The Transuranium Elements: Research Papers

On Jan. 28, 1941 a report by G. T. Seaborg, E. M. McMillan, J. W. Kennedy and A. C. Wahl was submitted to thePhysical Reviewfor publication. The report, withheld from publication until 1946 because of the nature of its contents, set off the most massive research program in the history of science. The report announced the discovery of a new transuranic element, which was later named plutonium. The report is reproduced in its original form in part I of this two volume collection of about 160 research papers. Most of the papers deal with the production and chemistry of plutonium. A lesser number of papers are devoted to neptunium, americium and curium. Several papers concerning uranium, radium, actinium, thorium and proactinium are included for convenient reference. Although this collection of research papers deals primarily with the work carried out under the sponsorship of the War Department's Manhattan Project