What To Know
- On November 16, 1945, the Nobel Academy awarded the Chemistry Prize to Otto Hahn, a German chemist, for the “discovery of the fission of heavy nuclei,” a breakthrough achieved in December 1938 in Berlin.
- At the time of the award, the Nobel Academy wasn’t officially aware of Hahn’s whereabouts since he had been detained by Allied forces in July 1945.
- Despite receiving her first researcher salary only in 1912, Meitner’s expertise led her to establish a new radioactivity department at Kaiser Wilhelm Institute by 1917—a groundbreaking achievement for women at that time.
On November 16, 1945, the Nobel Academy awarded the Chemistry Prize to Otto Hahn, a German chemist, for the “discovery of the fission of heavy nuclei,” a breakthrough achieved in December 1938 in Berlin. This groundbreaking discovery set the stage for chain reactions that could lead to new weaponry.
a singular award amid global tension
The Nobel Prize given to Otto Hahn was extraordinary for several reasons:
- The accolade was announced just three months after Americans dropped a bomb on Hiroshima.
- It was awarded for the year 1944 when no formal prize was given due to Hitler’s decree prohibiting Germans from receiving it.
- At the time of the award, the Nobel Academy wasn’t officially aware of Hahn’s whereabouts since he had been detained by Allied forces in July 1945.
- Crucially, the prize overlooked Lise Meitner, who worked alongside Hahn for over 30 years and inspired key experiments leading to this discovery.
a woman’s journey in academia
Lise Meitner was born in 1878 in Vienna into a Jewish family integrated into Viennese society. Fascinated by mathematics and physics, her educational path was obstructed as girls were not allowed to attend high school. However, when Austrian universities opened their doors to women in 1897, Meitner pursued her academic dreams. By 1901, she enrolled at the University of Vienna under Ludwig Boltzmann’s tutelage and defended her thesis in 1906.
Her interest turned to radioactivity—a fledgling field—and she moved to Berlin, lured by Max Planck’s presence. There she met Otto Hahn and they decided to collaborate. Yet societal norms forced her to enter buildings through service entrances while men used the main one. It wasn’t until 1909 that she gained official access to the chemistry department when women’s education rights were legalized in Germany.
meitner and hahn: pioneering nuclear research
Together at Kaiser Wilhelm Institute’s laboratory, Meitner and Hahn excelled particularly in beta radiation studies (radioactivity from electron emission), becoming one of the world’s leading nuclear physics teams. Despite receiving her first researcher salary only in 1912, Meitner’s expertise led her to establish a new radioactivity department at Kaiser Wilhelm Institute by 1917—a groundbreaking achievement for women at that time.
a new era with neutron discovery
A transformative moment arrived when James Chadwick discovered neutrons in England during 1932. Neutrons offered physicists an unprecedented tool for probing atomic nuclei since their neutrality allowed them close proximity without repulsion—opening pathways for alchemistic transformations where one element could morph into another.
Meitner participated with other renowned physicists at Solvay Conference held October 1933 alongside luminaries like Erwin Schrödinger or Niels Bohr among others. Three groups immediately engaged: Fermi’s team from Rome; Joliot-Curie’s French collaborators; plus Meitner & Hahn from Berlin—all bombarding Mendeleev table elements with neutrons attempting identification but unaware initially about potential nucleus fracture possibilities despite violent chemical transformations suggesting otherwise due its perceived indestructibility akin assembling cubic meter weighing trillion tons material!
the marvel behind nuclear fission
What makes nuclear fission so astonishing? It’s essentially splitting large atomic nuclei into roughly equal fragments whose charged protons repel each other violently then distribute energy through collisions heating surrounding matter—releasing energy millions times greater than equivalent chemical combustion mass participation!
- Nuclear fusion inside stars aside—it remains most concentrated heat source available today enabling electricity generation via controlled reactions or explosive power via uncontrolled chain reactions developed during WWII subsequently associating public perception between nuclear tech/weapons unlike metallurgy/massacres or chemistry/destruction analogies seen elsewhere historically speaking perhaps?
lise meitner’s pivotal role explained
Lise Meitner understood these phenomena days post-uranium fission observations credited solely towards Hahn despite fleeing Nazi annexation threats July ’38 relocating Sweden yet maintaining correspondence levels prompting clandestine Copenhagen meeting November same year urging further experimentation yielding crucial discoveries subsequently dubbed “nuclear fission” paralleling cell division terminology usage French-speaking regions alike eventually resulting respective publications January-February ’39 timeframe explaining process itself amidst societal constraints preventing joint authorship recognition originally deservedly shared commendations ultimately!
a different kind of recognition
In defiance against involving herself within weapons development activities including Los Alamos-based Manhattan Project efforts stating firm stance “I will not participate whatsoever concerning any bomb-related endeavor,” quoting Ruth Sime’s work on Meitner biography elaborating life journey culminating alternative acknowledgment bestowed jointly alongside Hahn decades later receiving prestigious Fermi Award presented American Physical Society encompassing pioneering natural radioactivity investigations underpinning ultimate fission revelations witnessed prior wartime applications overshadowing broader scientific contributions appreciated belatedly albeit health limitations precluding direct attendance necessitating representation surrogate circumstances respectively concluding significant chapter illustrating enduring legacy etched indelibly across historical scientific landscape eternally reverberating future generations’ awareness alike.
