Lise MeitnerLise Meitner1878 - 19681878 - 1968

A physicist who never lost A physicist who never lost her humanityher humanity

The most significant woman The most significant woman scientist of the 20scientist of the 20thth century century

Born in Vienna, Born in Vienna, Austria in a Jewish Austria in a Jewish familyfamily

First person to First person to realize that the realize that the nucleus of an atom nucleus of an atom could be split into could be split into smaller parts.smaller parts.

Element 109, Element 109, Heaviest known Heaviest known element in the element in the universe bears her universe bears her name Meitnerium.name Meitnerium.

First woman to earn a doctoral degree in First woman to earn a doctoral degree in physics at the university of Vienna.physics at the university of Vienna.

Was actively involved in the scientific field Was actively involved in the scientific field since 1917, culminating into discovery of an since 1917, culminating into discovery of an isotope of Protractinium with Chemist Otto isotope of Protractinium with Chemist Otto Hahn.Hahn.

With her own physics section at the Kaiser With her own physics section at the Kaiser Wilhelm institute of chemistry, she went on Wilhelm institute of chemistry, she went on and discovered the cause of the Auger Effect and discovered the cause of the Auger Effect (Emissions from surfaces of electrons with (Emissions from surfaces of electrons with signature energies.)signature energies.)

The discovery of neutrons, and The discovery of neutrons, and speculation about the possibility of speculation about the possibility of synthesizing heavier elements than synthesizing heavier elements than uranium triggered the Nuclear Race uranium triggered the Nuclear Race involving some of the great involving some of the great scientists at the time like Ernest scientists at the time like Ernest Rutherford, Otto Hahn etc..Rutherford, Otto Hahn etc..

When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, all her When Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, all her colleagues and top jewish scientists were forced to colleagues and top jewish scientists were forced to resign from their posts. But she maintained immunity resign from their posts. But she maintained immunity due to her Austrian citizenship. Instead of leaving or due to her Austrian citizenship. Instead of leaving or saying something, she totally immersed herself in her saying something, she totally immersed herself in her work which she openly later voiced regrets about.work which she openly later voiced regrets about.

In the july of 1938, with the help of a dutch physicist In the july of 1938, with the help of a dutch physicist named costner, she emigrated into hollands after losing named costner, she emigrated into hollands after losing her citizenship during the Anschluss. An anecdote about her citizenship during the Anschluss. An anecdote about this is that her great friend and chemist otto hahn gave this is that her great friend and chemist otto hahn gave her a diamond ring passed down from his mother to be her a diamond ring passed down from his mother to be used to bribe the frontier guards if need be. She openly used to bribe the frontier guards if need be. She openly professed that she made it to Holland with 10 marks, professed that she made it to Holland with 10 marks, without her belongings.without her belongings.

She had a chance to work with the likes of She had a chance to work with the likes of Niers Bohr in stockholm, and Max Planck and Niers Bohr in stockholm, and Max Planck and faced constant prejudice in a male dominated faced constant prejudice in a male dominated world of science.world of science.

She was 1st person to realize that the nucleus She was 1st person to realize that the nucleus of an atom could be split into smaller parts:of an atom could be split into smaller parts:

The Uranium nuclei for example splits to form The Uranium nuclei for example splits to form barium and Krypton, accompanied by ejection barium and Krypton, accompanied by ejection of several neutrons and mass amounts of of several neutrons and mass amounts of Energy.(account for loss in mass).Energy.(account for loss in mass).

This release of energy triggers an ongoing This release of energy triggers an ongoing chain reaction with energy levels chain reaction with energy levels exponentially growing.exponentially growing.

To have somewhat of an idea about Nuclear Fission, you To have somewhat of an idea about Nuclear Fission, you must understand a few basic Principles.must understand a few basic Principles.

ChemicalChemical isotopesisotopes that can sustain a fission chain reaction that can sustain a fission chain reaction are called are called nuclear fuelsnuclear fuels, and are said to be , and are said to be fissilefissile..

The most common nuclear fuels are The most common nuclear fuels are 235U235U (the isotope of (the isotope of uraniumuranium with an with an atomic massatomic mass of 235 and of use in nuclear of 235 and of use in nuclear reactors) and reactors) and 239Pu239Pu (the isotope of (the isotope of plutoniumplutonium with an atomic with an atomic mass of 239).mass of 239).

These fuels break apart into a range of chemical elements These fuels break apart into a range of chemical elements

with atomic masses near 100 (with atomic masses near 100 (fission productsfission products). Most nuclear ). Most nuclear fuels undergo fuels undergo spontaneous fissionspontaneous fission only very slowly, decaying only very slowly, decaying mainly via an mainly via an alphaalpha//betabeta decay chaindecay chain over periods of over periods of millenniamillennia to to eonseons. In a . In a nuclear reactornuclear reactor or nuclear weapon, or nuclear weapon, most fission events are induced by bombardment with most fission events are induced by bombardment with another particle such as a neutronanother particle such as a neutron

Typical fission events release several Typical fission events release several hundred billion hundred billion eVeV of energy for each of energy for each fission event. By contrast, most fission event. By contrast, most chemicalchemical oxidationoxidation reactions (such as burning reactions (such as burning coalcoal or or TNTTNT) release at most a few eV per ) release at most a few eV per event, so nuclear fuel contains at least event, so nuclear fuel contains at least ten million times more usable energy ten million times more usable energy than does chemical fuel.than does chemical fuel.

Nuclear fuels are made to undergo Nuclear fuels are made to undergo induced fission by bombardment with induced fission by bombardment with excess neutrons excess neutrons

Even the first fission bombs were thousands of times Even the first fission bombs were thousands of times more explosive than a comparable mass of chemical more explosive than a comparable mass of chemical explosive. For example, Little Boy weighed a total of explosive. For example, Little Boy weighed a total of about four tons (of which 60 kg was nuclear fuel) and about four tons (of which 60 kg was nuclear fuel) and was 11 feet long; it also yielded an explosion equivalent was 11 feet long; it also yielded an explosion equivalent to about 15,000 tons of TNT, destroying a large part of to about 15,000 tons of TNT, destroying a large part of the city of Hiroshima. the city of Hiroshima.

Modern nuclear weapons (which include a Modern nuclear weapons (which include a thermonuclear thermonuclear fusionfusion as well as one or more fission as well as one or more fission stages) are literally hundreds of times more energetic stages) are literally hundreds of times more energetic for their weight than the first pure fission atomic for their weight than the first pure fission atomic bombs, so that a modern single missile warhead bomb bombs, so that a modern single missile warhead bomb weighing less than 1/8th as much as Little Boy (see for weighing less than 1/8th as much as Little Boy (see for example W88) has a yield of 475,000 tons of TNT, and example W88) has a yield of 475,000 tons of TNT, and could bring destruction to 10 times the city area.could bring destruction to 10 times the city area.

Discovery of nuclear power had an Discovery of nuclear power had an electrifying effect on the scientific electrifying effect on the scientific community, and its capacity as a weapon community, and its capacity as a weapon especially in the hands of the Nazi Regime especially in the hands of the Nazi Regime wasn’t that good of an idea.wasn’t that good of an idea.

Edward Teller and Eugene Wigner persuaded Edward Teller and Eugene Wigner persuaded Einstein(who was popular) to write a letter to Einstein(who was popular) to write a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt which was basically a Franklin D. Roosevelt which was basically a catalyst for the Manhattan project.catalyst for the Manhattan project.

A Nuclear Weapon is basically a fission A Nuclear Weapon is basically a fission reactor designed to release as much energy reactor designed to release as much energy as possible and as rapidly as possible before as possible and as rapidly as possible before released energy destroys the reactor, released energy destroys the reactor, therefore stopping the chain reaction.therefore stopping the chain reaction.

And What would And What would Meitner Do ?Meitner Do ?

HECK HECK NO!!!!!!!NO!!!!!!!

She lost her Nobel prize to Han(for She lost her Nobel prize to Han(for chemistry) in 1944 for the discovery chemistry) in 1944 for the discovery of Nuclear Fission. Most of the of Nuclear Fission. Most of the experiments in her collaborative work experiments in her collaborative work with Hanh took place in Hahn’s lab in with Hanh took place in Hahn’s lab in Germany due to her exiled status.Germany due to her exiled status.

Hahn published his lab findings in Hahn published his lab findings in January 1939, but couldn’t explain January 1939, but couldn’t explain the physics of it which was done so by the physics of it which was done so by Meitner in February of the same year.Meitner in February of the same year.

Lise's Grave in BramleyLise's Grave in Bramley"You all worked for Nazi Germany. And "You all worked for Nazi Germany. And

you tried to offer only a passive resistance. you tried to offer only a passive resistance. Certainly, to buy off your conscience you Certainly, to buy off your conscience you helped here and there a persecuted person, helped here and there a persecuted person, but millions of innocent human beings were but millions of innocent human beings were allowed to be murdered without any kind of allowed to be murdered without any kind of protest being uttered... [it is said that] first you protest being uttered... [it is said that] first you betrayed your friends, then your children in betrayed your friends, then your children in that you let them stake their lives on a criminal that you let them stake their lives on a criminal war - and finally that you betrayed Germany war - and finally that you betrayed Germany itself, because when the war was already quite itself, because when the war was already quite hopeless, you did not once arm yourselves hopeless, you did not once arm yourselves against the senseless destruction of Germanyagainst the senseless destruction of Germany