Westinghouse Atom Smasher
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Wikidata WikipediaThe Westinghouse Atom Smasher was a 5 million volt Van de Graaff electrostatic nuclear accelerator operated by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation at their Research Laboratories in Forest Hills, Pennsylvania. It was instrumental in the development in practical applications of nuclear science for energy production. In particular, it was used in 1940 to discover the photofission of uranium and thorium, and was most cited for certain nuclear physics measurements. It was the first industrial Van de Graaff generator in the world, and marked the beginning of nuclear research for civilian applications. Built in 1937, it was a 65-foot-tall (20 m) pear-shaped tower. It went dormant in 1958. In 1985, it was named an Electrical Engineering Milestone by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.
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Commemorated on 1 plaque
Westinghouse Atom Smasher. The world's 1st industrial Van de Graaff generator was created by Westinghouse Research Labs in 1937 as an early experiment with atomic energy. The 5-story pear-shaped structure is located here. The company remained active in establishing US leadership in nuclear power.
F Avenue & West, Forest Hills Boro., PA, United States where they sited (1937)