Dayton Project

The Dayton Project was a research effort during World War II to make a special material called polonium. This work was part of the larger Manhattan Project, which aimed to build the first atomic bombs. People worked on this project in and around Dayton, Ohio.

The project started in 1943 when a scientist named Charles Allen Thomas from Monsanto was asked to help with making plutonium. Scientists needed a way to start the reactions in atomic bombs, and they found that polonium mixed with beryllium could do this. So Thomas began making polonium in laboratories in Dayton. Unlike other parts of the Manhattan Project, this work happened in a busy city rather than a remote area. It continued until 1949, when the work moved to the Mound Laboratories in nearby Miamisburg, Ohio.

The team at the Dayton Project learned how to get polonium from natural materials and from special targets hit by neutrons in a nuclear reactor. The polonium they made was used in the neutron starters for both types of atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki — called Little Boy and Fat Man. The role of polonium in these bombs was kept secret until the 1960s.

Background

During World War II, a chemist named Charles Allen Thomas joined a group working on new explosives. Later, he met with leaders of a big science project called the Manhattan Project, which aimed to build an atomic bomb. They asked Thomas to help, but he decided to stay close to his family and his job.

Thomas helped make a special material called polonium, which was needed for the atomic bombs. This work became known as the Dayton Project.

Organization

Thomas brought together important people from Monsanto's Thomas and Hochwalt Laboratories in Dayton, Ohio, like Caroll Hochwalt, James Lum, and Nicholas Samaras. Thomas became the leader of the Dayton Project. Hochwalt was his assistant, and Lum led the laboratory. They needed about twelve chemists, so Lum started inviting professors, students, and chemists from nearby universities and labs. The first group began in August 1943, and most of them had never worked with radiochemistry before. The team grew from 46 members at the end of 1943 to 334 by the end of 1946. This included 34 members from the Army's Special Engineer Detachment.

Locations

The Dayton Project first used office space in the Monsanto offices at 1515 Nicholas Rd, called Unit I. Unit II was at Monsanto’s Rocket Propellant works near Ohio State Route 741, but it mainly handled explosives and was not used by the Dayton Project.

A laboratory was set up at 1601 W. First Street, originally the Bonebrake Seminary. This three-story building was leased by Monsanto in October 1943 and turned into Unit III. Repairs were made, and new buildings like guard houses and a storage shed were added. More temporary buildings were added in 1945.

As space ran out, Monsanto also took over the Runnymede Playhouse in Oakwood, turning it into Unit IV. This property was remodeled to include new heating, air conditioning, and security measures. In May 1945, Monsanto also rented space at a warehouse on East Third Street from General Electric for storing equipment and conducting studies.

Research

Polonium was a rare, silvery metal that glowed with a purple light in the dark. It was found in small amounts in certain ores. Scientists needed it for important experiments during World War II as part of the Manhattan Project to build the first atomic bombs.

Researchers tried three different ways to extract polonium from the ores. One method used a special acid to dissolve the ore and collect the polonium on metal sheets. Another method tried to heat the ore to turn polonium into vapor, but this caused problems with dust and contamination. The third method also used acids and worked well, but it was only used for small tests because a better way to get polonium was found later.

Production

Polonium could be made by sending neutrons through a material called bismuth. In 1943, small amounts of polonium were made in special machines called cyclotrons. A big plan called the Manhattan Project showed that nuclear reactors could make lots of polonium.

Workers used bismuth bricks that were treated in a nuclear reactor. These bricks were sent to a facility in Dayton, Ohio, where they were processed to extract the polonium. Later, more powerful reactors at the Hanford Site in Washington became the main source. The polonium was used in important parts of the atomic bombs. By the end of 1946, large amounts of polonium were being produced and sent to Los Alamos.

Health and safety

Workers on the Dayton Project had special rules to stay safe. They could not eat or smoke in certain areas, and they had to wash their hands very well before leaving these places. The scientists wore protective gloves and washed their hands with special liquids and soap before lunch or the end of their shift. They also took urine tests each week to make sure they were healthy.

Espionage

During World War II, a man named George Koval worked on important secret projects in the United States. He shared secret information with another country. Later, leaders of that country honored him for his actions. This information stayed secret for many years before people learned about it.

George Koval was drafted into the United States Army in 1943 and joined a special group called the Manhattan Project. His job gave him access to important areas. He began passing secrets to the Soviet Union through a person named "Clyde". In 1945 Koval moved to Dayton. His job still gave him access to secret places. In 2007, Russian President Vladimir Putin honored Koval for his work as a spy for the GRU. Russian officials said the design for their Joe-1 bomb used ideas he shared.

health physics

hero of the Russian Federation

Initiators

After a scientist named Leonard I. Schiff suggested a special part to help a bomb work better, leaders approved its use in the design of the bomb called Little Boy. These parts, called initiators, were tested to make sure they could handle rough handling during travel. Some of these initiators were used in a bomb dropped on Hiroshima.

Another type of initiator, called "urchin," was used in a different bomb dropped on Nagasaki. This initiator needed to release many tiny particles very quickly to help the bomb explode. Inside it was a small sphere that helped start the reaction when the bomb exploded.

Mound Laboratories

By 1945, the Dayton Project was very important. The Manhattan Project decided to make it a permanent facility. They chose a site near Dayton instead of moving to Oak Ridge because few staff wanted to move, and there were concerns about dangers at another location.

A suitable site was found in Miamisburg, about 19 kilometers from Dayton, next to a state park with a large ancient Indian burial mound. This gave the Mound Laboratories its name.

Construction began in May 1946. The laboratories were built underground to protect against attacks. The first building was finished in May 1948, and production of a special material started in February 1949. In total, 14 major buildings were constructed, covering 34,000 square meters, at a cost of $25.5 million. The site was kept very secure.

Site cleanup

After World War II, some buildings used for the Dayton Project were torn down or sold. In 1996, officials said the cleanup of these sites was good enough. Some people thought it should have been better. In 2004 and 2005, they checked again and found no dangerous materials left.

Main article: National Register of Historic Places
Main articles: Department of Energy, Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program
Further information: United States Congress