Lighthouse inheritance | "Cross-border scientist" Du Xiangwan: Using a slide rule to calculate China's first hydrogen bomb

If you mention "cross-border scientists", who do you think of? As a well-known "cross-border scientist" in the industry, this academician has made achievements in many fields such as astronomy, mathematics, nuclear physics, laser, and energy research. He is not only one of the pioneers in the field of nuclear weapon neutronics and nuclear test diagnostic theory in my country, but also a leader in the field of lasers in my country. He is Du Xiangwan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

China Media Group launched the program "My Home and My Country". Host Wang Ning exclusively interviewed Academician Du Xiangwan. Let's watch it together.

In 1964, my country successfully detonated its first self-made atomic bomb, and since then, hydrogen bomb research has officially begun. In that year, Du Xiangwan graduated from the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute in the Soviet Union and returned to China. He was assigned to the Theoretical Department of the China Academy of Engineering Physics to participate in the development of hydrogen bombs. At that time, China was "poor and blank", and Du Xiangwan, who studied in the Soviet Union, handed over all his salary to the embassy to serve his country in terms of material and knowledge.

In the 1960s, Chinese scientists had very limited knowledge about hydrogen bombs. At the beginning of the research, there was a lack of computers and hand-cranked machines in China. Without the assistance of electronic equipment, some calculation data could only be calculated by researchers using slide rules!

In October 1965, after countless failures, they finally figured out the basic idea of ​​the hydrogen bomb principle. Since then, the development of hydrogen bombs has entered the fast lane. Two years later, my country's first 3.3 million tons of hydrogen bomb was successfully detonated. In just 32 months, my country completed the feat from the successful atomic bomb explosion to the successful hydrogen bomb air burst test.

Wang Ning: But it is hard for me to imagine using a ruler to calculate the data of hydrogen bomb research.

Du Xiangwan: Yes, that was how it was at that time. We sat in a tent at the on-site test site. Zhou Guangzhao and Yu Min were also there. We all made a bed on the floor. I sat there and calculated, and he sat there and calculated. We used paper to calculate, and after we finished calculating, someone took notes and someone discussed. That was how we worked. That was the atmosphere.

Wang Ning: What we are doing together is actually doing math problems.

Du Xiangwan: Yes, do the math.

Adhere to character and protect the pure land of scientific research

For the sake of national security, Du Xiangwan switched from the hydrogen bomb field to explore the unknown field of laser. Since then, out of his determination to do scientific research, Du refused promotion twice and has always stayed at the forefront of scientific research. In 1997, Du Xiangwan was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering for his great contributions in the field of hydrogen bomb and high-power laser technology. Today, Du Xiangwan, who serves as the director of the Scientific Ethics Construction Committee of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, always reminds the younger generations that being a person and doing research is first and foremost about being a human being.

Du Xiangwan: You should stand at the height of the country, and not select academicians from the perspective of the interests of your own unit. So I think scientists, including us young people, must first be good people, and then do things and study. Being a person and studying is first about being a person.

Wang Ning: So you reminded me of a saying, everyone thinks that what makes a great scientist is talent, but in fact it is character.

Du Xiangwan: This is what Einstein said. I have quoted this sentence many times. It is very true about character.

A super sweet blessing from an 84-year-old academician to his wife

In addition to work, Du Xiangwan also has an enviable married life. After years of companionship, the couple's life pattern has changed from the wife fully supporting his work to the two elderly people supporting and accompanying each other. For forty years, the couple has insisted on sending each other greeting cards, and the words between the lines show their deep love and attachment to each other.

Aunt Mao: I took some greeting cards, including birthday cards and New Year’s cards.

Wang Ning: You two have been writing greeting cards all the time?

Aunt Mao: Yes.

Wang Ning: That’s great. Look at these birthday wishes, they particularly represent the feelings between you at that time.

Aunt Mao: This is> Wang Ning: This is really well written. Source: CCTV News Client