J. Robert Oppenheimer was one of the most influential and controversial figures in the history of science. He is widely known as the director of the Manhattan Project, the secret U.S. program that developed the first atomic bombs during World War II. He is also regarded as the father of the atomic bomb, a title that he later regretted as he witnessed the devastating effects of nuclear weapons on humanity.
But how did Oppenheimer die? What was the cause of his death? And what legacy did he leave behind? In this article, we will explore these questions and more, as we delve into the life and death of J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Early Life and Education
Oppenheimer was born Julius Robert Oppenheimer on April 22, 1904, in New York City, to a wealthy Jewish family. His father was a successful textile importer and his mother was a painter. He had a younger brother, Frank, who also became a physicist.
Oppenheimer was a brilliant and curious child, who showed an early interest in science, literature, and languages. He attended the Ethical Culture School, where he excelled academically and socially. He graduated from Harvard University in 1925 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, and then went to Europe to pursue his doctoral studies in physics.
He studied at the University of Cambridge under Ernest Rutherford, and then at the University of Göttingen under Max Born, one of the founders of quantum mechanics. He received his PhD in 1927 with a dissertation on the quantum theory of continuous spectra. He also made significant contributions to other fields of physics, such as the theory of electrons and positrons, nuclear fusion, and quantum tunneling.
Career and Achievements
After his doctoral studies, Oppenheimer held various research positions at different institutions, such as Caltech, Stanford, and Berkeley. He became a full professor at Berkeley in 1936, where he established himself as a leader in theoretical physics. He attracted many talented students and collaborators, such as David Bohm, Sidney Dancoff, Willis Lamb, Philip Morrison, and George Volkoff.
He also made important discoveries in astrophysics and cosmology, such as the Born-Oppenheimer approximation for molecular wave functions, the Oppenheimer-Snyder model for gravitational collapse of stars, the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit for neutron stars, and the Oppenheimer-Phillips process for nuclear fusion.
However, his most famous and controversial achievement was his involvement in the Manhattan Project. In 1942, he was recruited by General Leslie Groves to work on the secret U.S. program to develop atomic bombs. He was appointed as the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico, where he oversaw the design and construction of the first nuclear weapons.
He was responsible for managing hundreds of scientists and engineers from various disciplines and backgrounds, as well as coordinating with other branches of the project, such as Oak Ridge and Hanford. He also faced many technical and logistical challenges, such as developing plutonium production methods, designing implosion devices, testing explosives, and selecting bomb targets.
He was present at the Trinity test on July 16, 1945, where he witnessed the first detonation of an atomic bomb. He later recalled that he was reminded of a verse from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.” He also said that he felt a sense of relief mixed with dread.
In August 1945, two atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by U.S. planes, killing tens of thousands of people instantly and injuring many more. The bombings effectively ended World War II by forcing Japan to surrender unconditionally. However, they also sparked a debate about the morality and necessity of using nuclear weapons against civilian populations.
Oppenheimer was hailed as a hero by some for his role in ending the war and saving lives. He was awarded the Medal for Merit by President Harry Truman in 1946 for his outstanding service to the nation. He also became a public figure and an influential advisor on nuclear policy. He chaired the General Advisory Committee (GAC) of the newly created Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), which oversaw civilian control of nuclear energy.
However, he was also criticized by others for his role in creating weapons of mass destruction that threatened humanity. He himself expressed doubts and regrets about his actions. He advocated for international control and cooperation on nuclear matters, as well as for limiting or banning further development of nuclear weapons. He opposed the development of thermonuclear weapons (hydrogen bombs), which he considered to be morally wrong and strategically dangerous.
Controversy and Decline
Oppenheimer’s views on nuclear policy put him at odds with some political and military leaders, who saw him as a security risk and a potential communist sympathizer. He had been a member of several leftist groups in the 1930s, and some of his friends and associates were suspected or accused of being communists or spies. He had also lied to security officials about some of his contacts and activities.
In 1953, he was accused of disloyalty and stripped of his security clearance by the AEC, after a controversial hearing that lasted for four weeks. He was denied access to classified information and barred from participating in government projects. He was also vilified by the media and the public, who saw him as a traitor and a menace.
He appealed the decision, but it was upheld by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1954. He resigned from his position as the director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, where he had moved in 1947. He became isolated and depressed, and his health deteriorated. He suffered from chronic coughing, which was later diagnosed as throat cancer.
He underwent surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy, but none of them were effective. He fell into a coma and died on February 18, 1967, at his home in Princeton. He was 62 years old. He was survived by his wife, Katherine “Kitty” Puening, whom he had married in 1940, and his two children, Peter and Katherine.
He was buried in Princeton Cemetery, where his gravestone bears only his name and dates of birth and death. His funeral was attended by more than 600 people, including many of his scientific, political, and military colleagues. His legacy remains controversial and complex, as he is remembered both as a genius and a villain, a visionary and a victim, a patriot and a pariah.
Conclusion
Oppenheimer cause of death was throat cancer, which was likely caused or aggravated by his lifelong habit of smoking. His death marked the end of an extraordinary life that was shaped by science, war, politics, and ethics. He was one of the most influential physicists of the 20th century, who made groundbreaking contributions to various fields of physics. He was also one of the most controversial figures of the atomic age, who played a pivotal role in the development and use of nuclear weapons.
He was a complex and contradictory person, who had many achievements and failures, friends and enemies, hopes and fears. He was a man who changed the world, but also changed himself in the process. He was a man who faced many challenges and dilemmas, but also made many choices and consequences. He was a man who lived with glory and guilt, pride and remorse.
He was J. Robert Oppenheimer: the father of the atomic bomb.
