- Born:
- Feb. 27, 1904, St. Petersburg, Russia
- Died:
- Dec. 19, 1996, Sarov (aged 92)
Yuly Borisovich Khariton
-
Who was Yuly Borisovich Khariton?
Yuly Borisovich Khariton (1904–1996) was a prominent Russian physicist. From 1946 to 1992, he headed the research and design laboratory responsible for creating the first Soviet fission and thermonuclear bombs, known as KB-11, Arzamas-16, and the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics.
After studying with Ernest Rutherford and James Chadwick at Cambridge, Khariton returned to Russia and shifted his focus to explosives, heading the Laboratory of Explosives in the 1930s. Recruited by Igor Kurchatov in 1943, he played a crucial role in the Soviet atomic bomb project, which was greatly expanded after the U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Khariton supervised the development of the first Soviet nuclear weapon, detonated in 1949. His contributions to the Soviet thermonuclear bomb program earned him numerous honors. Only after the Soviet Union's collapse did his central role become known in the West.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What was Yuly Khariton known for in the field of physics?
Yuly Khariton, a prominent Russian physicist, is renowned for his pivotal role in the Soviet nuclear weapons program. From 1946 to 1992, he headed the research and design laboratory (KB-11, Arzamas-16) responsible for creating the first Soviet fission and thermonuclear bombs.
Working with Igor Kurchatov, Khariton oversaw the development of the initial Soviet nuclear weapon, detonated in 1949. While the design was based on the American "Fat Man" bomb, Khariton and his team verified all findings independently. His contributions only became widely known in the West after the Soviet Union's collapse, particularly after his 1993 article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Learn more about his life and work.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
Which major scientific project did Khariton lead in Russia?
Yuly Borisovich Khariton headed the research and design laboratory, known as KB-11, Arzamas-16, and now the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics, from 1946 to 1992. This organization was responsible for designing the first Soviet fission and thermonuclear bombs. In 1946, Khariton was appointed scientific director of KB-11 to supervise the design and manufacture of nuclear weapons. With guidance from Igor V. Kurchatov, Khariton oversaw the development and assembly of the first Soviet nuclear weapon, which was detonated on August 29, 1949.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How did Khariton contribute to the development of nuclear technology?
Yuly Borisovich Khariton, a prominent Russian physicist, significantly contributed to nuclear technology as the founder and head of KB-11, later known as the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics, from 1946 to 1992. He oversaw the development of the first Soviet fission and thermonuclear bombs. Under his guidance, the first Soviet nuclear weapon was assembled and tested in 1949. Although the initial design mirrored the American "Fat Man," Khariton's expertise was crucial in verifying and implementing the designs, solidifying the USSR's nuclear capabilities.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What challenges did Khariton face in his scientific work?
Yuly Khariton faced several challenges throughout his scientific career. As the head of KB-11 (later known as Arzamas-16), he was responsible for the rapid development of Soviet nuclear weapons.
Some challenges included:
* Ideological constraints imposed by the state
* Verifying information obtained through espionage to ensure accuracy
* Working under the pressure to quickly develop and test a Soviet atomic bomb after the U.S. bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
* Guiding the design and manufacture of nuclear weapons, including the first Soviet nuclear weapon, detonated in 1949
* Contributing to the Soviet thermonuclear bomb program1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How has Khariton's work influenced science and technology in Russia and the world?
Yuly Borisovich Khariton, a prominent Russian physicist, significantly contributed to science and technology through his pivotal role in the Soviet nuclear weapons program. As the head of KB-11, later known as Arzamas-16, from 1946 to 1992, he oversaw the design and manufacture of the first Soviet fission and thermonuclear bombs.
His work, while shrouded in secrecy for decades, became known in the West after the Soviet Union dissolved. Despite the controversial nature of his work, Khariton's leadership and expertise were crucial in accelerating the Soviet Union's nuclear capabilities. He also co-authored papers on nuclear fission between 1939 and 1941 with Yakov Zeldovich.
1 Britannica SourceCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Yuly Borisovich Khariton (born Feb. 27, 1904, St. Petersburg, Russia—died Dec. 19, 1996, Sarov) was the founder, and head from 1946 to 1992, of the research and design laboratory known variously as KB-11, Arzamas-16, and currently the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics, which was responsible for designing the first Soviet fission and thermonuclear bombs.
Khariton’s father was a journalist and, after the Russian Revolution of 1917, director of the House of Writers, a state-controlled organization subject to ideological constraints. His mother was an actress who left Russia when Khariton was six. In 1920 he entered the Polytechnical Institute and attended lectures by Abram F. Ioffe, the patriarch of Russian physics. Khariton showed great promise and attracted the attention of the physical chemist Nikolay N. Semyonov. After graduating in 1925, Khariton spent two years at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, Eng., under the guidance of physicists Ernest Rutherford and James Chadwick, receiving a doctorate in 1928. Upon returning from England, Khariton changed his research interests to study explosives. In the 1930s he founded and headed the Laboratory of Explosives within the Institute of Chemical Physics.
Khariton and his colleague Yakov B. Zeldovich were quick to respond to the discovery of fission with a series of papers published in 1939–41. In February 1943, Laboratory No. 2 was established by decree of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, with Igor V. Kurchatov as its head. Kurchatov recruited Khariton to work with him. While the project remained relatively small for the duration of World War II, it was dramatically expanded after the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. New organizations were established and new personnel recruited to develop and test a Soviet atomic bomb as quickly as possible. On Aug. 20, 1945, Joseph Stalin signed an order to make the atomic project a top national priority. In 1946 Khariton was appointed scientific director of a new design bureau (KB-11) to supervise the design and manufacture of nuclear weapons. With Pavel M. Zernov, the future director of KB-11, Khariton helped select the site near the present-day village of Sarov. Later the facility would be known as Arzamas-16, and Khariton would remain the scientific director until his retirement in 1992. With general guidance provided by Kurchatov, Khariton oversaw the development and assembly of the first Soviet nuclear weapon, which was detonated on Aug. 29, 1949. While espionage played a role, Khariton and his team had to verify what was discovered. The first device was a direct copy of the American “Fat Man” plutonium implosion design dropped on Nagasaki. Khariton was involved in the Soviet thermonuclear bomb program as well and accorded numerous honours and privileges. He was a full member of the Academy of Sciences from 1953, three times a Hero of Socialist Labour, and a recipient of the Lenin and State prizes.
Only after the demise of the Soviet Union did Khariton’s central role in the Soviet nuclear weapons program come to light in the West. In particular, his role became known after he wrote an article in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (May 1993) that described the story of the Soviet bomb’s creation. He spent his last few years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union with the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Physics in Sarov.