Nuclear reactor (Chicago Pile-1)
Reactor nuclear (Chicago Pile-1)
- Date
- 1942 · confidence high
- Place
- Chicago, Illinois, United States (Stagg Field, University of Chicago)
- Credited to
- Enrico Fermi and Leo Szilard (Metallurgical Laboratory); first self-sustaining chain reaction, 2-12-1942
- People
- 👤 Enrico Fermi1901–1954👤 Leó Szilárd1898–1964
- Field
- Matter & energy
What it is
Pile of graphite and natural uranium in which the first controlled chain reaction was achieved. It demonstrated the feasibility of producing plutonium and nuclear power.
What it led to
- Hanford reactors for plutonium
- Nuclear power stations (Obninsk 1954, Calder Hall 1956)
- Naval nuclear propulsion and medical isotopes
Built on
- Uranium1789
- Radioactivity and radium1896–1898
- Mass-energy equivalence (E = mc²)1905
- The neutron1932
- Nuclear fission1938
- Controlled nuclear chain reaction (Chicago Pile-1)1942
- Neutron (Chadwick, 1932)
- Szilard's chain-reaction patent (1934)
Made possible
- Atomic bomb1945
- Promethium1945
- EBR-I breeder reactor: first nuclear electricity20 de diciembre de 1951
- Nuclear-powered submarine (USS Nautilus)1954
- Civil nuclear power plant1954-1957
- Apsara research reactor1956
- First nuclear reactor in Latin America (IEA-R1)16 de septiembre de 1957
- CANDU heavy-water reactor1962
- Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE)1965
- BN-350 fast reactor at Aktau (electricity and desalination)1972
- Oklo natural nuclear reactor1972
- Nuclear submarine
- Medical radioisotopes