Urey, Harold C

Name:
Urey, Harold C
Detailed information:
(1894–1981). An American chemist who received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1934 for his discovery of the heavy isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen. His discovery that became an important factor in the development of nuclear fission and fusion and made possible the production of the first transuranic element Pu. He was one of the leaders of the Manhattan Project, which constructed the first nuclear reactor at the University of Chicago and eventually produced the first atomic bomb. After obtaining his doctorate at the University of California in 1923, he taught at several leading universities, including Columbia, where he discovered deuterium D oxide (heavy water), used as a moderator in early types of nuclear reactors. Later he devoted much study to the origin of the universe and the origin of life on earth. He was the author of many scientific treatises and made notable contributions to the cosmological theories.