HOW does a NUKE work?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - HOW does a NUKE work? (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 5/31/2002 6:59:36 PM EDT

With all of the talk of India and Pakistan waving their nuclear dicks at each other:

Would someone explain, in layman's terms, what happens when the atom is split?

How is it done and what is the fireball?
Is the yield predictable?

I was watching a show on TV and was just in awe of what must be taking place.
This might be a good time to get an idea of what it is.
Thanks. This oughtta be interesting.

EDITED FOR:
I went back into my old bookmarks and found this---[;D]
[url]http://nuketesting.enviroweb.org/hew/[/url]

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:03:10 PM EDT

Good idea,just in case the rag heads don't have a nuke yet lets post the info on the net so we can speed up our deaths.

No really if I tell you you would have to move to India.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:09:15 PM EDT

Quoted:
Good idea,just in case the rag heads don't have a nuke yet lets post the info on the net so we can speed up our deaths.

No really if I tell you you would have to move to India.

View Quote

I'm betting that even if they don't have the fissionable material, they already have the basic understanding of how to build one. I doubt that anybody here would be posting information that these guys don't already have.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:12:46 PM EDT

Nuclear101 IM comming at you.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:13:36 PM EDT

I would tell ya, but then I would half to kill ya.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:20:51 PM EDT

The early ones were sorta understandable, but these days, I have no idea.

I'm hoping we have teams ready to take them out before they get off the ground.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:22:52 PM EDT

The physics of a nuclear reaction are quite easy, the politics pre or post such a event is the scary part.

A super cheesy explaination on a nuclear fission reaction involves the bombardment of unstable plutonium (239?) or uranium (235?) to split the nucleus of these unstable isotopes. The neuron of the nulei leaves violently realeasing energy from the atom and in the case of a bomb: free to collide with another nuclei of other atoms, promoting the reaction and therefore release of energy in a exponential rate.

Yield depends on the device:
the amount of nulear matter,
how is it encased,
the purity of the isotope,
the ignition mechanism,
and other factors i am unaware of. The yield is unpredictable as the era (and country)it was developed (or adapted) and the terrorist it is in the hands of.

The fireball is of no significance. You are witnessing a secondary reaction of the thermonuclear heat from the close to instanious reaction with the earth's atmosphere. The resulting carbon and hydrogen clouds seem a representation of the impending doom of the reaction but, not necessarily a indication of the primary reaction itself and it's resulting damage. That is a derivative function of the reaction speed vs available nulear matter over time.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:22:52 PM EDT

Actually, I'd like to know how the Hydrogen is integrated into a a-bomb to make an H-bomb...anybody know a link that would explain that?

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:23:50 PM EDT

DNFMLHDJKTCIEDJGHPBJHTGATHWDBBTHSTFJXEPVTEGTC
EOGNMGCIJSBHDCIFGOAIGSFZSGVCAASGRSEIWDOUSDFSB
FPHONFBHIRAGCBHEFNZHFREYRFUBZZRFQRDHVCNTRCERA
GQIPOEAGHQZFBAGDEMYGEQDXQETAYYQEPQCGUBMSQBDQZ
HRJQPDZFGPYEAZFCDLXFDPCWPDSZXXPDOPBFTALRPACPY
ISKRQCYEFOXDZYEBCKWECOBVOCRYWWOCNOAESZKQOZBOX
JTLSRBXDENWCYXDABJVDBNAUNBQXVVNBMNZDRYJPNYANW
KUMTSAWCDMVBXWCZAIUCAMZTMAPWUUMALMYCQXIOMXZMV
LVNUTZVBCLUAWVBYZHTBZLYSLZOVTTLZKLXBPWHNLWYLU
MWOVUYUABKTZVUAXYGSAYKXRKYNUSSKYJKWAOVGMKVXKT
NXPWVXTZAJSYUTZWXFRZXJWQJXMTRRJXIJVZNUFLJUWJS
OYQXWWSYZIRXTSYVWEQYWIVPIWLSQQIWHIUYMTEKITVIR
PZRYXVRXYHQWSRXUVDPXVHUOHVKRPPHVGHTXLSDJHSUHQ
QASZYUQWXGPVRQWTUCOWUGTNGUJQOOGUFGSWKRCIGRTGP
RBTAZTPVWFOUQPVSTBNVTFSMFTIPNNFTEFRVJQBHFQSFO
DVCBRNTUDMSONTQRZLTRDQKDRGNLLDRCDPTHOZFDOQDM
UEWDCQMSTCLRNMSPQYKSQCPJCQFMKKCQBCOSGNYECNPCL
VFXEDPLRSBKQMLROPXJRPBOIBPELJJBPABNRFMXDBMOBK
WGYFEOKQRAJPLKQNOWIQOANHAODKIIAOZAMQELWCALNAJ
XHZGFNJPQZIOKJPMNVHPNZMGZNCJHHZNYZLPDKVBZKMZI
YIAHGMIOPYHNJIOLMUGOMYLFYMBIGGYMXYKOCJUAYJLYH
ZJBIHLHNOXGMIHNKLTFNLXKEXLAHFFXLWXJNBITZXIKXG
[:)]

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:26:39 PM EDT

Quoted:
DNFMLHDJKTCIEDJGHPBJHTGATHWDBBTHSTFJXEPVTEGTC
EOGNMGCIJSBHDCIFGOAIGSFZSGVCAASGRSEIWDOUSDFSB
FPHONFBHIRAGCBHEFNZHFREYRFUBZZRFQRDHVCNTRCERA
GQIPOEAGHQZFBAGDEMYGEQDXQETAYYQEPQCGUBMSQBDQZ
HRJQPDZFGPYEAZFCDLXFDPCWPDSZXXPDOPBFTALRPACPY
ISKRQCYEFOXDZYEBCKWECOBVOCRYWWOCNOAESZKQOZBOX
JTLSRBXDENWCYXDABJVDBNAUNBQXVVNBMNZDRYJPNYANW
KUMTSAWCDMVBXWCZAIUCAMZTMAPWUUMALMYCQXIOMXZMV
LVNUTZVBCLUAWVBYZHTBZLYSLZOVTTLZKLXBPWHNLWYLU
MWOVUYUABKTZVUAXYGSAYKXRKYNUSSKYJKWAOVGMKVXKT
NXPWVXTZAJSYUTZWXFRZXJWQJXMTRRJXIJVZNUFLJUWJS
OYQXWWSYZIRXTSYVWEQYWIVPIWLSQQIWHIUYMTEKITVIR
PZRYXVRXYHQWSRXUVDPXVHUOHVKRPPHVGHTXLSDJHSUHQ
QASZYUQWXGPVRQWTUCOWUGTNGUJQOOGUFGSWKRCIGRTGP
RBTAZTPVWFOUQPVSTBNVTFSMFTIPNNFTEFRVJQBHFQSFO
DVCBRNTUDMSONTQRZLTRDQKDRGNLLDRCDPTHOZFDOQDM
UEWDCQMSTCLRNMSPQYKSQCPJCQFMKKCQBCOSGNYECNPCL
VFXEDPLRSBKQMLROPXJRPBOIBPELJJBPABNRFMXDBMOBK
WGYFEOKQRAJPLKQNOWIQOANHAODKIIAOZAMQELWCALNAJ
XHZGFNJPQZIOKJPMNVHPNZMGZNCJHHZNYZLPDKVBZKMZI
YIAHGMIOPYHNJIOLMUGOMYLFYMBIGGYMXYKOCJUAYJLYH
ZJBIHLHNOXGMIHNKLTFNLXKEXLAHFFXLWXJNBITZXIKXG
[:)]

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Your third formula is technically inaccurate.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:30:35 PM EDT

I disagree Steyr, if you take FPHONFBHIRAGCBHEFN as a variable it could work.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:30:52 PM EDT

Quoted:

Your third formula is technically inaccurate.

View Quote

Damn, you're right, the variable should be RTZFM

sorry about that folks!

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:33:41 PM EDT

IIRC, to make a hydrogen (fusion) bomb, you first have to have working atomic (fission) bomb. The atomic bomb works by the splitting of atoms, where as the fusion bomb works by the fusing of hydrogen into helium. The fusion reaction is the same that is going on right now in our own Sun. The fusing of atom released a lot more energy than the splitting of atoms, that why the H-bomb is more powerful that an atomic bomb.

Vulcan94

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:34:34 PM EDT

My God! I can't believe you posted that on the internet! [;)]

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:43:07 PM EDT

Quoted:
Actually, I'd like to know how the Hydrogen is integrated into a a-bomb to make an H-bomb...anybody know a link that would explain that?

View Quote

The Hydrogen in an H bomb isn't present as diatomic gas. It is in the form of Tritiated Cobalt which lies as a compacted shell surrounding the reflectors and encased by a second reflector. So it goes from inner to outer:
Core
beryllium reflector
RDX or whatever replaced RDX
titanium or steel reflector
Tritated cobalt casing
reflector
That is enough information for anyone with an understanding of A bomb making to know that that isn't enough to make an A bomb.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:43:30 PM EDT

Just search around.

[url]http://infomanage.com/nonproliferation/primer/nwfaq/Nfaq2.html[/url]

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:45:16 PM EDT

There was a bestseller a few years ago called "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by a man named Richard Rhodes. Good book, if a bit long for the topic. The sequil is, I believe, called "Black Sun: Making of the Hydrogen Bomb"
Also a thick read for the topic. Scientists love to talk shop!

How's it work? High explosive (Like C4) shaped charges detonate and send a chunk of fairly unstable isotope flying into a larger ball of radioactive stuff. When the parts combine, in a split second, the whole shebang becomes *very unstable* and then promptly proceeds to transform from matter to light (and hard radiation). That's the bright flash you see. After years of study the process is well known and the yield is predictable. The above describes an "A-bomb". An "H-Bomb" has one more tricky step. It uses the aforementioned big boom to compress even more radioactive stuff in a shell around the A-Bomb so much that it too goes bang. So? If an A-Bomb is an M80 firecracker, an H-Bomb is a stick of dynamite. Much more bang for almost the same size bomb. A Neutron Bomb AKA Enhanced Radiation Weapon is just a small A-Bomb with a coating of highly radioactive stuff. It zaps a large area with radiation that clears up in a few weeks to months. Strictly a cold war design. Area denial. The Hydrogen Cobalt Bomb was its big brother. Only a handful of those puppies could sterilize the entire Earth with radioactive fallout, or so it was claimed. We don't have any of these in stock. Strictly special order. To my knowledge never even tested. Truely a Doomsday Machine. The Reds had the biggest bomb: 50 Megatons. Were used to make mountain passes and canals, until they noticed the radiation levels left over! Our bombs are much more advanced, smaller and reliable.

There you have it, Nuke 101.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:46:56 PM EDT

Every atom consists of three "elementary" particles (though those particles aren't that "elementary".) They are the Proton (mass of approximately 1), the Electron (very tiny mass) and the Neutron (mass of a Proton plus an electron - but not quite). Protons and Neutrons are found in the nucleus of the atom, generally in equal numbers. The number of protons determines what the element is, the number of neutrons determines the particular [i]isotope[/i]. If there is a very large number of protons, or if the number of neutrons is noticeably less than the number of protons, the nucleus is not stable, and likely to break down into lighter elements.

There are two "nuclear" reactions used to release energy in significant quantity. The first is nuclear fission (noted above) in which a heavy (large number of protons and neutrons) element, which is unstable, decays either naturally or is induced to split by the introduction of a "slow" neutron. (Imagine a break shot on a pool table.)

When uranium or plutonium break down, they release a neutron and some energy (E=MC**2). That neutron can split another uranium or plutonium nucleus, and so on and so forth. If you set the material up properly, this creates a cascade effect, or a self-sustaining chain reaction. That's how nuclear reactors work. They use the heat energy to boil water to turn steam turbines. Kinda like cutting butter with a chain saw.

(end part 1)

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:47:47 PM EDT

(Part 2)
If you use really unstable fuel, properly arranged, and then use explosives to crush the material into a very small space, you can get the chain reaction to happen VERY rapidly - and that's a fission bomb. The release of energy is so dramatic that the temperature and pressure is extremely high. But there's a limit to how big you can build a strictly fission bomb, because past a certain point, the blast effect prevents the chain reaction from continuing, or you can't get enough mass together without already having a nasty self-sustaining reaction.

The other reaction is nuclear [i]fusion[/i], in which the nucleus of light elements are fused together to form a heavier element. In the sun, individual protons (isotopic hydrogen) are slammed together and fuse to form helium. And a small amount of energy is released from this reaction too. That's what keeps us warm. It's also what manufactures all the heavier elements that the rest of the universe is made up of. As Carl Sagan said, "We're all Star Stuff."

Anyway, if you construct the bomb properly, you can use a [i]fission[/i] reaction to produce the conditions necessary (extreme temperature and pressure) to prompt [i]fusion[/i], and the [i]thermonuclear[/i] bomb is born. There is no [i]theoretical[/i] limit to how big one of those can be, but there probably are physical ones.

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:48:06 PM EDT

[url]http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-bomb.htm[/url]

Posted: 5/31/2002 7:53:03 PM EDT

Geez, you guys!
Thanks for the information. That was quick.
I was hoping to be more frightened. [shock]

I noticed the difference in the shape of the fireball between the A & H bombs.
The H bomb seems to take the shape of a big bubble vs. a mushroom.
Strangely beautiful in their own way.

...and, thanks for the note, SteyrAUG.

Posted: 5/31/2002 8:00:22 PM EDT

If you want some awesome footage, and to get a brief history and timeline of the nuclear weapons program, may I suggest:

[url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000IML5?tag=arfcom00-20]Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie[/url]

Truly an awesome documentary. I saw it once on TLC years ago, and as soon as I found it had come out on DVD, I snatched it up!

Posted: 5/31/2002 8:15:06 PM EDT

Quoted:
If you want some awesome footage, and to get a brief history and timeline of the nuclear weapons program, may I suggest:

[url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000IML5?tag=arfcom00-20]Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie[/url]

Truly an awesome documentary. I saw it once on TLC years ago, and as soon as I found it had come out on DVD, I snatched it up!

View Quote

ABSOLUTELY.

Posted: 5/31/2002 8:52:34 PM EDT

http://fas.org/nuke/intro/nuke/design.htm

Posted: 5/31/2002 9:48:58 PM EDT

I thought the Chinese cavalry with gas masks on their horses for a nuke test was a hoot.

Posted: 5/31/2002 10:12:06 PM EDT

Geez,

You guys are making it too complicated. The scary thing is, A-bombs are extremely simple in theory. The good thing is, the materials needed to make them are hard to come by.

A-Bomb:

Take a material that is unstable, that is, wants to change into another element using one form of radioactive decay (in this case, involving neutrons). Materials that fit this bill: one isotope of uranium (U235) or one of plutonium (Pu239)

Now, use high explosives to smash your chosen material together. This brings all the atoms closer together and increases the chance that neutrons that are buzzing around inside the mass from normal decay will hit another atom and cause it to decay.

This is a chain reaction, or an atomic explosion.

What makes all this possible is the fact that the starting mass of the atom is MORE than the finishing mass of the parts after it decays. The difference in mass is actually converted to energy via Einstein's equation, E=MC2 (read, a little bit of mass equals a HELLOFALOT of energy.

H-bombs, as explained, use an A-bomb as a "sparkplug" or starter. The reaction is not fission, as with an A-bomb, but fusion, as in our sun. E=MC2 is still involved.

Best book I ever read is "The Making of the Atomic Bomb" by Richard Rhodes, as already mentioned. I picked up my copy on a pilgrimage to Trinity Site. Not much to see in tourist terms, but psychologically very moving.

Posted: 5/31/2002 10:27:19 PM EDT

Quoted:
DNFMLHDJKTCIEDJGHPBJHTGATHWDBBTHSTFJXEPVTEGTC
EOGNMGCIJSBHDCIFGOAIGSFZSGVCAASGRSEIWDOUSDFSB
FPHONFBHIRAGCBHEFNZHFREYRFUBZZRFQRDHVCNTRCERA
GQIPOEAGHQZFBAGDEMYGEQDXQETAYYQEPQCGUBMSQBDQZ
HRJQPDZFGPYEAZFCDLXFDPCWPDSZXXPDOPBFTALRPACPY
ISKRQCYEFOXDZYEBCKWECOBVOCRYWWOCNOAESZKQOZBOX
JTLSRBXDENWCYXDABJVDBNAUNBQXVVNBMNZDRYJPNYANW
KUMTSAWCDMVBXWCZAIUCAMZTMAPWUUMALMYCQXIOMXZMV
LVNUTZVBCLUAWVBYZHTBZLYSLZOVTTLZKLXBPWHNLWYLU
MWOVUYUABKTZVUAXYGSAYKXRKYNUSSKYJKWAOVGMKVXKT
NXPWVXTZAJSYUTZWXFRZXJWQJXMTRRJXIJVZNUFLJUWJS
OYQXWWSYZIRXTSYVWEQYWIVPIWLSQQIWHIUYMTEKITVIR
PZRYXVRXYHQWSRXUVDPXVHUOHVKRPPHVGHTXLSDJHSUHQ
QASZYUQWXGPVRQWTUCOWUGTNGUJQOOGUFGSWKRCIGRTGP
RBTAZTPVWFOUQPVSTBNVTFSMFTIPNNFTEFRVJQBHFQSFO
DVCBRNTUDMSONTQRZLTRDQKDRGNLLDRCDPTHOZFDOQDM
UEWDCQMSTCLRNMSPQYKSQCPJCQFMKKCQBCOSGNYECNPCL
VFXEDPLRSBKQMLROPXJRPBOIBPELJJBPABNRFMXDBMOBK
WGYFEOKQRAJPLKQNOWIQOANHAODKIIAOZAMQELWCALNAJ
XHZGFNJPQZIOKJPMNVHPNZMGZNCJHHZNYZLPDKVBZKMZI
YIAHGMIOPYHNJIOLMUGOMYLFYMBIGGYMXYKOCJUAYJLYH
ZJBIHLHNOXGMIHNKLTFNLXKEXLAHFFXLWXJNBITZXIKXG
[:)]

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[b]pgp-m 7IDL_encrypted[/b]

Playdough Recipe

1 cup flour
2 tsp. oil
1/2 cup salt
20 drops food coloring
1 cup water
2 tsp. cream of tartar

Pour all ingredients into a saucepan; stir over low heat until mixture thickens. When playdough pulls away from the sides of the pan and can be kneaded, its done. To keep playdough fresh, place in an empty peanut butter jar or an empty margarine container with a tight fitting lid!

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Thank God you encrypted that, 7IDL!!

Now I wonder if the feds that monitor this site are going to try to decrypt that gibberish to find out what you [i]really[/i] wrote. That oughta keep 'em busy for quite some time.

[:D] [:D]

All your PGP keys are belong to us!!!

Posted: 5/31/2002 10:52:19 PM EDT

Quoted:

Quoted:
If you want some awesome footage, and to get a brief history and timeline of the nuclear weapons program, may I suggest:
[url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000IML5?tag=arfcom00-20]Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie[/url]
Truly an awesome documentary. I saw it once on TLC years ago, and as soon as I found it had come out on DVD, I snatched it up!

View Quote

ABSOLUTELY.

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CooL!

Posted: 5/31/2002 11:34:23 PM EDT

Basic "Little Boy" design I learned in high school:

1. Wedge of U235
2. Piece of pipe the same internal diameter as the U235 wedge
3. Block of U235
4. Propellant

Place wedge into pipe and block at opposite end. Place propellant behind wedge.

Woo hoo!

Posted: 5/31/2002 11:38:20 PM EDT

I remember reading some BS commentary about why should the US dictate to whom should have nukes.

After Karachi and The Taj Mahal become faint memories, maybe the shitheads will understand.

Posted: 5/31/2002 11:45:08 PM EDT

No, the shitheads won,t learn.If they had any sense they would give Kashmier to the Chineese.Let the Mongolians kick Chineese ass. They will learn the hard way when they begin to glow like night sights.You wouldn't let a 5 year old play unsupervised with an M-16, the same applies to those Kunckleheads.

Posted: 6/1/2002 1:33:25 AM EDT

Tom Clancy's "The Sum of All Fears" has a decent explanation of fission/fusion weapons. The Rhodes books are also a good source, if a bit long.

Posted: 6/1/2002 3:51:14 AM EDT

From my college physics days, I vaguely remember something about critical mass being 24 kilograms of Uranium. The average bomb is made up of geometrically perfect shapes fitted to create a polygon-type sphere - like a soccer ball. Each of these shapes have a layer of conventional explosive designed to thrust the top, inner layer of fissionable material away from the inner surface lining of the sphere. It's a delicately timed process because each of the wedges of the polygon sphere must be detonated at the precise millisecond to separate it's fissionable layer at high velocity. When the bomb detonates the wedge layers blast the fissionable material into the core to create a single lump to achieve critical mass. From there, critical mass occurs on its own as the neutrons begin to separate from the nucleus of each atom, thus starting the chain reaction of splitting atoms with energy release.

Posted: 6/1/2002 4:32:37 AM EDT

Quoted:
Tom Clancy's "The Sum of All Fears" has a decent explanation of fission/fusion weapons. The Rhodes books are also a good source, if a bit long.

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I was begining to think I was the only one to read the book. [i]Sum of All Fears[/i] has a very good description on the construction AND detonation of a nuclear device. Clancy also states in a disclaimer that while his descriptions are invovled they do not contain enough technical info to actually build one.

These are two of my favorite parts of the book. I've also been "working" on [i]The Making of the Atom Bomb[/i] since Dec. It's pretty good, but kinda' slow. It starts out in the late 1800's talking about the discovery of modern pyshics, chemisty, some of the phylosophy of the different teachers/discoverer's etc. Very good background, but a real snoozer.

Posted: 6/1/2002 4:43:14 AM EDT

Here is something I would love explained, and if you've looked at enough pictures of nukes being detonated, you've seen this too. Did you ever notice on some nuke pictures how there are several parallel "squigly" lines somewhere around the blast area, kind of like debris falling, or rising and leaving smoke trails? The thing that gets me is that they PERFECTLY match each other. I would love to know what this phenomenon is. If I can find some of the pictures I'm talking about I'll post them here.

Mike

Posted: 6/1/2002 4:50:19 AM EDT

All this time I thought it was a bunch of m80's tied to a gerbil on an exercise wheel.[grenade]

Huh...

Posted: 6/1/2002 5:10:04 AM EDT

Quoted:
Here is something I would love explained, and if you've looked at enough pictures of nukes being detonated, you've seen this too. Did you ever notice on some nuke pictures how there are several parallel "squigly" lines somewhere around the blast area, kind of like debris falling, or rising and leaving smoke trails? The thing that gets me is that they PERFECTLY match each other. I would love to know what this phenomenon is. If I can find some of the pictures I'm talking about I'll post them here.

Mike

View Quote

I don't remember where I heard/read it. But those are marker rockets set off to "make" a grid, so to speak, for measurement purposes.

Posted: 6/1/2002 5:35:41 AM EDT

A very handy tip for the de-arming of nukes in a SHTF scenario is as follows:

1) Observe the digital countdown timer on the front or top face of the bomb. This will tell you how much time is left before it will detonate.

2) There will be two different colored wires on the bomb. You will need to cut one of the wires to stop the detonation. If you cut the wrong wire the bomb will go off. If you cut the correct wire, it will defuse the bomb and stop the countdown timer.

3) To determine which wire to cut, ask your goofy sidekick partner which one he would cut. At this point, you need to wait until the timer has almost run out. With only seconds remaining, cut the OPPOSITE wire that your partner picked. The bomb will now be disarmed.

Please feel free to print this out and keep it in your wallet. You can never be too prepared.

Posted: 6/1/2002 5:44:17 AM EDT

[i]A-Bomb:

Take a material that is unstable, that is, wants to change into another element using one form of radioactive decay (in this case, involving neutrons). Materials that fit this bill: one isotope of uranium (U235) or one of plutonium (Pu239) or lastly, one of incredible mass, rosie o donut (Rod455)

Now, use high explosives to smash your chosen material together. This brings all the atoms closer together and increases the chance that neutrons that are buzzing around inside the mass from normal decay will hit another atom and cause it to decay.

This is a chain reaction, or an atomic explosion.

What makes all this possible is the fact that the starting mass of the atom is MORE than the finishing mass of the parts after it decays. The difference in mass is actually converted to energy via Einstein's equation, E=MC2 (read, a little bit of mass equals a HELLOFALOT of energy.[/i]

So, you want to take an unstable mass, say Rosie o donut, and make her BIGGER, holy donuts man, what the hell is wrong with you???!!???

[:D]

WL

Posted: 6/1/2002 6:40:31 AM EDT

Quoted:
Here is something I would love explained, and if you've looked at enough pictures of nukes being detonated, you've seen this too. Did you ever notice on some nuke pictures how there are several parallel "squigly" lines somewhere around the blast area, kind of like debris falling, or rising and leaving smoke trails? The thing that gets me is that they PERFECTLY match each other. I would love to know what this phenomenon is. If I can find some of the pictures I'm talking about I'll post them here.

Mike

View Quote

Those are the smoke trails of rockets that have some sort of 'flash bomb' attached and are used for photograpy and to give a constant light metered reading (color) to compare the light produced by the explosion.

Posted: 6/1/2002 7:01:28 AM EDT

JOKE
What did the hammer say to the atom ?
You crack me up [smash]

SORRY but some of you F&ckers scare me and make me happy at the same time.

Posted: 6/1/2002 7:45:41 AM EDT

An interesting side note. Some time in the 60's or 70's, a college student attempted to publish, or turn in a paper he wrote on how to build an atomic bomb. It was so detailed that the government decided it was classified. In the 80's I found a book with a copy of the paper after the government "declassified" it.
There were maybe 2 complete sentances you could read not covered with black marker. A lot of and's and the's and a couple of this would, that were readable.
Why do they even bother if they are going to censor the thing as badly as that and call it declassified?

Posted: 6/1/2002 9:28:45 AM EDT

[url]http://www.fas.org/nuke/intro/nuke/design.htm[/url] has a good description of the process, including rough minimum quantities required for critical mass.

Posted: 6/1/2002 9:30:44 AM EDT

Quoted:
Tom Clancy's "The Sum of All Fears" has a decent explanation of fission/fusion weapons. The Rhodes books are also a good source, if a bit long.

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Bingo. I can't believe I forgot that. Great detail about the nuclear explosion from trigger to 'fizzle' in this case. Still caused red lights to flash all over the world.

Great book. Highly reccomended reading.

-T.

Posted: 6/1/2002 9:57:48 AM EDT

Quoted:
...The neuron ...

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You mean neutron right? Cause a neuron is an organic cell.

Posted: 6/1/2002 11:39:16 AM EDT

Quoted:
If you want some awesome footage, and to get a brief history and timeline of the nuclear weapons program, may I suggest:

[url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00000IML5?tag=arfcom00-20]Trinity and Beyond: The Atomic Bomb Movie[/url]

Truly an awesome documentary. I saw it once on TLC years ago, and as soon as I found it had come out on DVD, I snatched it up!

View Quote

I just purchased this about an hour ago and am currently abuout 20 minutes into it.

The only thing I could possibly compare an atomic detonation to is the finger of God himself!!!

Dear lord!! Awesome yet frightening!!

Posted: 6/1/2002 5:09:10 PM EDT

Quoted:
Basic "Little Boy" design I learned in high school:

1. Wedge of U235
2. Piece of pipe the same internal diameter as the U235 wedge
3. Block of U235
4. Propellant

Place wedge into pipe and block at opposite end. Place propellant behind wedge.

Woo hoo!

View Quote

Okay, those are the basic components of a "gun" assembly. But where's the initiator?

P.S. Some of you guys don't seriously think that discussing this topic will enable someone to build a home nuke, do you? If so, you've watch "Manhattan Project" waaaaay too many times.

[url=http://us.imdb.com/Title?0091472]The Manhattan Project[/url]

Posted: 6/1/2002 5:27:51 PM EDT

If you study the FAS site, the distinction between true thermonuclear devices and fission devices is pretty blurred.

Also, of the total yield of a thermonuclear device, fission makes up quite a large percentage of it. In the first test, Castle Bravo, the total yield was 15 megatons. 10 megatons came from fast fissioning of the uranium tamper and the remaining 5 megatons came from the fusion of the hydrogen fuel (lithium-deuteride).

Posted: 6/2/2002 2:17:07 AM EDT

Quoted:

Quoted:
Basic "Little Boy" design I learned in high school:

1. Wedge of U235
2. Piece of pipe the same internal diameter as the U235 wedge
3. Block of U235
4. Propellant

Place wedge into pipe and block at opposite end. Place propellant behind wedge.

Woo hoo!

View Quote

Okay, those are the basic components of a "gun" assembly. But where's the initiator?

P.S. Some of you guys don't seriously think that discussing this topic will enable someone to build a home nuke, do you? If so, you've watch "Manhattan Project" waaaaay too many times.

[url=http://us.imdb.com/Title?0091472]The Manhattan Project[/url]

View Quote

This is the simplest bomb designs and most wasteful, in terms of yield per lb of material. There is no initiator. If you bring enough plutonium or uranium together fast enough, it will explode. Dredging deep down into memory, critical mass for Uranium is about 5.5 pounds and plutonium is about 4 pounds (you "fisisists" correct me). If you can bring that much material together without it scattering itself, you get a "boom". All the other stuff, tampers, initiators, etc., serve to increase the yield and efficiency of the device. You can create a bomb with less material, but then you have to somehow make the material more dense to achieve critical mass. This is done by surrounding it with explosives. Again, if memory serves, the Fat Man bomb had a plutonium core that was about the size of a soccer ball. The explosives crushed it to about a walnut..

Posted: 6/2/2002 4:39:12 AM EDT

Quoted:

...The fireball is of no significance. You are witnessing a secondary reaction of the thermonuclear heat from the close to instanious reaction with the earth's atmosphere. The resulting carbon and hydrogen clouds seem a representation of the impending doom of the reaction but, not necessarily a indication of the primary reaction itself and it's resulting damage. That is a derivative function of the reaction speed vs available nulear matter over time.

View Quote

Actually, the Fireball IS a significant source of thermal and ionizing radiations, as well as neutrons.

The relevant secondary nuclear reactions are the decays of any unstable fission fragments having lifetimes of a few seconds or minutes.

Getting out of line-of-sight of the Fireball as soon as possible *might* make the difference between life and death for anyone far enough away from ground zero to avoid an initially lethal exposure.

"Duck-and-Cover" wasn't just a bad joke, *if* you could manage to duck quickly behind something substantial, like just around the corner of a large building.

Just thought you'all might want to know.

Posted: 6/2/2002 5:22:26 AM EDT

"Neutrons are introduced by making a neutron generator. This generator is a small pellet of polonium and beryllium, separated by foil within the fissionable fuel core. In this generator:
The [b]foil[/b] is broken when the subcritical masses come together and polonium spontaneously emits alpha particles. "

So don't be laughing about [i]tin foil[/i]
[;D]

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - HOW does a NUKE work? (Page 1 of 2)

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