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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

'An Explosive Of Quite Unimaginable Force': Did Werner Heisenberg Obstruct German Atomic Bomb Research?, Aaron G. Noll Mar 2014

'An Explosive Of Quite Unimaginable Force': Did Werner Heisenberg Obstruct German Atomic Bomb Research?, Aaron G. Noll

Graduate History Conference, UMass Boston

Why was Nazi Germany unable to acquire an atomic bomb during World War II? An answer to this question necessarily involves an analysis of the wartime conduct of Werner Heisenberg. As the undisputed leader of German nuclear research, Heisenberg was integral to the successful production of a bomb. Heisenberg claimed after the war that the Nazis lacked the economic resources for this project. Moreover, Nazi military strategy ruled out such a sustained long-term commitment in armaments development. Heisenberg explained that he personally felt fortunate that these circumstances prevented Hitler from having a bomb. He argued that he merely “pretended” to …


A Model For Relating Environmental Variation To Water Permit Violations At Thermoelectric Facilities, Seth Sheldon Apr 2011

A Model For Relating Environmental Variation To Water Permit Violations At Thermoelectric Facilities, Seth Sheldon

Interdisciplinary Perspectives: a Graduate Student Research Showcase

A regression model is presented which relates cooling water withdrawal rates and discharge temperatures at two mid-size thermoelectric facilities to electricity demand and ambient air temperature using historical data. Both facilities employ open-loop cooling systems, which have substantial water demands. Open-loop facilities comprise roughly one third of U.S. generation capacity. High water demands put facilities and downstream aquatic habitats at risk during heat waves and droughts, and put facility managers in a position to decide between reducing their power generation and violating their permit limits. National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits place limits on cooling water withdrawals and effluent …