Via Panisperna boys
Encyclopedia
The Via Panisperna boys (Italian:I ragazzi di Via Panisperna) were a group of young scientists led by Enrico Fermi
. In Rome in 1934, they made the famous discovery of slow neutrons which made later possible the nuclear reactor
, and then the construction of the first atomic bomb.
The nickname of the group comes from the address of the Physics Institute, at the University of Rome La Sapienza
. The Via Panisperna, a street of Rione
Monti
in the city center, got its name from a nearby monastery, San Lorenzo in Panisperna
.
The other members of the group were Edoardo Amaldi
, Oscar D'Agostino
, Ettore Majorana
, Bruno Pontecorvo
, Franco Rasetti
and Emilio Segrè. All of them were physicists, except for D'Agostino who was a chemist.
The group grew under the supervision of the physicist, minister, senator and director of the Institute of physics Orso Mario Corbino
. Corbino recognized the qualities of Enrico Fermi, appointed him in 1926 and created the first Chair of Theoretical Physics
in Italy for him. From 1929, Fermi and Corbino dedicated themselves to the transformation of the institute into a modern research centre.
The first version of their research laboratory was mainly dedicated to atomic and molecular spectroscopy
; afterwards they moved towards experimental studies of the atomic nucleus
. Research included the bombarding of various substances with neutrons, obtained by irradiating beryllium
with alpha particle
s emitted by radon
, which is a strongly radioactive gas that renders possible numerous stable artificial radioactive elements. On the theoretical side, the work of Ettore Majorana
and Fermi
enabled the understanding of the structure of the atomic nucleus and the forces acting in it, known as the Majorana Forces. In 1933 and 1934 they published the fundamental theory of beta decay
.
In 1938, because of the general climate in Europe, and in particular in Italy the group dispersed and most of its members emigrated. The head of the group, Prof. Fermi, was also forced to emigrate, since the passing of the Fascist
racial laws were damaging his wife, who was Jewish, and his academic career. Fermi left the fascist Italy with his family for Stockholm to receive the Nobel Prize on the 6th December 1938, and from there they reached the States.
Oscar D'Agostino and Edoardo Amaldi were the only ones who remained in Italy. In the post-war reconstruction of Italian physics, Amaldi contributed significantly to the foundation of CERN
.
The movie director Gianni Amelio
has told their story in a TV-movie which became a film, I ragazzi di via Panisperna
(1989).
The building in Via Panisperna is today included in the complex of the Viminale, on the same homonymous Roman hill as the Ministry of the Interior. In the near future, the building is planned to host a centre for research and a museum of physics named for Enrico Fermi.
Enrico Fermi
Enrico Fermi was an Italian-born, naturalized American physicist particularly known for his work on the development of the first nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and for his contributions to the development of quantum theory, nuclear and particle physics, and statistical mechanics...
. In Rome in 1934, they made the famous discovery of slow neutrons which made later possible the nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
, and then the construction of the first atomic bomb.
The nickname of the group comes from the address of the Physics Institute, at the University of Rome La Sapienza
University of Rome La Sapienza
The Sapienza University of Rome, officially Sapienza – Università di Roma, formerly known as Università degli studi di Roma "La Sapienza", is a coeducational, autonomous state university in Rome, Italy...
. The Via Panisperna, a street of Rione
Rioni of Rome
A rione is an Italian term used since the Middle Ages to name the districts of Rome, according to the administrative divisions of that time. The word originates from the Latin word regio A rione (pl. rioni) is an Italian term used since the Middle Ages to name the districts of Rome, according to...
Monti
Monti (rione of Rome)
Monti is the name of one of the twelve Rioni of Rome, rione I. The name literally means mountains in Italian and comes from the fact that the Esquiline and the Viminal Hills, and parts of the Quirinal and the Caelian Hills belonged to this rione...
in the city center, got its name from a nearby monastery, San Lorenzo in Panisperna
San Lorenzo in Panisperna
San Lorenzo in Panisperna, or San Lorenzo in Formoso, is a church on Via Panisperna, Rome, central Italy. It was built on the site of its dedicatee's martyrdom.-Name:...
.
The other members of the group were Edoardo Amaldi
Edoardo Amaldi
Edoardo Amaldi was an Italian physicist.He was born in Carpaneto Piacentino, son of Ugo Amaldi, professor of mathematics at the University of Padua, and Luisa Basini....
, Oscar D'Agostino
Oscar D'Agostino
Oscar D'Agostino was an Italian chemist and one of the so-called Via Panisperna boys, the group of young scientists led by Enrico Fermi: all of them were physicists, except for D'Agostino, who was a chemist....
, Ettore Majorana
Ettore Majorana
Ettore Majorana was an Italian theoretical physicist who began work on neutrino masses. He disappeared suddenly in mysterious circumstances. He is noted for the eponymous Majorana equation and for Majorana fermions.-Gifted in mathematics:Majorana was born in Catania, Sicily...
, Bruno Pontecorvo
Bruno Pontecorvo
Bruno Pontecorvo was an Italian-born nuclear physicist, an early assistant of Enrico Fermi and then the author of numerous studies in high energy physics, especially on neutrinos. According to Oleg Gordievsky and Pavel Sudoplatov , Pontecorvo was also a Soviet agent...
, Franco Rasetti
Franco Rasetti
Franco Dino Rasetti was an Italian scientist. Together with Enrico Fermi, discovered key processes leading to nuclear fission. Rasetti refused to work on the Manhattan Project, however, on moral grounds...
and Emilio Segrè. All of them were physicists, except for D'Agostino who was a chemist.
The group grew under the supervision of the physicist, minister, senator and director of the Institute of physics Orso Mario Corbino
Orso Mario Corbino
Orso Mario Corbino was an Italian physicist and politician. He served as the minister for education in 1921 and as the minister for economy in 1921. He also served as professor in Messina and in Rome...
. Corbino recognized the qualities of Enrico Fermi, appointed him in 1926 and created the first Chair of Theoretical Physics
Theoretical physics
Theoretical physics is a branch of physics which employs mathematical models and abstractions of physics to rationalize, explain and predict natural phenomena...
in Italy for him. From 1929, Fermi and Corbino dedicated themselves to the transformation of the institute into a modern research centre.
The first version of their research laboratory was mainly dedicated to atomic and molecular spectroscopy
Spectroscopy
Spectroscopy is the study of the interaction between matter and radiated energy. Historically, spectroscopy originated through the study of visible light dispersed according to its wavelength, e.g., by a prism. Later the concept was expanded greatly to comprise any interaction with radiative...
; afterwards they moved towards experimental studies of the atomic nucleus
Atomic nucleus
The nucleus is the very dense region consisting of protons and neutrons at the center of an atom. It was discovered in 1911, as a result of Ernest Rutherford's interpretation of the famous 1909 Rutherford experiment performed by Hans Geiger and Ernest Marsden, under the direction of Rutherford. The...
. Research included the bombarding of various substances with neutrons, obtained by irradiating beryllium
Beryllium
Beryllium is the chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a divalent element which occurs naturally only in combination with other elements in minerals. Notable gemstones which contain beryllium include beryl and chrysoberyl...
with alpha particle
Alpha particle
Alpha particles consist of two protons and two neutrons bound together into a particle identical to a helium nucleus, which is classically produced in the process of alpha decay, but may be produced also in other ways and given the same name...
s emitted by radon
Radon
Radon is a chemical element with symbol Rn and atomic number 86. It is a radioactive, colorless, odorless, tasteless noble gas, occurring naturally as the decay product of uranium or thorium. Its most stable isotope, 222Rn, has a half-life of 3.8 days...
, which is a strongly radioactive gas that renders possible numerous stable artificial radioactive elements. On the theoretical side, the work of Ettore Majorana
Ettore Majorana
Ettore Majorana was an Italian theoretical physicist who began work on neutrino masses. He disappeared suddenly in mysterious circumstances. He is noted for the eponymous Majorana equation and for Majorana fermions.-Gifted in mathematics:Majorana was born in Catania, Sicily...
and Fermi
Fermi
Fermi may refer to*Enrico Fermi*Laura Fermi, Enrico Fermi's wife*Enrico Fermi Award*Fermi Paradox , an album by Tub RingTechnology:*Fermi, the codename for a CUDA architecture graphics card developed by Nvidia*Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope...
enabled the understanding of the structure of the atomic nucleus and the forces acting in it, known as the Majorana Forces. In 1933 and 1934 they published the fundamental theory of beta decay
Beta decay
In nuclear physics, beta decay is a type of radioactive decay in which a beta particle is emitted from an atom. There are two types of beta decay: beta minus and beta plus. In the case of beta decay that produces an electron emission, it is referred to as beta minus , while in the case of a...
.
In 1938, because of the general climate in Europe, and in particular in Italy the group dispersed and most of its members emigrated. The head of the group, Prof. Fermi, was also forced to emigrate, since the passing of the Fascist
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
racial laws were damaging his wife, who was Jewish, and his academic career. Fermi left the fascist Italy with his family for Stockholm to receive the Nobel Prize on the 6th December 1938, and from there they reached the States.
Oscar D'Agostino and Edoardo Amaldi were the only ones who remained in Italy. In the post-war reconstruction of Italian physics, Amaldi contributed significantly to the foundation of CERN
CERN
The European Organization for Nuclear Research , known as CERN , is an international organization whose purpose is to operate the world's largest particle physics laboratory, which is situated in the northwest suburbs of Geneva on the Franco–Swiss border...
.
The movie director Gianni Amelio
Gianni Amelio
Gianni Amelio is an Italian film director.-Biography:Amelio was born in San Pietro di Magisano, province of Catanzaro, Calabria. His father moved to Argentina soon after his birth. He spent his youth and adolescence with his mother and his grandmother...
has told their story in a TV-movie which became a film, I ragazzi di via Panisperna
I ragazzi di via Panisperna
is an Italian movie by director Gianni Amelio, telling the enthusiasms, fears, joys and disappointments of the life of a well-known group of boys fond of physics and mathematics, who just made history as the Via Panisperna boys.-Plot:The story is inspired by a real life fact and set in the...
(1989).
The building in Via Panisperna is today included in the complex of the Viminale, on the same homonymous Roman hill as the Ministry of the Interior. In the near future, the building is planned to host a centre for research and a museum of physics named for Enrico Fermi.