How Louis Slotin Died.
On May 21st 1946 with seven colleagues watching, Slotin was conducting an experiment that involved the creation of one of the first steps of a fission reaction by placing two half-spheres of beryllium around a plutonium core. Slotin grasped the upper 9-inch beryllium hemisphere; with his left hand through a thumb hole at the top while he maintained the separation of the half spheres using the blade of a screwdriver with his right hand.
At 3:20pm, the screwdriver slipped and the upper beryllium hemisphere fell, causing a "prompt critical" reaction and a burst of hard radiation. At that very second the scientists in the room observed the blue glow of air ionization and felt a heat wave. Slotin experienced a sour taste in his mouth and an intense burning sensation in his left hand. Slotin jerked his left hand upward, lifting the upper beryllium hemisphere and dropping it to the floor, ending the reaction. However, he had already been exposed to a lethal dose of neutron radiation. Soon after Slotin left the building, he threw up a common reaction from exposure to extremely intense ionizing radiation. Slotin's colleagues rushed him to the hospital, but irreversible damage had already been done. His parents were informed of their son's inevitable death. He then died 9 days later on May 30th 1946
At 3:20pm, the screwdriver slipped and the upper beryllium hemisphere fell, causing a "prompt critical" reaction and a burst of hard radiation. At that very second the scientists in the room observed the blue glow of air ionization and felt a heat wave. Slotin experienced a sour taste in his mouth and an intense burning sensation in his left hand. Slotin jerked his left hand upward, lifting the upper beryllium hemisphere and dropping it to the floor, ending the reaction. However, he had already been exposed to a lethal dose of neutron radiation. Soon after Slotin left the building, he threw up a common reaction from exposure to extremely intense ionizing radiation. Slotin's colleagues rushed him to the hospital, but irreversible damage had already been done. His parents were informed of their son's inevitable death. He then died 9 days later on May 30th 1946
Historical Significance
Slotin was named a hero by the United States government for reacting quickly enough to prevent his accident from killing any colleagues. The accident and its aftermath have been dramatized in several fictional and non-fiction accounts.