Penney (of East Hendred), William Penney, Baron

Penney (of East Hendred), William Penney, Baron

▪ British physicist
in full  William George Penney, Baron Penney Of East Hendred  
born June 24, 1909, Gibraltar
died March 3, 1991, East Hendred, near London, Eng.
 British nuclear physicist who led Britain's development of the atomic bomb.

      Penney studied physics at the Imperial College of Science and Technology of the University of London (B.S. 1929, Ph.D. 1931) and at the University of Cambridge (Ph.D. 1935). He taught at the Imperial College from 1936 to 1945. Penney did research for the Ministry of Home Security and the Admiralty during World War II and was principal scientific officer of the department of scientific and industrial research in 1944–45 at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory (Manhattan Project), New Mexico, U.S., where he helped develop the American atomic bomb. In 1946 Penney was appointed chief superintendent of armaments research for the British Ministry of Supply, and in this capacity he supervised Britain's development of its own atomic bomb. On Oct. 3, 1952, he directed the successful first test of that weapon in the Monte Bello Islands off Western Australia. He was knighted that same year. Penney was director of atomic-weapons research and development at Aldermaston, Berkshire, from 1953 to 1959, and he was chairman of the U.K. Atomic Energy Authority from 1964 until 1967. In 1967 he was created a life peer.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • William Penney, Baron Penney — Infobox Scientist name = William Penney box width = image width =150px caption = William Penney s wartime Los Alamos ID badge photograph. birth date = 24 June 1909 birth place = Gibraltar death date = 3 March 1991 death place = residence =… …   Wikipedia

  • William George Penney — William Penney. Sir William George Penney, Baron Penney (* 24. Juni 1909; † 3. März 1991) war ein britischer Physiker. Penney gilt als der Vater der britischen Atombombe. Siehe auch: Kronig Penney Modell Auszeichnungen 1946 wurde er als Mitglied… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • William Penney — William Penney. Sir William George Penney, Baron Penney (* 24. Juni 1909; † 3. März 1991) war ein britischer Physiker. Penney gilt als der Vater der britischen Atombombe. Siehe auch: Kronig Penney Modell Auszeichnungen 1946 wurde er als Mitglied… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • William Penney — Fotografía de William Penney en su tarjeta de identificación de Los Álamos. Nacimiento 24 de junio de 1909 Gibraltar, Inglaterra …   Wikipedia Español

  • Penney — /ˈpɛni/ (say penee) noun William George (Baron Penney of East Hendred), 1909–91, English atomic scientist …  

  • nuclear weapon — an explosive device whose destructive potential derives from the release of energy that accompanies the splitting or combining of atomic nuclei. [1945 50] * * * or atomic weapon or thermonuclear weapon Bomb or other warhead that derives its force …   Universalium

  • Список лауреатов медали Румфорда — Не следует путать с Премией Румфорда[ru] …   Википедия

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