During the 30s and 40s of the last century atomic physicists discovered the fission of uranium nuclei bombarded by neutrons and realized the first self-sustaining controlled fission chain reaction, which ushered in the atomic age. 20世纪三四十年代,原子物理学家们发现中子轰击铀原子核的裂变现象并首次实现可控裂变链式反应,把世界带进了原子能时代。