David Charles Hahn

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David (Charles) Hahn (born October 30, 1976 - † September 27, 2016 ) was an American experimenter who tried to build a nuclear reactor (more precisely: neutron source ) at the age of 17 .

Hahn, a Boy Scouts of America scout , conducted his experiments in secret in a backyard shed at his mother's home in Commerce Township , Michigan . Although the reactor never posed any real danger, Hahn caught the attention of the authorities when the local police searched his car on suspicion of theft and he pointed out the radioactive material stored in the vehicle . As a result, the FBI and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission were called in, but it took months to clarify the responsibility. Eventually the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took action and searched the property, but found little apart from increased radiation exposure , as his mother, fearful of losing her property due to his experiments, has meanwhile dismantled the laboratory and along with the radioactive waste had taken to a landfill.

Hahn rejected a medical examination proposed by the authorities for ionizing radiation at the Enrico Fermi nuclear power plant .

Construction trial of the reactor

Hahn was a boy scout fascinated by chemistry and, initially using a chemistry kit , carried out chemical experiments that sometimes led to small explosions and other mishaps. He was inspired in part by reading The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments and attempted to collect samples from every element on the periodic table , including radioactive ones. He was intrigued by the idea of ​​building a breeder reactor in his house. Hahn carefully accumulated radioactive material by collecting small amounts of household products like americium from ionization smoke detectors , radium from clocks, and tritium (a moderator ) from visors . His "reactor" was a drilled block of lead ; He procured thorium for the reactor core by melting incandescent mantles from the purchase of hundreds of mining lamps with a welding torch , so that thorium ash was produced. He cleaned these ashes using a Bunsen burner , lithium extracted from batteries valued at 1,000 US dollars . In order to irradiate the thorium and produce uranium from it, he wanted to build a neutron cannon, but it always remained inoperable.

Military career

Hahn eventually became depressed , a problem exacerbated by his breakup from his then-girlfriend and his mother's suicide in early 1996. His father and stepmother initially encouraged him to attend Macomb Community College. There he enrolled in a metallurgy program, but often skipped classes. Eventually he joined the Navy and was assigned as a seaman on the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) . After four years he became a specialist in internal communications with the rank of non-commissioned officer. He joined the Marines and was stationed in Japan . After a few more years, he was due to medical reasons laid off and went back to Michigan.

Theft of smoke alarms

On August 1, 2007, Hahn was charged with theft in Clinton Township, Michigan, for attempting to steal some ionization smoke alarms, according to the indictment . His intention was to extract americium from them. Hahn pleaded guilty during the trial. He was sentenced to 90 days in prison for attempted theft. According to court records, his sentence would be postponed for six months while Hahn was being treated in the psychiatric ward of Macomb District Prison.

death

He died on September 27, 2016 at the age of 39 in Shelby Charter Township , Macomb County , Michigan, of poisoning from a combination of alcohol , diphenhydramine, and fentanyl .

reception

It was only after writer Ken Silverstein published an article about the incident in Harper's Magazine in 1998 that David Hahn became known to a wider public. In 2004 the book The Radioactive Boy Scout was published .

Hahn's experiments inspired others to do similar things, notably Taylor Wilson , who successfully built a nuclear reactor at the age of 14.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Ken Silverstein: The Radioactive Boy Scout: The Frightening True Story of a Whiz Kid and His Homemade Nuclear Reactor . Villard, 2004, ISBN 978-0812966602 .
  2. ↑ Sam Kean: The Disappearing Spoon . Little, Brown and Co, 2010.
  3. ↑ a b c The Radioactive Boy Scout . In: Harper's Magazine , November 1998. Retrieved September 10, 2014. 
  4. ^ Tim Rauschenberger: The Nuclear Merit Badge . In: The Christian Science Monitor . March 16, 2004. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  5. ^ Adam Taylor: The Weird Story Of The Swedish Man Who Tried To Build A Nuclear Reactor In His Kitchen . In: Business Insider . August 2, 2011. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  6. ↑ Man dubbed 'Radioactive Boy Scout' pleads guilty . In: Detroit Free Press , August 27, 2007. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2007. 
  7. ^ 'Radioactive Boy Scout' Sentenced to 90 Days for Stealing Smoke Detectors , Fox News . October 4, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2007. 
  8. ↑ 'Radioactive Boy Scout' Charged in Smoke Detector Theft , Fox News . August 4, 2007. Retrieved November 28, 2007. 
  9. ↑ David Charles Hahn . Tributes, Inc .. September 26, 2016. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
  10. ^ David Hahn Obituary - Shelby Township, Michigan . October 2nd, 2016.
  11. ^ County Coroner Findings . Retrieved December 2, 2018.
  12. ^ Matt Pressburg: 'Radioactive Boy Scout' Movie About Real Teen Nuke Builder in the Works . The wrap. September 28, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  13. ↑ The Boy Who Played With Fusion . Retrieved April 20, 2016.
personal data
SURNAME Hahn, David Charles
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Hahn, David
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American experimenter
DATE OF BIRTH October 30, 1976
DATE OF DEATH September 27, 2016