A Conversation for Particle Accelerators
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x25 Started conversation Jun 27, 2000
Correct me if i am wrong, but was it rutherford that split the atom? He managed to get to the internal structure using an alpha particle bombardment on a gold foil. Got the Nobel prize for it (i think). But fission was credited to Otto Hahn.
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Cefpret Posted Sep 27, 2000
Rutherford gained information about the inner structure of matter and won a Nobel prize for it. However he left the gold atoms perfectly intact.
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Wick Posted Oct 20, 2000
The two people who first split the atom were two of Rutherfords research assistants, Cockroft and Walton. Off the top of my head I cannot remember much more about them, but I could check if you're interested.
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Cefpret Posted Oct 20, 2000
You're right, but fission is a process by which you can gain energy, and this is only possible with atoms beyond iron. Cockroft and Walton split a lithium atom.
To be honest, I didn't know Cockroft and Walton. Thank you for having filled this gap!
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