1940s List of military nuclear accidents

a sketch of louis slotin s criticality accident used determine exposure of in room @ time.



august 21, 1945 – los alamos national laboratory, los alamos, new mexico, united states – accidental criticality

harry daghlian dropped tungsten carbide brick onto plutonium core, inadvertently creating critical mass @ los alamos omega site. removed brick, fatally irradiated, dying september 15.


may 21, 1946 – los alamos national laboratory, los alamos, new mexico, united states – accidental criticality

while demonstrating technique visiting scientists @ los alamos, canadian physicist louis slotin manually assembled critical mass of plutonium. momentary slip of screwdriver caused prompt critical reaction. slotin died on may 30 massive radiation poisoning, estimated dose of 1,000 rads (rad), or 10 grays (gy). 7 observers, received doses high 166 rads, survived, yet 3 died within few decades conditions believed radiation-related.

in above incidents, both daghlian (august 21, 1945 case) , slotin (may 21, 1946 case), working same bomb core became known demon core. later melted down , combined existing weapons-grade material.