Terrestrial Physics
Encyclopedia
Terrestrial Physics is a sculpture
by American artist Jim Sanborn which includes a full-scale working particle accelerator
. It will be displayed publicly in June 2010 as part of Denver's
Biennial of the Americas.
. The sculpture is able to generate a 1 million volt
potential difference using a built-in Van de Graaff generator
. The work was inspired by what followed from the unexpected report on 26 January 1939 by the physicists Niels Bohr
and Enrico Fermi
, invited speakers at the Fifth Washington Conference on Theoretical Physics, of the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin by Otto Hahn
and Fritz Strassmann
and its interpretation by Lise Meitner
and Otto Frisch
. The Germans had used thermal neutrons to cause fission, but at least two U.S. groups realized they could make confirmatory experiments with accelerator neutron sources, and did so within a few days of hearing the news. The experiment at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM) of Carnegie Institution of Washington
on the night of Saturday 28 January 1939, using their van de Graaf generator driven accelerator was probably the second U.S. confirmation of the European discovery of nuclear fission.
Sanborn, with permission and assistance of DTM, has reproduced the historical Van de Graaff generator used in that experiment.
. The exhibition included the sculpture Critical Assembly
that was housed in one of the actual components from an atomic bomb.
During the period when he was displaying his work at the Corcoran Gallery of Art
in 2003, Sanborn discovered an accelerator and was given permission to copy it. He was also able to obtain some fittings from the item. With the help of a NASA
engineer, Sanborn was then able to achieve a working particle accelerator which could also cause nuclear fission. When asked why he wanted to create this work of art, he stated "There are moments in history that people should be reminded of."
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
by American artist Jim Sanborn which includes a full-scale working particle accelerator
Particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
. It will be displayed publicly in June 2010 as part of Denver's
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
Biennial of the Americas.
Sculpture
Terrestrial Physics involves a polished aluminum sphere that is attached to a cylindrical glass tube coupled with rings of copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
. The sculpture is able to generate a 1 million volt
Volt
The volt is the SI derived unit for electric potential, electric potential difference, and electromotive force. The volt is named in honor of the Italian physicist Alessandro Volta , who invented the voltaic pile, possibly the first chemical battery.- Definition :A single volt is defined as the...
potential difference using a built-in Van de Graaff generator
Van de Graaff generator
A Van de Graaff generator is an electrostatic generator which uses a moving belt to accumulate very high voltages on a hollow metal globe on the top of the stand. It was invented in 1929 by American physicist Robert J. Van de Graaff. The potential differences achieved in modern Van de Graaff...
. The work was inspired by what followed from the unexpected report on 26 January 1939 by the physicists Niels Bohr
Niels Bohr
Niels Henrik David Bohr was a Danish physicist who made foundational contributions to understanding atomic structure and quantum mechanics, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922. Bohr mentored and collaborated with many of the top physicists of the century at his institute in...
and Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
, invited speakers at the Fifth Washington Conference on Theoretical Physics, of the discovery of nuclear fission in Berlin by Otto Hahn
Otto Hahn
Otto Hahn FRS was a German chemist and Nobel laureate, a pioneer in the fields of radioactivity and radiochemistry. He is regarded as "the father of nuclear chemistry". Hahn was a courageous opposer of Jewish persecution by the Nazis and after World War II he became a passionate campaigner...
and Fritz Strassmann
Fritz Strassmann
Friedrich Wilhelm "Fritz" Strassmann was a German chemist who, with Otto Hahn in 1938, identified barium in the residue after bombarding uranium with neutrons, which led to the interpretation of their results as being from nuclear fission...
and its interpretation by Lise Meitner
Lise Meitner
Lise Meitner FRS was an Austrian-born, later Swedish, physicist who worked on radioactivity and nuclear physics. Meitner was part of the team that discovered nuclear fission, an achievement for which her colleague Otto Hahn was awarded the Nobel Prize...
and Otto Frisch
Otto Robert Frisch
Otto Robert Frisch , Austrian-British physicist. With his collaborator Rudolf Peierls he designed the first theoretical mechanism for the detonation of an atomic bomb in 1940.- Overview :...
. The Germans had used thermal neutrons to cause fission, but at least two U.S. groups realized they could make confirmatory experiments with accelerator neutron sources, and did so within a few days of hearing the news. The experiment at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism (DTM) of Carnegie Institution of Washington
Carnegie Institution for Science
The Carnegie Institution for Science is an organization in the United States established to support scientific research....
on the night of Saturday 28 January 1939, using their van de Graaf generator driven accelerator was probably the second U.S. confirmation of the European discovery of nuclear fission.
Sanborn, with permission and assistance of DTM, has reproduced the historical Van de Graaff generator used in that experiment.
History
Sanborn stated that the idea for the project came to him by accident while he was working on another of his projects, Atomic Time: Pure Science and Seduction. This was an exhibition/sculpture that was inspired by the science and experiments taking place during the Manhattan ProjectManhattan Project
The Manhattan Project was a research and development program, led by the United States with participation from the United Kingdom and Canada, that produced the first atomic bomb during World War II. From 1942 to 1946, the project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves of the US Army...
. The exhibition included the sculpture Critical Assembly
Critical Assembly (Sculpture)
Critical Assembly is a sculpture by American artist Jim Sanborn which was displayed at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. in 2003...
that was housed in one of the actual components from an atomic bomb.
During the period when he was displaying his work at the Corcoran Gallery of Art
Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art is the largest privately supported cultural institution in Washington, DC. The museum's main focus is American art. The permanent collection includes works by Rembrandt, Eugène Delacroix, Edgar Degas, Thomas Gainsborough, John Singer Sargent, Claude Monet, Pablo...
in 2003, Sanborn discovered an accelerator and was given permission to copy it. He was also able to obtain some fittings from the item. With the help of a NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
engineer, Sanborn was then able to achieve a working particle accelerator which could also cause nuclear fission. When asked why he wanted to create this work of art, he stated "There are moments in history that people should be reminded of."