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Memorial Tributes Volume 6 (1993) / Chapter Skim
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Marshall G. Holloway
Pages 72-77

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From page 73...
... He remained there as a research associate until 1942, when he was selected to head up a secret project using the cyclotron in the physics department at Purdue University. The Purdue assignment was the measurement of the crosssection of tritons colliding with deuterons and fusing to form helium vital data for the stucly of the feasibility of thermonuclear energy production and thermonuclear explosives.
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From page 74...
... 1 ~ During the next several years, Marshall was in charge of the division responsible for implementing and testing improvements in nuclear weapons design, developing stockpiling procedures, and training nuclear military officers. During this period, nuclear testing of experimental devices was initiated at the Pacific Proving Grounds headquartered in Eniwetok Atoll and smaller scale testing at the Nevada Test Site.
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From page 75...
... "Mike" was not a thermonuclear weapon but was a monstrously over-designed device to show whether an explosive thermonuclear reaction could be achieved. It obviously could be achieved, so the LASL team was kept busy over the next several years designing and testing weaponized versions based on the "Mike" results.
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From page 76...
... Marshall received little public recognition for what was probably his most challenging assignment: project leader for the gigantic task of designing, building, and testing the "Mike" thermonuclear device in a one-year period. He was given unlimited authority and used it wisely.
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Key Terms

  • water boiler
  • alamos scientific
  • contained essentially
  • aec weapons
  • critical mass

  • weaponized versions
  • pacific proving
  • developing stockpiling
  • elaborate nuclear
  • industrial laboratories

  • physics department
  • operation crossroads
  • thermonuclear device
  • manhattan district
  • reactor development

  • testing weaponized
  • theoretical calculation
  • engineering firms
  • thermonuclear reaction
  • weapon development

  • energy commission
  • administering research
  • tritons colliding
  • testing improvements
  • aqueous solution

  • effects test
  • anonymous except
  • helium vital
  • nuclear bomb
  • energy production


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