NCJ Number
31594
Date Published
1973
Length
232 pages
Annotation
BIOGRAPHY OF THEODORE B. TAYLOR, A THEORETICAL NUCLEAR PHYSICIST NOW ATTEMPTING TO PROTECT MILLIONS OF KILOGRAMS OF NUCLEAR BOMB MATERIAL FROM CATASTROPHIC MISUSE.
Abstract
TED TAYLOR WAS FOR MANY YEARS A CONCEPTUAL DESIGNER OF ATOMIC BOMBS. AT LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY, HE CONCEIVED AND DESIGNED THE LARGEST-YIELD FISSION BOMB EVER EXPLODED BY ANY NATION. ANOTHER OF HIS BOMBS WAS, IN ITS TIME, THE LIGHTEST AND SMALLEST EVER MADE. FOR MANY YEARS NOW, TAYLOR HAS SPENT MOST OF HIS TIME TRYING TO EFFECT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROTECTION OF CERTAIN NUCLEAR MATERIALS THAT COULD BE STOLEN OR 'DIVERTED' FROM COMPANIES THAT HANDLE NUCLEAR FUEL. URANIUM-235 AND PLUTONIUM-239- THE MATERIALS THAT DESTROYED HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI--ARE NOW PRIVATELY OWNED IN QUANTITIES SUFFICIENT FOR THE MAKING OF MANY THOUSANDS OF BOMBS, AND THESE AMOUNTS WILL PRODIGIOUSLY INCREASE AS THE NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY GROWS. SO MUCH DECLASSIFIED INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE THAT THE FABRICATION OF A HOMEMADE ATOMIC BOMB WOULD BE, IN TAYLOR'S VIEW, RELATIVELY EASY. A BOMB COULD, IN FACT, BE MADE BY ONE PERSON WORKING ALONE. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)