The Westinghouse Atom Smasher – one of the most pivotal parts of our history in nuclear research in not only the United States, but the entire world. This accelerator worked by static electricity from a Van de Graaff generator, which was invented by Robert J. Van de Graaff in 1929. A Van de Graaff generator is something you’re most likely familiar with. Many science museums and classrooms across the country have them. They’re those little orbs, which emit static electricity and make your hair stand up when you touch them. These are the basis of how the Westinghouse Atom Smasher operated for nearly 80 years.

A fabric belt inside the collider would rotate very quickly, creating a large amount of friction and up to 5 million volts of electricity (or 5 mega volts.) This generated electricity would be used to speed up the particles. These particles were then guided to hit targeted atoms, splitting them as they smashed into them at high speeds to create nuclear energy. It was initially hoped to reach 10 megavolts, but the amount of voltage the machine could produce was limited by leakage of the charge off the electrode due to corona discharge and arcing. At atmospheric pressure, a Van de Graaff machine was limited to around 1 megavolt. So the machine was installed inside a pear-shaped 65 ft. tall, 30 ft. diameter air tank which was pressurized during use to 120 pounds per square inch. The high pressure air improved insulation, reducing charge leakage, allowing the machine to achieve its maximum voltage of 5 megavolts.

The large nuclear accelerator was operated by the Westinghouse Electric Corporation’s research facility, and can be noted as a staple of the atomic age. This large bulb-shaped structure was the first industrial Van de Graaff generator in the world. Upon opening and beginning operations in 1937, it marked the beginning of nuclear research for civilian applications, developing practical applications of nuclear science for energy production.

The generator was used in 1940 to discover the photofission of uranium. Photofission is a process in which a nucleus, after absorbing a gamma ray, undergoes nuclear fission (splits into two or more fragments). Come 1941, Westinghouse was producing pure uranium at the facility. Though the facility would only operate into 1958 before going dormant, numerous other innovations would take place at the atom smasher over the years. These innovations would eventually lead to Westinghouse building the plant housing the first commercial-scale nuclear power facility; this was located in Shippenport, Pennsylvania. Years after its closure in 1985, it was named an Electrical Engineering Milestone by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (the IEEE.)

You have probably noticed that I’ve been bouncing back and forth between calling it an atom smasher and particle accelerator throughout this writing. In the 1930s, knowledge of nuclear physics was still minimal in these earlier years, and it would not be until later that naming would change. The atom smasher was named for a 1937 article declaring “Huge generator to smash atoms” alongside a diagram.

The atom smasher was a landmark in the small suburb of Forest Hills, a borough of eastern Pittsburgh. In 2012, the property was purchased by Gary Silversmith, a developer with intentions to build apartments in its place. He did however express an interest in saving the atom smasher. In 2013, the Young Preservationists Association of Pittsburgh named it was one of the city’s top 10 preservation opportunities. Due to years of vandalism and decay brought by the elements, it was decided to demolish the structure, but save the accelerator. After its demolition in 2015, all that remains are fragments of the former structure scattered across a mostly empty lot; aside from the massive shell of a rusted atom smasher now resting on crumbling pavement. Once towering 65 feet, the accelerator now rests on its side, though still stands over the remains of the former building.