Foreword: Manhattan Project Nuclear Science & Technology Developments at Los Alamos

Abstract

The year 2020 marked the 75th anniversary of the Trinity experiment, the world's first nuclear explosion, on July 16, 1945, near Alamogordo, New Mexico. Trinity was a vital proof step toward the culmination of the Manhattan Project and the end of World War II. The technical accomplishments made by scientists and engineers from the US, UK, and Canada (some originating in Germany, Hungary, Italy, France, and other countries) were recognized by many events in 2020, including a visit to New Mexico's Los Alamos National Laboratory by Department of Energy (DOE) National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) dignitaries, historical documentaries, 1, 2 and the publication of an excellent book, Trinity, by physicist Frank Close. 3 The importance of Trinity as a foundational accomplishment for the broad nuclear science and engineering community is clear; indeed, New Mexico's chapter of the American Nuclear Society (ANS) is referred to as the "Trinity Section." The events surrounding Trinity have even entered into high culture with re-