Reconstructs a turning point in the history of science by dissecting a previously lost original document

Offers a detailed, instructive account of the initial stages of the development of nuclear physics

Illustrates how guiding theoretical ideas are often crucial in achieving fundamental milestones in understanding

Introduction.- 1 Fermi in Italy: his handwritten manuscripts.- 2 Fermi Archive at the Domus Galilaeana in Pisa.- 3 A hole in the Archive.- 4 How do we proceed.- 5 The start of Nuclear Physics in Rome.- 6 Fermi and Nuclear Physics: the first steps.- 7 The first international congress of Nuclear Physics: Rome,October 1931.- 8 An accurate scientific planning.- 9 “Nuclear” electrons and the “neutrino” at the Rome congress.- 10 Nuclear Physics in Rome after the Rome Congress: 1931-1133.- 11 The discovery of the neutron.- 12 Fermi at the 1932 Paris Congress.- 13 Orso Mario Corbino and particle accelerators.- 14 The official start of Nuclear Physics in Rome: March 1933.- 15 New particles and new theories.- 16 The positron or “anti-electron”.- 17 The positron in the laboratory.- 18 The theory of nucleus according to Heisenberg-Majorana.- 19 Solvay Congress and Fermi theory of nuclear beta decay: October-Dicember 1933.- 20 The Seventh Solvay Congress.- 21 Fermi theory of beta decay.- 22 Thediscovery of alpha particle induced radioactivity.- 23 Frédéric Joliot and Irène Curie after the Solvay Congress.- 24 The discovery of alpha particle induced radioactivity.- 25 Why alpha particle induced radioactivity is discovered only in January.- 26 After the discovery.- 27 The discovery of neutron induced radioactivity.- 28 A project set aside.- 29 Gian Carlo Wick contribution.- 30 A very good starting point.- 31 A precedent case: Fluorine.- 32 The discovery of neutron induced radioactivity and the charge sign.- 33 After the discovery.- 34 Fermi strategic choices.- 35 A firm believe in the neutron.- 36 The choice of the source.- 37 The exploitation of the “geometry”.- 38 Fermi at work: chronicle of a discovery.- 39 The Hirpine Notebook.- 40 The right side of the notebook.- 41 The counter.- 42 The inverted periodic table.- 43 The moment of the discovery.- 44 From Aluminum to Fluorine and more.- 45 The investigation on the periodic table and the start of team work.- 46 The gamma raysfrom the source.- 47 First chemical analysis and new nuclear reactions.- 48 The date and the hour of the discovery.- 49 Further developments and conclusion.- Fermi publications during the italian period.- Appendix (Letters to Majorana).- References.- Name Index.- Figure captions and credits.- Pictures.- Pages from Hirpine Notebook and Loose Sheets.