Otto Hahn Research Paper

On December 7th we paused to remember the bombing of Pearl Harbor seventy-five years ago that began World War II. By the end of World War II, the nuclear bomb ushered in a whole new form of warfare. Due to the work of Otto Hahn, Lisa Meitner and Dr. Fritz Strassman, the creation of the atomic bomb would pave the way the world would look at war with the discovery of the process of nuclear fission. Otto Hahn traveled throughout Europe studying with some of the greatest scientists to develop nuclear fission. He would be honored as the “Father of nuclear fission” and eventually win the Nobel Prize along side his peers.
Otto Hahn was born on March 8, 1879 in Frankfurt, Germany. He was the youngest son of Heinrich Hahn, a glazier (skilled tradesman responsible for cutting, installing, and removing glass) and a very successful businessman. His love of chemistry began at an early age. Hahn started conducting chemistry experiments when he was fifteen in the family laundry room. At the age of seventeen he told his parents that he wanted to be a chemist even though they wanted him to be an architect. In 1897 Hahn began studying at the University of Marburg where he received his doctorate in chemistry and mineralogy. After graduation, Hahn would enter the military for a mandatory year of service then returned to the university
as a chemistry lecture assistant.
At the age of twenty-five, Otto Hahn traveled to London to learn English and work at University College. At the university he would work with Sir William Ramsay. Together they would discover radiothorium, a radioactive substance. Due to their discovery, they became excited and continued their education and exploration of new energy options. During this time in Hahn’s life, he decided to continue his research instead of going into business. He would travel to Montreal, Canada and study under Ernest Rutherford to gain further experience with radioactivity and alpha-rays. In 1906, Hahn would once again return to Germany. This time, he would collaborate with Emil Fischer at the University of Berlin. Over the course of thirty years Hahn would discover Meothorium along with the mother substance of radium and ionium in 1938. This discovery was very important for developing a practical use for radiation treatment. This discovery indirectly would help develop the atomic bomb and nuclear energy. Their discovery focused around how Uranium splits when bombarded with neutrons. From this, Barium was produced through fission. This discovery and was later used to develop nuclear weapons. This discovery was considered Hahn’s greatest work. Although not directly responsible for making the atom bomb, Hahn’s work would change the way that wars would be fought.
Scientists noticed this very important discovery of nuclear fission during World War II.
Many would suspect at the time that he was working on a German project to develop an atomic bomb. Hahn though, never worked on Germany’s atomic project like others thought. Instead of spending time working on a bomb, he spent most of his time studying radioactive isotopes. Unfortunately, Hahn and nine other German scientists were taken into custody by Great Britain and were held in England from July 1945 until January 1946. While he was in England, Hahn was awarded The Nobel Prize in Chemistry. He was not allowed to travel so could not accept the award in
person.
Otto Hahn did not like the thought of an atomic bomb and was very upset when it was used against Japan. He felt guilty that he, in some way, was partly responsible for the large loss of life. Hahn wanted to use his research for good and knew that he could not change what others had done. He also helped paleontologists to study rock layers. This research helped to determine the age of geological periods. Hahn used his studies and knowledge to help. After the end of World War II, Hahn campaigned against the use of nuclear weapons. In 1955 he began the Mainau Declaration, which was used to warn against the dangers of atomic weapons. This opposition to nuclear arms even caused him to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. Instead, President Lyndon Johnson awarded Hahn the Enrico Fermi Prize. This was the only time the award had been awarded to a non-American.
Married in 1913 Hahn’s family was always very important to him. His wife, Edith Junghans, was an art student from the Royal Academy in Berlin. They would have one child, Hanno. His family would stay by his side through his research, time in England and winning the Nobel Prize. While in England, Hahn would continue being an outdoorsman. He became a mountaineer and maintained physical fitness by running daily. When he returned from Germany he was elected president of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science. He continued to speak out against further development of nuclear weapons. In 1960 tragedy struck the Hahn family with the death of his son, Hanno, along with his daughter-in-law. They were killed in an automobile accident in 1960. Otto’s wife took the death very hard and never quite recovered. Otto Hahn would pass away in 1968, after an accidental fall; his wife survived him by only two weeks.
Otto Hahn, “father of nuclear fission” was a leader among chemists. He received many awards including The Nobel Prize, and was president of many scientific organizations. In countries such as Germany, Austria and Switzerland there are many schools, streets, squares and bridges named after him. Coins, medals, and stamps with his likeness have been issued in over twenty countries. In 1999, just behind Albert Einstein and Max Planck, Otto Hahn would be named the third most important scientist of the 20th century by a German news magazine. Hahn’s discovery of nuclear fission was likely one of the greatest scientific accomplishments of the 20th century.