He is often called the "father of the atomic bomb " for his role in overseeing the development of the first nuclear weapons. After research at other institutions, he joined the physics faculty at the University of California, Berkeley , where he was made a full professor in Oppenheimer made significant contributions to physics in the fields of quantum mechanics and nuclear physics , including the BornβOppenheimer approximation for molecular wave functions ; work on the theory of positrons , quantum electrodynamics , and quantum field theory ; and the OppenheimerβPhillips process in nuclear fusion.
With his students, he also made major contributions to astrophysics , including the theory of cosmic ray showers, and the theory of neutron stars and black holes. In , Oppenheimer was recruited to work on the Manhattan Project, and in was appointed director of the project's Los Alamos Laboratory in New Mexico , tasked with developing the first nuclear weapons. His leadership and scientific expertise were instrumental in the project's success, and on July 16, , he was present at the first test of the atomic bomb, Trinity.
In August , the weapons were used on Japan in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki , to date the only uses of nuclear weapons in conflict. He lobbied for international control of nuclear power and weapons in order to avert an arms race with the Soviet Union , and later opposed the development of the hydrogen bomb , partly on ethical grounds. He continued to lecture, write, and work in physics, and in was given the Enrico Fermi Award as a gesture of political rehabilitation.
In , the U. He was hired by a textile company and within a decade was an executive there, eventually becoming wealthy. Oppenheimer was initially educated at Alcuin Preparatory School.
In , he entered the Ethical Culture Society School , [ 10 ] founded by Felix Adler to promote training based on the Ethical movement , whose motto was "Deed before Creed". Oppenheimer's father had been a member of the Society for many years, serving on its board of trustees. During his final year of school, Oppenheimer became interested in chemistry.
