UMD: Miriam Hiebert, Tim Koeth

PNNL: Brittany Robertson, Jon Schwantes

Nazi Germany’s nuclear program during WWII was built upon several experimental reactors utilizing uranium metal cubes about two inches long on each side (they are generically referred to as “Heisenberg” Cubes, after the lead scientist of one of three independent research groups) in an attempt to demonstrate a self-sustaining “uranium machine” for production of power and possibly Plutonium for atomic weapons. By all accounts, none of the reactor designs that were tested were able to sustain criticality. While thousands of “Heisenberg” Cubes were produced to support this effort, most of those cubes are unaccounted for today. In fact, less than a dozen cubes – most owned by private collectors – are known to exist, and only two of those cubes (one on display at the Atomkeller-Museum in Haigerloch, Germany) has been the subject of a comprehensive nuclear forensic characterization that confirmed its pedigree (Mayer et al., 2015, Angewandte). Unfortunately, radiochronometric methods used during that investigation were not precise enough to determine from which Nazi research groups these cubes originated.

Our current project will characterize and confirm pedigree on several additional cubes using novel radiochronometric techniques thought to be more precise than currently available methods. In addition, isotopic, elemental, and morphological characteristics of the cubes will be compared and contrasted in an attempt to further classify them as part of the independent programs (Gottow or Berlin) that represented the sum of Nazi Germany’s nuclear endeavors.

We currently have samples from three cubes, and are seeking samples from others as well. Our current samples come from one cube owned by PNNL and two others from the private collection of Professor Koeth. If successful, this study will represent the most extensive characterization of cubes from Nazi Germany’s nuclear program.