Bricks, a screwdriver, and radioactive material killed 2 Manhattan Project scientists.

Bricks, a screwdriver, and radioactive material killed 2 Manhattan Project scientists.

The Tragic Tales of the “Demon Core”: The Dangers of the Atomic Age

The atomic bombs had been dropped, marking the end of World War II. However, at the Los Alamos lab in New Mexico, scientists working on the Manhattan Project were still conducting experiments with radioactive elements. These scientists were pushing the limits of the so-called “demon core” of plutonium, in an attempt to understand the criticality of the substance and reduce the mass needed for a chain reaction. But their pursuit of knowledge came at a great cost, leading to the tragic deaths of two physicists, Harry Daghlian and Louis Slotin.

Harry Daghlian’s Fatal Mistake

On August 21, 1945, just weeks after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, physicist Harry Daghlian was conducting a criticality experiment on the demon core. Daghlian, a brilliant young scientist who had graduated from MIT at the age of 17, was using tungsten carbide bricks to build a neutron reflector around the core. This reflector would push the core closer to going critical and reduce the mass needed for a chain reaction.

Daghlian had built four layers of bricks and was about to place a brick over the center when his monitoring device warned him that laying the piece would trigger the core. He attempted to pull away, but in a moment of misfortune, he accidentally dropped the brick directly on top of the core. The impact caused a flash of light, a wave of heat, and a blast of extreme radiation. Though Daghlian managed to knock the brick off, he had already received a lethal dose of radiation. He died a slow and agonizing death from radiation poisoning 25 days later.

“Tickling the Sleeping Dragon’s Tail” – Louis Slotin’s Deadly Gamble

Undeterred by the tragedy, the dangerous experiments on the demon core continued. In May 1946, physicist Louis Slotin, known for his daring approach to research, was conducting criticality experiments of his own. Slotin decided to surround the plutonium core with two beryllium-coated metal half-spheres, aiming to create as little space as possible between them. This configuration would bring the core closer to criticality.

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If the metal spheres fully closed around the core, it would initiate a chain reaction, releasing deadly levels of radiation. To prevent this, Slotin placed a screwdriver between the spheres, creating just enough space to keep them from closing entirely. This daring experiment, called “tickling the sleeping dragon’s tail,” had been done before but was known to be extremely dangerous. Colleagues, including Enrico Fermi, warned Slotin that continuing such experiments could be deadly.

On May 21, 1946, while training a new scientist, Slotin attempted another experiment on the demon core. As his hands slipped, the metal spheres snapped shut around the core, sending it to its critical point. A blue flash of light and a blast of heat filled the room. Slotin managed to remove the top sphere quickly, but it was too late. He died a slow and painful death from radiation poisoning over the course of 9 days.

The Legacy of the “Demon Core”

The tragic deaths of Harry Daghlian and Louis Slotin ultimately earned the plutonium core the nickname “the demon core.” Still radioactive enough to be considered hot, the core was allowed to cool before being melted down and recycled into new cores for testing.

These incidents served as a chilling reminder of the dangers of the atomic age. The Manhattan Project, which led to the development of the atomic bomb, was a remarkable scientific achievement. However, it also exposed scientists to unprecedented risks and consequences. The deaths of Daghlian and Slotin led Los Alamos to implement stricter safety measures, preventing scientists from engaging in hands-on critical testing.

The stories of Daghlian and Slotin remind us of the sacrifices made by scientists in the pursuit of knowledge and the importance of safety precautions, even when dealing with the most advanced technologies. Their tragic deaths serve as a cautionary tale, forever imprinted in the history of nuclear science.

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