Ronald Richter

Ronald Richter (1909-1991) was an Austrian, later Argentinian, scientist who became famous in connection with the Huemul Project. This was intended to generate energy from nuclear fusion in the 1950s in Argentina, during the regime of Juan Perón. Richter's project would deliver — according to Perón's 1951 announcements — cheap energy in containers of two sizes: half liter and one liter, not unlike the milk bottles then in use. See Gambini (1999) and Eloy Martínez (1996); the relevant paragraphs are shown, in translation, below.

Nationality

Of German origin, Richter was born in Falkenau an der Eger during the Austrian rule of the Czech Sudetenland (now Czech Republic). The locality was known until 1948, in Czech, as Falknov nad Ohří; renamed since then as Sokolov [1].

Different sources attribute to him Austrian and German origin. Eventually he was naturalized Argentine. This last nationality was acquired when President Juan Perón overrode Argentine law.(ref)

Studies

Richter attended the German University of Prague until 1935 when, according to one source, he was awarded a doctorate in natural sciences.^{[citation needed]} However, another source claims that he was not awarded a doctoral degree because he had misinterpreted his research results. He had concluded that he had discovered delta rays being emitted by the earth, but in fact he had been detecting X-rays scattered by the ground.^{[citation needed]}

According to the recollection of Santos Mayo (2004), he had personally heard Richard Gans say:

Richter proposed a thesis, at the German University of Prague, to detect "delta rays" emitted from Earth. Professor Heinrich Rausch von Traubenberg did not agree with the project. The "young genius" went to work somewhere else and graduated in a different field.

Kurt Sitte's recollections of Richter's research under Prof. Furth differed. He recalls (Mariscotti, 1985, p.277-8):

...when I was Prof. Furth's assistent in the Department of Experimental Physics [of Prague University], [Richter] came to interest us in a fantastic project. He had read (not in a scientific journal, of course) about the discovery of a misterious radiation, the "earth rays", that radiated from the interior of the Earth and caused a huge type of fabulous effects. These were what he wanted to research. He was very excited with the idea, and it was very difficult ot convince him (if we really did) that the "evidence" cited was spurious

[being drafted, to be continued].

His thesis was not published (Mariscotti, 1985, p.208, quoting Alemann, 1955)

[ in construction ]

Work

During work he did in Germany in the period 1939-1943 he met Kurt Tank, an aeronautical engineer who had emigrated to Argentina, hired by Perón's government under the name of Prof. Dr. Matthies. When Richter arrived to Argentina he was received by Kurt Tank.

Obituary

A terse announcement of Richter's death appeared in Microsemanario in 1991.^[1]

References

Alemann, Peter (1955). Esto Es, last week of October 1955.
Confalonieri, Orestes D. (1956). Peron contra Peron, Editorial Antygua, Buenos Aires.
Gambini, Hugo (1999). Historia del Peronismo, Editorial Planeta Buenos Aires. ISBN 950490226X. See translated excerpt, below.
Eloy Martínez, Tomas (1996). Las Memorias del General. Editorial Planeta, Buenos Aires. ISBN 9507426973. See translated excerpt, below.
Microsemanario (1991). Microsemanario 2:43, 26 Nov - 2 Dic 1991. Secretaría de Extensión Universitaria de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - UBA.

Translated excerpts

From Gambini (1999, Vol.1, p.398):

"While in a state of delirious enthusiasm [Perón] said [just] anything --recalled Richter-- and ventured to prognosticate that I would obtain for him bottled electric energy. As a consequence of those exaggerations the plan to expand the CADE [main source of electric power for the greater Buenos Aires] was dropped, giving rise to an energy setback."

From Gambini (1999, Vol.1, p.401):

"[From t]he writer Tomás Eloy Martínez (1996, p.182): ...Perón] was clumsy in announcing the false finding in a resounding manner, assuring that from that moment Argentina would sell nuclear energy for domestic use in bottles of one litre and half a litre. Naturally, this caused what in Argentina has been known [since then as] a 'historical embarrassment.'" NOTE: Eloy Martinez cites the origin of his quotation to be Confalonieri (1956, p.214) who took it from its original source: the newspaper Clarin, Buenos Aires, issue of October 7, 1955.

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^ Microsemanario 2:43, 26 NOV 2 DIC 1991. Secretaria de Extension Universitaria de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - UBA.

[1] Microsemanario 2:43, 26 NOV 2 DIC 1991. Secretaria de Extension Universitaria de la Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - UBA.

[1]