One day in the autumn of 1937, in front of the temporary site of Tsinghua University in Changsha, the guards were keeping a close eye on the ** people coming and going, preventing any suspicious people from entering. Suddenly, his gaze was drawn to an unfamiliar figure.
The man was ragged and grizzled, and he looked like a beggar with an old jar of pickles in his arms. As soon as he got closer, he shouted to see President Mei Yiqi and claimed to be a professor at Tsinghua University.
The doorman's eyes widened and he looked up and down, wondering how could a professor look like this! So he was going to drive him away. However, at this moment, Mei Yiqi returned, and the beggar immediately rushed forward and shouted in a hoarse voice, "Principal Mei! ”
Mei Yiqi's friendship with Zhao Zhongyao Mei Yiqi met a beggar at the gate of the school, he was startled by the beggar's sudden move, but when he was about to stop it, Zhao Zhongyao excitedly shook the beggar's hand.
Mei Yiqi looked at it, and it turned out that this beggar was Zhao Zhongyao. Zhao Zhongyao's eyes were full of tears, he lifted the jar in his arms, and said excitedly: "I brought it back!" ”
This jar contains the physical phenomenon of "extra scattered radiation" discovered by Zhao Zhongyao in the United States, which won the American scientist Carl Anderson the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1936, and also won world praise for Zhao Zhongyao, the physicist who was the first physicist to discover antimatter in human physics.
The friendship between Mei Yiqi and Zhao Zhongyao, like the physical phenomenon in this jar, is full of mystery and value.
In 1902, Zhao Zhongyao was born in the Zhao family at the south gate of Zhuji County, Zhejiang Province. At that time, the society of the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China was undergoing great changes and the country was opening up, and the wave of new ideas and new culture affected his growth, so that he had the great ideal of "serving the country with science" since he was a child.
At the age of 18, Zhao Zhongyao was admitted to Nanjing Higher Normal School with excellent results, chose to major in chemistry, and devoted himself to his studies. After graduating, he went straight to Tsinghua University as a teaching assistant, a career that many people dream of.
However, for Zhao Zhongyao, this is not the life he wants. In the twenties of the twentieth century, China was in the midst of warlord warfare and turbulence, and all factions pursued the supremacy of force, only concerned with how to expand armaments and defeat opponents, and were indifferent to the cause of science.
In this environment, China's academic environment in physics is very backward. Therefore, after working at Tsinghua University for two years, Zhao Zhongyao decided to resolutely go to the California Institute of Technology in the United States to further his studies in order to seek better development opportunities.
Caltech is known as the birthplace of the Nobel Prize, with more than 70 Nobel laureates conducting their research here, making Caltech also known as the university with the highest density of Nobel laureates in the world.
Zhao Zhongyao's ability to study and work in such an elite university fully illustrates his outstanding talent. During his study abroad, Zhao Zhongyao studied diligently and concentrated on research, and soon stood out among his classmates.
In 1930, Zhao Zhongyao's scientific research career reached its first peak. Not only did he get his Ph.D. without incident, but he also discovered it this month"Additional scattered radiation"。
However, in that era, there was widespread discrimination and differential treatment of Chinese in the foreign scientific community. Many professors and experts look at Zhao Zhongyao's research results with a biased eye and scoff at them, which indirectly leads to Zhao Zhongyao's missed Nobel Prize.
Despite this, Zhao Zhongyao does not care about these honorary things, and still focuses on scientific research. However, a sudden turn of events woke him up. In 1931, it shocked China and the world"The 918 Incident"Outbreak, the Japanese army brazenly invaded and occupied the three eastern provinces.
China's northeastern barrier disappeared overnight, and it had to rely on Shanhaiguan for defense. Tens of millions of innocent people were trampled by the iron hooves of the Japanese and forced to accept cruel "rule", and the country was in danger.
Zhao Zhongyao, who was studying with Rutherford, the "father of nuclear physics", at the Cavendish Laboratory of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, saw the news in the newspaper, and homesickness and patriotic feelings instantly intertwined and poured out, like a sharp dagger, piercing deep into his heart.
Rutherford values Zhao Zhongyao's talent and talent very much, and he does his best to teach Zhao Zhongyao and try to make him his own **person. It can be said that as long as Zhao Zhongyao persists, his position in the history of physics will be irreplaceable.
Rutherford even persuaded him: "We are all academics, and there is no need to get involved in national disputes." However, Zhao Zhongyao has his own ideas. His homeland was in danger, and he could not sit idly by and enjoy peace.
Despite Rutherford's best efforts, Zhao Zhongyao decided to return to China immediately. When they broke up, Rutherford offered Zhao Zhongyao 50 milligrams of radioactive experimental radium in order to support Zhao Zhongyao's academic research and prevent his research from being affected by the restrictions.
Marie Curie, the discoverer of radium, and her husband worked around the clock in a dilapidated shed for three years and nine months to extract 100 milligrams of radium from several tons of bituminous uranium slag.
If Marie Curie traveled back to the era where Zhao Zhongyao lived, although the extraction of radium has had a preliminary industrial process, the ** per gram of radium is still as high as more than 600,000 US dollars.
Zhao Zhongyao, who is well aware of the value and significance of the 50 milligrams of radium, sees it as a priceless treasure to help China explore the field of atomic energy. Therefore, from the moment he boarded the ship and returned to China, Zhao Zhongyao closely linked the 50 mg of radium with himself, carried it with him, and took care of it.
In order to protect the 50 milligrams of radium, he even became a "beggar". At the end of 1931, Zhao Zhongyao returned to the familiar Tsinghua Garden, as a scholar, he knew that his mission was not to go to the battlefield to confront the Japanese army, but to learn from the West, improve the level of science and technology, and enhance the country's strength.
Under his leadership, China's first nuclear physics laboratory was established in Tsinghua University. Since then, Zhao Zhongyao has continued his scientific research work while cultivating many talents such as Deng Jiaxian, Yang Zhenning, and Qian Sanqiang for the country.
In 1937, with"The Seventy-Seven Incident"The outbreak of the all-out war of resistance began. The thousand-year-old city of Beiping quickly fell under the fire of the Japanese army. The aggression of the Japanese army is not confined to a city or a region, they are forcibly imposing the so-called in the occupied areas"The Imperial Movement", forcing Chinese to learn Japanese and fully accept Japanese culture.
The aim is to allow the new generation of Chinese children to become truly immersed in Japanese culture"The Emperor's People"。This practice is not only to kill people, but also to destroy China's local culture and education and replace it with Japanese education.
From the bombing of Nankai University to the military control of major universities, the Japanese invaders frantically ravaged China's educational circles.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, in order to preserve the cultural context of the Chinese nation and the seeds of reading, Nankai University was forced to move to Changsha, and 102 university scholars, including Cai Yuanpei, Dean of the Research Institute, Jiang Menglin, President of Peking University, and Mei Yiqi, President of Tsinghua University, jointly announced the collective relocation of colleges and universities to the south.
However, despite this, the Japanese invasion continued, with rounds of bombing of several large cities. During this major migration in the history of education, some teachers and students were unfortunately separated, including Zhao Zhongyao.
His whereabouts are unknown, which makes Tsinghua teachers and students very worried, and everyone actively looks for news of him, praying that he will be safe and sound. But after some time, there is still no news of him.
It was not until the autumn of 1937 that Zhao Zhongyao suddenly appeared at the door of the new school site in Changsha, and he appeared as a down-and-out beggar, that everyone learned the reason for his "disappearance".
Tsinghua moved south, and Zhao Zhongyao did not say goodbye to Beiping. Although he could go directly to Changsha, he decided to return to Peking because he knew that the precious 50 milligrams of radium were stored in a secret place in the laboratory and no one else could find it.
The 50 milligrams of radium were essential for atomic energy research and must not fall into the hands of the Japanese. Zhao Zhongyao did not hesitate to return to Beiping, and after some inquiry, he learned that Liang Sicheng, the head of the Department of Architecture at Tsinghua University, was still in Beiping, busy sorting out and packing important materials.
So, Zhao Zhongyao immediately went to Liang Sicheng's house and asked for his help. After Liang Sicheng understood the situation, without saying a word, he let Zhao Zhongyao get in the car, and they braved the rain of bullets together, risked being discovered by the Japanese, successfully bypassed all the sentry posts, and returned to Tsinghua Park.
Although the Tsinghua campus had been ransacked by artillery fire, Liang Sicheng and Zhao Zhongyao relied on Zhao Zhongyao's memories to find the lead cylinder containing radium. In order to safely bring this priceless treasure back to the new campus of Tsinghua University, Liang Sicheng proposed that the family set off in a car.
However, Zhao Zhongyao believed that this plan was too risky, because large areas of northern China had already been occupied by the Japanese army, and there were many hurdles on the road. He insisted on keeping a low profile to avoid attracting the attention of the Japanese army, so he decided to go it alone.
Zhao Zhongyao found a set of shabby clothes, dressed himself as an unkempt beggar, and hid the lead cylinder containing radium in a pickle jar. Then, blending into the crowd of refugees, he made his way south.
From Beiping to Changsha, Zhao Zhongyao went through a lot of hardships and relied on his superb camouflage skills to save the day again and again. He slept in the open, turned himself into a beggar, and even filled his jar with pickles.
Whenever someone asked what was in the jar, he would immediately pick up the pickles and share them to dispel their curiosity and prevent anyone from stealing the contents of the jar. After a month's arduous trek, he finally arrived in Changsha and handed over a jar of pickles containing 50 milligrams of radium to Mei Yiqi.
At that moment, the two university scholars were full of emotion and burst into tears. Zhao Zhongyao went to the United States to study nuclear physics, just in time for the end of World War II. In August 1945, the United States dropped two atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, and its huge lethality made Japan surrender directly, and World War II ended.
Huge mushroom clouds, hundreds of thousands of people** and nuclear radiation have made the world feel the power of nuclear **. Overnight, nuclear ** has become a race to be chased by all countries**.
The United States, in particular, relies on its nuclear superiority to become more arrogant and domineering, and often conducts nuclear deterrence. For example, during the period of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, MacArthur even applied to drop an atomic bomb on China after repeated defeats by virtue of his strong military superiority, so as to eradicate future troubles forever.
Although Eisenhower did not pass the proposal, he felt a strong sense of crisis. For this kind of scoundrel, there is no sword in the hand and there is no need to have a sword, and we must develop our own nuclear power as soon as possible to get rid of the influence of nuclear deterrence by major powers.
On April 25, 1956, at an enlarged meeting of the Politburo, it was clearly stated: "We must have the atomic bomb, and in today's world, only by having this thing can we not be bullied." ”
In the next few years, the leadership concentrated most of the domestic physicists and set up a special research department to make every effort to conquer the atomic bomb technology.
It is worth mentioning that long before the start of the domestic atomic bomb project, Zhao Zhongyao had already begun preparations. In 1946, the United States invited experts from all over the world to the Bikini Islands to test the atomic bomb, and as an authority on China's nuclear physics, Zhao Zhongyao was sent to the United States by the Nanjing nationals.
Zhao Zhongyao's trip is not for sightseeing, but to find reference experience for China's independent research and development of the atomic bomb. He visited many universities such as MIT and Caltech to learn the manufacturing principles of particle accelerators from experts and professors.
A particle accelerator is a large machine capable of producing high-energy particles, which is essential for the development of nuclear bombs. However, Zhao Zhongyao's financial support was limited, and he only received $50,000 from the people.
In order to get more scientific research funds, Zhao Zhongyao worked for the laboratory free of charge and purchased raw materials at a cheaper price.
In his dealings with physicist John Trump, Zhao Zhongyao was regarded as a confidant by the other party because of his outstanding talent and deep patriotic feelings. When Zhao Zhongyao faced a dilemma and was in dire need of a particle accelerator, John Trump generously donated an old particle accelerator to him for an ultra-low $50,000***.
Zhao Zhongyao hoped to return to his home country and use what he had learned to contribute to the nuclear industry, but China's tensions with the capitalist world made his return a hindrance.
The United States** even took tough measures to prevent Zhao Zhongyao and other Chinese scientists and students from returning to China with three military orders, and put Zhao Zhongyao in prison.
On August 31, 1950, Zhao Zhongyao went through a lot of hardships, boarded the Wilson ** cruise ship, and returned to the motherland with Deng Jiaxian, Ye Duzheng, Shen Shanjiong and other 128 Chinese students.
He had the precious particle accelerator in his heart, disassembled it into parts in advance, and successfully shipped it back to China along with other scientific research materials. On November 28, 1950, Zhao Zhongyao finally returned to his homeland.
He did not want to delay for a moment, and devoted himself to the research of particle accelerators non-stop. He raced against time, not only to deal with the unpredictable international situation, but also because he knew very well that it would not be easy for a poor and white new China to build an atomic bomb.
Despite the fact that there was a rift in Sino-Soviet relations when China was developing the atomic bomb, and the Soviet Union withdrew all experts and research materials, Chinese scientists still insisted on starting the development of the atomic bomb from scratch without any help or reference.
Despite all the difficulties, our scientists have firmly blazed a trail. In 1955, Zhao Zhongyao successfully presided over the construction of China's first 700,000 electron volt proton electrostatic accelerator V1, which played an important role in the development of China's atomic bomb industry.
In the next three years, Zhao Zhongyao successfully developed a proton electrostatic accelerator with 2.5 million electron volts, which marked a major breakthrough in the field of accelerators in China and laid an important foundation for the research and development of nuclear power.
On October 16, 1964, in the Gobi Desert of Lop Nur in Xinjiang, there was a loud bang, sand and dust rose from the sky, and an artificial sun bloomed with dazzling brilliance.
When the scientists saw it hundreds of miles away, they were overwhelmed with emotion. This loud bang shocked the whole world! China successfully tested the first atomic bomb, becoming the fifth nuclear-armed country in the world after the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and France, breaking the nuclear monopoly and nuclear threat of the superpowers.
With the successful test detonation of the first hydrogen bomb on June 17, 1967, and the launch of the first artificial satellite on April 24, 1970, China's comprehensive national strength has been continuously enhanced, and its international influence and voice have also been increasing.
Although Zhao Zhongyao was unable to personally participate in the two bombs and one star project due to special reasons, on the list of two bombs and one star fathers, Peng Huanwu, Qian Sanqiang, Zhu Guangya, Deng Jiaxian, Zhou Guangzhao and others have a common teacher - Zhao Zhongyao.
Zhao Zhongyao not only cultivated many outstanding talents, but his dedication also ran through the second half of his life. He actively prepared for the establishment of the Department of Modern Physics of the University of Science and Technology of China, and provided many valuable suggestions for the establishment of the Institute of High Energy Physics in China.
Although he was a brilliant star in the world of physics, China's physics research was still barren until his death. However, the countless outstanding students he has taught have supported the field of physics research in China.
Let us pay tribute to him with this article.