Spreading nucleonics: the Isotope School at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, 1951–67
Spreading nucleonics: the Isotope School at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment, 1951–67
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传播核子学：原子能研究机构同位素学院，1951-67
DOI：
10.1017/s0007087406008752
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发表时间：
2006
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Nestor Herran
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Nestor Herran
同位素学院是1951年由英国原子能研究机构(AERE)在哈威尔仿照美国橡树岭核研究所的模式建立的。在1967年它解散之前，它在英国和西欧的放射性同位素技术的扩展中发挥了重要作用。本文追溯了同位素学派的起源和活动，描述了它的课程内容和它在英国和国外的受众构成。这些说明了早期核技术扩散背后的动机，以及冷战政治在塑造材料和专业知识流动方面的重要性。特别是，禁止东欧学生参加这些课程，暴露了英国核计划内部持续的紧张：传播核电子技术的努力与出于国家安全考虑而强制实施的限制之间的冲突。1953年，英国原子能研究机构(AERE)同位素部门负责人亨利·塞利格曼在皇家学会发表了周五晚间的演讲。在列举了大量放射性同位素的应用后，他以一段对新兴领域的颂扬结束了演讲：在战后早期，人们往往把同位素说成是原子堆的副产品。这幅图景现在已经改变了。放射性同位素帮助工业解决了许多问题，它们拓宽了许多科学的研究领域，并帮助医生治疗疾病，在某些情况下，还拯救了生命。它们已经成为原子能发展的重要组成部分，我相信我们才刚刚开始发展‘同位素’。塞利格曼的新词没有站得住脚，但他认为值得创造的事实是20世纪50年代科学家对放射性同位素热情的征兆。在这十年中，核反应堆产生的无数放射性同位素被应用于研究。这篇论文的前一个版本是2004年英国科学史学会辛格奖的亚军。*西班牙巴塞罗那大学，08193巴塞罗那，城市历史中心(CEHIC)。电子邮件：Nestor.Herran@uab.es。我要感谢杰夫·休斯和泽维尔·罗克的建议和批评。这篇论文是西班牙科技部资助的研究项目BHA2000-0434的成果。1亨利·塞利格曼，《放射性同位素的生产和使用》，《皇家学会星期五晚间演讲》，自然(1953)，第453页，第588-90页。此内容于2016年7月02日星期六157.55.39.145下载，UTC时间04：19：48所有用户均需遵守http://about.jstor.org/terms
The Isotope School was established in 1951 by the British Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) at Harwell following the model of the American Oak Ridge Institute of Nuclear Studies. Until its dissolution in 1967, it played an important role in the expansion of radioisotope techniques in Britain and Western Europe. This paper traces the origin and activities of the Isotope School, and describes the content of its courses and the composition of its audiences both in Britain and abroad. These illustrate the motivations behind the early diffusion of nuclear technology and the importance of Cold War politics in shaping the flows of materials and expertise. In particular, the ban on attendance of Eastern European students at the courses reveals a persistent tension inside the British nuclear programme: the conflict between the drive for disseminating nucleonics and the restrictions forced by national security concerns. In 1953 Henry Seligman, head of the Isotope Division of the British Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE), delivered a Friday Evening Discourse at the Royal Institution. After an overwhelming enumeration of radioisotope applications, he closed with a eulogy of the emergent field: In the early post-war days, people were apt to speak of isotopes as 'by-products' of atomic piles. This picture has changed now. Radioisotopes have helped industry in solving many problems, they have widened the field of research in many sciences and have helped the medical man to treat disease and, in some cases, to save life. They have become an important part of the atomic energy development, and I am convinced that we are only at the beginning of the development of 'isotopics '. Seligman's new word did not stick, but the fact that he considered it worth coining is symptomatic of scientists' enthusiasm about radioisotopes in the 1950s. Throughout this decade a myriad of radioisotopes produced in nuclear reactors were applied in t A previous version of this paper was a runner-up for the 2004 Singer Prize of the British Society for the History of Science. * Centre d'Estudis d'Hist6ria de les Ciencies (CEHIC), Universitat Aut6noma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain. Email: Nestor.Herran@uab.es. I would like to thank Jeff Hughes and Xavier Roque for advice and criticism. This paper was a result of research project BHA2000-0434, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology. 1 Henry Seligman, 'Production and uses of radioisotopes', Friday Evening Discourse at the Royal Institution, Nature (1953), 4353, 588-90. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.145 on Sat, 02 Jul 2016 04:19:48 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms