Skip to content

December 1945

Kurchatov’s Evaluation of Niels Bohr's Questioning

Top secret

EVALUATION


of the answers given by Professor Niels BOHR to the questions on the atomic problem.


Niels BOHR was asked two groups of questions:
1. Concerning the main directions of the work.
2. Those containing concrete physical data and constants.


Definite answers were given by BOHR to the first group of questions.


BOHR gave a categorical answer to the question about the use of methods for obtaining uranium 235 in the USA, which completely satisfied the correspondent member of the Academy of Science Prof. [Isaak Konstantinovich] KIKOIN, who put this question.


Niels BOHR made an important remark dealing with the effectiveness of using uranium in the atomic bomb. This remark must undergo a theoretical analysis, which should be the task of Professors [Lev Davidovich] LANDAU, [A.B.] MIGDAL, and [Isaak I.] POMERANCHUK.

Academician /KURCHATOV/


" " of December 1945

Evaluation by the scientific director of the Soviet nuclear project, Igor Kurchatov, of the interview with Niels Bohr.

Author(s):


Document Information

Source

State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF). Translated for CWIHP by Mark H. Doctoroff and published in CWIHP Bulletin No. 4, Fall 1994, "Soviet Espionage and the Bomb."

Rights

The History and Public Policy Program welcomes reuse of Digital Archive materials for research and educational purposes. Some documents may be subject to copyright, which is retained by the rights holders in accordance with US and international copyright laws. When possible, rights holders have been contacted for permission to reproduce their materials.

To enquire about this document's rights status or request permission for commercial use, please contact the History and Public Policy Program at [email protected].

Original Uploaded Date

2011-11-20

Type

Intelligence Note

Language

Record ID

111838