Bethe, Hans Albrecht 1906- . German-born US
physicist who worked on the first atom bomb.
He was awarded a Nobel prize 1967 for his
discoveries concerning energy production in
stars. Bethe left Germany for England in
1933, and worked at Manchester and Bristol
universities. In 1935 he moved to the USA
where he became professor of theoretical
physics at Cornell University; his research
was interrupted by the war and by his
appointment as head of the theoretical
division of the Los Alamos atom bomb project.
He has since become a leading peace
campaigner, and opposed the US government's
Strategic Defense Initiative (Star Wars)
programme.