Collected papers. Vol. II: United States, 1939–1954. (Note e memorie.) (English) Zbl 1083.01508

Fermi, Enrico

Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press; Rome: Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei. xvi, 1085 p. (1965).

From the editorial board’s foreword: The contents of the previous volume [ Vol. I, Italy, 1921–1938 (1962; Zbl 0132.24101)] were prepared for publication by Fermi himself, with insignificant exceptions. Volume II contains a large number of papers which were not destined for publication, such as the reports of work connected with the pile. These papers have been issued as classified reports by different agencies of the U. S. government concerned with nuclear energy during the Second World War. Some are only records of work performed during a certain period of time, some contain only the result of one important measurement, some are more elaborate presentations of theory or of a series of experiments. Although we do not publish them all, the most important are here. A few are still classified.
Some papers are reproductions of courses of lectures given in special circumstances during the war. They were written by members of the audience and were not revised by Fermi, thus they contain many imperfections which he would have removed if he had prepared them for publication. However, the editorial committee could not replace the author in this work and the lectures are presented as written down. They are interesting samples of Fermi’s didactic style in his later years.
After the war, all these papers remained classified for some time and became available for publication at different dates. Fermi himself decided, for various reasons, not to publish them after declassification. The editorial committee, however, has included them in this volume because they are historically interesting. In particular, they are indispensable source material for any future history of nuclear technology.

MSC:

01A75

Collected or selected works; reprintings or translations of classics

Citations:

Zbl 0132.24101