NationStates Jolt Archive

OOC: This is just a general inquiry about cobalt bombs. Im trying to figure out what there usefullness is since they are basically a radiation bomb? Also whats the difference between a cobalt bomb and a neutron bomb?
Any help would be appreciated. thanks.

OCC: From my limited knowledge, a cobalt-bomb is essentially a nuclear bomb with a cobalt casing. This is probably the radioactive isotopoe of Cobalt; in any rate the weapon is very, very dirty. The type of "dirty weapon" that would cause Osama to ruin his robes if he ever got his hands on one.

From all accounts its basically a doomsday weapon; you would not want one of these going off on the same planet as you. Neutron bombs are somewhat more limited I believe.

I think this explains the variations.

http://www.thomasmc.com/0828a.htm

Stop trying to make NS more realistic. You'll ruin it for the n00bs. :P

Cobalt Bomb-Thermonulear device Designed to produce a long lasting fallout to render an area uninhabitable for a long period of time. This is done by producing Cobalt-60.

Neutron Bomb-Thermonuclear device Designed to produce large quanties of Neutron and gamma radation. Highly effective against enemy armor and enemy naval vessels. Note: very little in long term radiation effects and actually a longer kill range than a standard fission bomb for unprotected troops. In reality a tactical weapon more than most nuclear weapons, especially the Cobalt.

In reality they are two variants of Nuclear Weapons. the Neutron Bomb is designed to kill enemy armor formations and leave little long term fall out or as much shock and thermal damage.

The cobalt bomb is designed to generate fall out and make someplace uninhabitalbe for decades. Or the ultimate dirty bomb. And I think Osama would rather have a neutron bomb so he could rule the new 'Grand Caliphate' from the White House...

oooh nice weapon....

Most interesting... a definate tag... 8)

bump

OOC: A little note about neutron bombs, though. They don't just kill troops, they kill every living thing in the area of affect. That includes the bacteria in the earth and topsoil, and thus rendering the area barren. You can't farm there and nothing will grow for some time.

Alcona and Hubris has the basic summary down pat.

Basically, a neutron bomb is pure radiation. Like a microwave oven, beefed up to sterilise anything organic.

A cobalt bomb would make Greenpeace froth in their mouth. Imagine spreading poisonous gasses, debris and hard radiation everywhere. Not pretty.

Not that I recommend it, however, the Star Trek novel, The Great Starship Race, describes a starship (ie very faster than light), whose engines have been encased with metallic sheets of hydrogen (as lithium hydride) and cobalt.

Ram said ship at the speed of light into the planet. The release of antimatter, coupled with the hydrogen, well, count on a shift in orbit, major geological and atmospheric changes. The cobalt would 'salt' the bomb, basically contaminating the whole planet. If it doesn't blow up, it's got radiation all on and over it in the atmosphere.

The planet's basically done for, as the earthquakes or the poison would kill anyone there for hundreds of years.

*drools* must begin research of cobalt bombs.

would it be possible to make a tact verision of a cobalt bomb? like a suitcase cobalt?

Cobalt Bombs by thier very nature are not tactical weapons. While I'm sure you could make a minature one, it would be a pointless venture since you'd still irradiate a huge area for the forseeable future.

Belem, a cobalt bomb is a really dirty bomb. But it's a terrible weapon. A simple "dirty suitcase bomb", designed to spread radiation would seem like a firecracker. It is far worse than a plain nuclear device. Radiation from 'plain' nuclear bombs might kill after a day's exposure, cobalt bombs might be hours because it really is that toxic.

I'd recommend it be the size of a truck. A small, say ten kiloton fission device. Maybe fusion if you've got it small enough. Wrap it in cobalt sheets. Nuke goes off, vaporises the cobalt, a city area is uninhabitable for generations. Whereas, a "plain" nuclear device would just render the area uninhabitable for one generation or two before the radiation gets less enough.

But I'd really advise you against it, this is a very dirty, underhanded trick.

And it also sounds like something Resi's nanites could handle......:p

And it also sounds like something Resi's nanites could handle......:pActually, yes. Yes they can. We've had what we call an "Un-Nuke" for generations, which is basically a container of nanites that eats radiation from atoms in the area and uses it to power itself. When it runs out of radiation to eat, it runs out of power and dies.

Now there's an idea, irradiate the world and force the survivors to buy my products to live. :P
Why don't I nuke the world with 78929207467652 n00kz while I'm at it, or spread ebola around the world except for my nation? ; )

Why don't I nuke the world with 78929207467652 n00kz while I'm at it, or spread ebola around the world except for my nation? ; )

Because you'd have to be lucky all the time. I'd just need to be lucky once.

The King of Newbia called for his chief scientist. The esteemed Mr Coughman.
"Do 'we' have cobolt bombs?"
"No sire, we use gravometrics."
"Gravy-whats?"
"Gravity, sire. The force that pulls stuff together?"
"Oh, I see. (Actually he didn't. But you probably already guessed that.)"
"But we stopped the research because of this." Tosses the king a small wrinkly metal ball.
"Er, what's this?" The king asked.
"It's all that's left of the research facility."
"Oh really?" The king stated as he picked it up, "Damn! This is heavy!"
"Well, I said it was ALL of the facility..."

OOC: Yah, we got inane/insane technology. No we don't sell.

<Coughman> "By the way, could we have some more cash? We've got this great idea for a-"
<King Newbhart> "No."
<Coughman> "Aw."

The King of Newbia called for his chief scientist. The esteemed Mr Coughman.
"Do 'we' have cobolt bombs?"
"No sire, we use gravometrics."
"Gravy-whats?"
"Gravity, sire. The force that pulls stuff together?"
"Oh, I see. (Actually he didn't. But you probably already guessed that.)"
"But we stopped the research because of this." Tosses the king a small wrinkly metal ball.
"Er, what's this?" The king asked.
"It's all that's left of the research facility."
"Oh really?" The king stated as he picked it up, "Damn! This is heavy!"
"Well, I said it was ALL of the facility..."

OOC: Yah, we got inane/insane technology. No we don't sell.

<Coughman> "By the way, could we have some more cash? We've got this great idea for a-"
<King Newbhart> "No."
<Coughman> "Aw."

Your not the only one with gravity weapons...Lords of War has them also...and are smart enough not to use them in a terrestrial enviroment...

OOC: Cobalt bombs are just dirty bombs, right? I was wondering, how long does it take for the area contaminated by a neutron bomb attack to be safe for troops to pass?

OOC: Cobalt bombs are just dirty bombs, right? I was wondering, how long does it take for the area contaminated by a neutron bomb attack to be safe for troops to pass?

neutron bomb allows for troops to pass after a day or two it doesnt have long term radiation effects.

OOC: Cobalt bombs are just dirty bombs, right? I was wondering, how long does it take for the area contaminated by a neutron bomb attack to be safe for troops to pass?

neutron bomb allows for troops to pass after a day or two it doesnt have long term radiation effects.

OOC: WTF? I heard that after a neutron attack, the area can remain barren off life for up to thousands of years.

OOC: thats cobalt, cobalt is 1000 years because the halflife of cobalt is 5 years so it keeps pumping radiation into the land for 5 years before the level starts to go down.

OOC: WTF? I heard that after a neutron attack, the area can remain barren off life for up to thousands of years.

Technically true. A neutron bomb totally sterilises all organic matter in the blast area. Unless something foreign (ie something outside the blast zone, like plant pollen or animals) enters the zone, no life will grow there as it was totally sterilised. I'm not sure of the long term effects, but I think plants can grow there as soil (nutrients) aren't affected by neutron bomb radiation..... But I'm not a nuclear scientist.