Winner of the 1935 Nobel Prize in Physics, he discovered the neutron for the atomic bomb. ALS signed “J. Chadwick,” one page, 8 x 10, personal letterhead, June 7, 1972. Letter of thanks to an unknown recipient. In part: “I apologize for my long delay in replying to your letter…The delay was caused by my absence from home; and, because my doctor advised me to take a complete rest…I have no suitable photograph to send; they have gone long ago, and I have not been well enough to replace them.” In fine condition, with some mild toning to edges.
Chadwick worked for Ernest Rutherford, the Father of Nuclear Physics, but earned his own claim to fame via his discovery of the neutron in 1932. As a professor of physics in 1935, he was named to a committee reviewing the plausibility of an atomic bomb and later collaborated on the matter with US and Canadian scientists. Additional research conducted by Chadwick led to the Manhattan Project and the development of the atomic bombs used to end World War II.
During his ongoing research, Chadwick once wrote that he realized a nuclear bomb “was not only possible, it was inevitable. I had to then take sleeping pills. It was the only remedy." Perhaps some 30 years later this research - or its end result - still weighed heavily on his mind, leading to the call for the aging scientist’s rest. RRAuction COA.
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