Nishina file photo [11316]

Yoshio Nishina

SurnameNishina
Given NameYoshio
Born6 Dec 1890
Died10 Jan 1951
CountryJapan
CategoryScience-Engineering
GenderMale

Contributor:

ww2dbaseYoshio Nishina was born in Satosho, Okayama, Japan. He graduated from the Tokyo Imperial University in 1918. In 1921, he was sent to Europe for research; during his time in Europe, he visited the Cavendish Laboratory, Georg August University of Göttingen, and University of Copenhagen. At Copenhagen, he did research with Niels Bohr, who had won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1922 for his atomic research, and became good friends. In 1928, Nishina and Oskar Klein wrote a paper on incoherent or Compton scattering, from which the Klein-Nishina formula came about. He returned to Japan in late 1928 and attempted to generate interest in quantum physics in Japan. To that end he established a nuclear research laboratory in Tokyo in 1931 as a part of the Institute for Physical and Chemical Research, also known as the Riken Institute. During the 1930s, he focused his research on cosmic rays and the development of particle accelerators, completing his first cyclotron in 1936 and then a larger one in 1937.

ww2dbaseIn 1939, as Japan had already been involved in war for several years, Nishina recognized the military potential of nuclear fission, as many physicists were beginning to at that time. In the early summer of 1940, he met with Lieutenant General Takeo Yasuda, director of the Technical Research Institute of the Japanese Army Aeronautical Department, on a train, and discussed with him the possibility of nuclear weapons. In Apr 1941, Prime Minister Hideki Tojo ordered Yasuda to explore that possibility, who in turn passed the order down to director of Riken Okochi Masatoshi, knowing that it would fall on the desk of Nishina, who by that time had over 100 physicists working for at his laboratory. With this order from Tojo, Nishina became the chairman of the Committee on Research in the Application of Nuclear Physics, which was to include the Japanese Navy's fledging nuclear weapons research program as well. Although his researchers made advances, he thought that to actually produce a practical weapon within a few years was unlikely, "even for the United States". This comment discouraged the Japanese Navy, which redirected its scientific efforts toward radar instead, but the Army continued on with Nishina's team. In Jul 1943, his Army liaison, Major General Nobuji, met with him and promised funding for him to complete a large 60-inch cyclotron. Although this larger cyclotron was completed, the vacuum tubes used were of inferior quality due to the war situation, and as a result by summer of 1944 Nishina's team was only able to produce 170 grams of uranium hexafuoride; by this time, his counterparts in the United States had already produced it by the ton. The research was ultimately fruitless.

ww2dbaseAfter the war on 16 Oct 1945, Nishina sought permission from the American occupation administration to use his two cyclotrons for biological and medical research. The request was initially granted, but on 10 Nov the United States Secretary of War Robert Patterson ordered all cyclotrons in Japan destroyed, which was done on 24 Nov. He wrote a letter of protest, noting his cyclotrons had nothing to do with weapons research despite them being a part of the Japanese Army's research program, Ni-Go, during the war; he argued that the involvement was simply for the funding so that he could continue his non-military research projects. On 3 Nov 1946, he was awarded the Order of Culture by Emperor Showa.

ww2dbaseSource: Wikipedia.

Last Major Revision: Oct 2010

Photographs

Physicists Yoshio Nishina, Llewellyn Thomas, and Friedrich Hund in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1926Portrait of Japanese physicist Yoshio Nishina, date unknown

Yoshio Nishina Timeline

6 Dec 1890 Yoshio Nishina was born.
2 Jul 1943 Japanese physicist Yoshio Nishina met his with army liaison officer Major General Nobuji and reported that he expected to be successful with the nuclear research project. He noted that 10 kilograms of uranium-235 of at least 50% purity to create an atomic bomb, but he needed a large cyclotron to conduct experiments to confirm this theory. Nobuji promised further funding.
17 Nov 1944 Japanese physicist Yoshio Nishina reported to his army liaison officer Major General Nobuji that the atomic bomb research project under him had not made much progress in the past nine months. This was partly because his cyclotron could not operate at full power due to the poor quality vacuum tubes.
16 Oct 1945 Japanese physicist Yoshio Nishina sought permission from the American occupation administration to use his two cyclotrons for biological and medical research. The request was granted, but orders from United States Secretary of War Robert Patterson dated 10 Nov would have all cyclotrons in Japan destroyed on 24 Nov.
3 Nov 1946 Yoshio Nishina was awarded the Order of Culture by Emperor Showa.
10 Jan 1951 Yoshio Nishina passed away.




Did you enjoy this article or find this article helpful? If so, please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 per month will go a long way! Thank you.

Share this article with your friends:

 Facebook
 Reddit
 Twitter

Stay updated with WW2DB:

 RSS Feeds




Visitor Submitted Comments

1. Anonymous says:
15 Oct 2014 05:15:16 AM

Exact translation of the TONIZO reports.

Meeting on Uranium research at the Nishina Laboratory 6th July 1943.
Critical mass of U235 estimated at 10 Kg with reflector.
[There is no mention of 50% enrichment.]

The State of Uranium Research at the Nishina Laboratory 2 17th Nov. 1944.
The result of the measurements (nuclear parameters) will reveal whether 10 Kg is enough or 20 Kg, or even 50 Kg is necessary. There is not much difference in the quantity between 0.7% and 10% but it will become vastly different if it is over 50% (enrichment).

All visitor submitted comments are opinions of those making the submissions and do not reflect views of WW2DB.

Posting Your Comments on this Topic

Your Name
Your Email
 Your email will not be published
Comment Type
Your Comments
 

Notes:

1. We hope that visitor conversations at WW2DB will be constructive and thought-provoking. Please refrain from using strong language. HTML tags are not allowed. Your IP address will be tracked even if you remain anonymous. WW2DB site administrators reserve the right to moderate, censor, and/or remove any comment. All comment submissions will become the property of WW2DB.

2. For inquiries about military records for members of the World War II armed forces, please see our FAQ.

Search WW2DB
More on Yoshio Nishina
Event(s) Participated:
» Operation Trinity and Manhattan Project

Yoshio Nishina Photo Gallery
Physicists Yoshio Nishina, Llewellyn Thomas, and Friedrich Hund in Copenhagen, Denmark, 1926
See all 2 photographs of Yoshio Nishina


Famous WW2 Quote
"The raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years."

James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy, 23 Feb 1945


Support Us

Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Even $1 a month will go a long way. Thank you!

Or, please support us by purchasing some WW2DB merchandise at TeeSpring, Thank you!