Rubby Sherr | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 14, 1913 |
| Died | July 8, 2013 (aged 99) |
| Alma mater | New York University Princeton University |
| Known for | Contribution to theManhattan Project, experimental proof ofFermi's interaction[1] |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Nuclear physics |
| Doctoral advisor | Henry DeWolf Smyth |
Rubby Sherr[a] (September 14, 1913 – July 8, 2013)[1] was an Americannuclear physicist who co-invented a key component of the firstnuclear weapon while participating in theManhattan Project during theSecond World War. His academic career spanned nearly eight decades, including almost 40 years working atPrinceton University.[1]
Sherr was born toLithuanian Jewish immigrants inLong Branch,New Jersey, in 1913.[1][2] After graduating fromLakewood High School,[3] he attendedNew York University at his mother's behest, gaining abachelor's degree in physics in 1934.[1] He then went to study atPrinceton University, where he obtained a doctorate in physics in 1938.[1]
In 1942, Sherr joined theMITRadiation Laboratory, where he worked to develop new airborneradar systems.[3] In 1944, he became involved with theManhattan Project, which was tasked with creating the firstnuclear weapon.[2] Together withKlaus Fuchs, Sherr developed a key component of the bomb's triggering mechanism, the Fuchs–Sherrpolonium-berylliummodulated neutron initiator.[3][4] On July 16, 1945, Sherr was present at theTrinity nuclear test inNew Mexico.[3] He later recalled thinking during the test, "'This is the greatest scientific experiment of all time' – it was certainly the biggest. Then the horror sank in that the thing had actually worked, followed by relief thatthe atmosphere hadn't ignited, as some had feared it would."[3]
Sherr became an assistant professor of physics at Princeton University in 1946, an associate professor in 1949, and a full professor in 1955.[3] In 1953, he provided experimental evidence ofFermi's interaction, a theoretical explanation for thebeta decay phenomenon.[1] Between 1955 and 1971, he headed anAtomic Energy Commission-contracted nuclear research project, and oversaw the development of Princeton's AVFcyclotron in 1970.[3] Sherr retired from Princeton in 1982, but remained active in the research community for the rest of his life.[1][2] He published over 100 articles inscientific journals during his career.[3]
Sherr was married to Rita "Pat" Sherr, with whom he had two daughters. In 1998, after his wife's death, he moved to aretirement community inHaverford, Pennsylvania, where he lived until his death.[3] In his spare time, Sherr was an avidfly fisherman,birdwatcher, andfolk music enthusiast who counted the musicologistAlan Lomax among his friends.[1][3] He died at the age of 99 on July 8, 2013.[3] He was survived by his daughters and a granddaughter.[3]
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