategic bombing 561–2
meets Nehru 563
and Project Vista 563–5, 573
and ‘Greenhouse’ tests 566
backs Ulam–Teller design 568–9
opposes Teller’s second laboratory 571, 572
campaign against 572, 573, 574–7, 578–9
resigns from GAC 577–8
and ‘Lincoln Project’ 579–81
chairs Disarmament Panel 581–2
favours negotiated test ban 582, 584
and ‘Mike’ test 585, 586–7
and ‘Operation Candor’ 587–90, 592–3, 594, 595
further assaults on his reputation 590–91, 594–6
and McCarthy 591–2
battle with Strauss 592–4
investigated by Borden 597–8, 606
AEC clearance suspended 598–9, 601–2, 603–4
gives BBC Reith Lectures 599–601, 604
Observer profile of 599
under FBI surveillance 601, 602
given Nichols’ list of charges 602, 603, 606
chooses defence lawyers 602, 603, 605–6, 608
at Rochester conference 604
case against 606–7
offers to resign 609
writes autobiographical letter to Nichols 609–10
security hearing 610–19
awaits results 619–20
clearance not reinstated 620–24
and Chevalier (q.v.) 625–9
books and articles 629–31
and work on particle physics 631–2
TV interview 633–4
a celebrity 634–5, 645
gives public lectures 635–40
writes Bohr’s 70th birthday tribute 637
addresses Rochester conference (1956) 638–40
and Yang and Lee’s breakthrough 640–41
gives William James lectures at Harvard 641–2
hosts Institute lunches 642
interview on Sputnik I not broadcast 642–3
at Solvay Congress (1958) 643
relationship with son and daughter deteriorates 643–4
reviews Bruner’s A Study of Thinking 644
at Congress for Cultural Freedom conferences 646, 647–8
on need for particle accelerators 646–7
appears on Panorama 647
in Japan 648–9
in Virgin Islands 650
lectures in Canada 650
lists ten
influential books 651
at Kennedy reception 651
gives further talks 652–4
and disputes at the Institute 654–5
organises Mount Kisco conference 655–7
awarded Fermi Prize 655, 657
60th birthday tribute 657–8
further lectures 658–60
and Kipphardt’s play 660–62
and Chevalier’s Oppenheimer: The Story of a Friendship 662–3
retires from Institute 663
and 20th anniversary of Hiroshima 663
final talks and lectures 664–6
illness and death 666–8
memorial service 668, 669
will 231
appearance, character, views etc.:
on America 28–9, 140–41, 211, 220, 231
appearance 18, 169, 424–5, 523, 539, 599
on atomic bombs 430–31, 432, 433, 434–5, 439, 446, 457, 458, 459, 461, 467–8, 498, 549–50, 554–5, 558, 562–3, 648, 663—4
cars and reckless driving 173, 211, 212
character and personality 3, 25, 37, 44, 48–9, 51, 67, 71, 78, 79, 108, 109, 110–11, 121, 122, 123–4, 125, 126, 127–8, 136–7, 160, 161, 200–1, 203, 268, 500, 604, 668–70
see also Jewishness (below)
on discipline 200–1
on England 649
interest in Hindu literature and religion 199–200, 201–3, 439, 579, 647–8
Jewishness 3–4, 8, 47, 201–2, 231
literary interests 35–6, 67, 69, 108, 110, 161, 199, 234, 427, 647–8, 651
mathematical carelessness 144, 148, 176, 205–6, 208, 217
politics 199, 222–3, 231–2, 233, 234, 235–7, 240–43, 268–70, 273–4, 275–6, 281, 301, 302–4, 307
on Soviet Union 244–5, 268–71, 433, 475, 490, 498, 500
articles and papers:
‘Comments on the Military Value of the Atom’ 562–3
‘Cosmic Rays: Report on Recent Progress, 1936–1941’ 491
‘The Disintegration of High-Energy Protons’ (with Serber and Nordheims) 229
‘The Impacts of Fast Electrons and Magnetic Neutrons’ (with Carlson) 180, 181, 185, 186, 203
‘The Multiple Production of Mesons’ (with H. Lewis and Wouthuysen) 509
‘The Mystery of Matter’ 644
‘Note on the Nature of Cosmic-Ray Particles’ (with Serber) 229
‘Note on the Stimulated Decay of Negative Mesons’ (with Epstein and Finkelstein) 509
‘Note on the Theory of the Interaction of Field and Matter’ 161
‘Note on the Transmutation Function for Deuterons’ (with Phillips) 216
‘On the Interaction of Mesotrons and Nuclei’ (with Schwinger) 289
‘On Continued Gravitational Contraction’ (with Snyder) 249–50, 251, 263, 284, 655
‘On Massive Neutron Cores’ (with Volkoff) 248–9, 251
‘On Multiplicative Showers’ (with Carlson) 228
‘On the Production of the Positive Electron’ (with Carlson) 204–5
‘On the Quantum Theory of Continuous Spectra’ 129