NationStates Jolt Archive

When I was in Oshkosh, WI for AirVenture. I visited the EAA Museum, and ther they talked about Fat Man and little Boy. They had a display of what Fat Man looked like, and showed everything except for where the wiring went. They still considered that part still sensitive. Why? I mean Fat Man was developed and dropped in the mid 40's. Any Nukes that we have today would be MUCH more powerful than Fat Man. Plus, it's not like your average person can get their hands on some Nuclear material and make their own fat man. If they're worried about foreign powers, well they're alittle too late for that, seeing how N. Korea and Iran either got nukes or working on them. So, comon show us where the wires went!

Obviously.

It's not that smart to give a wiring diagram of how to detonate an atomic bomb using 1940s technology that can be easily purchased at radio-shack.

The government never declassifies things either.

The ignition device used stem-cells.

but wouldn't that make a explosion able to set of radioactive material whither you had some or not? you see the logic here or maybe there trying to add to the magic after all the bombs don’t go off unless you believe!

Obviously.

It's not that smart to give a wiring diagram of how to detonate an atomic bomb using 1940s technology that can be easily purchased at radio-shack.

The government never declassifies things either.

Yea, but after awhile the classified things either become obsolete, replaced, or no longer useful for the government so they declassify them.

but wouldn't that make a explosion able to set of radioactive material whither you had some or not? you see the logic here or maybe there trying to add to the magic after all the bombs don’t go off unless you believe!

Amazingly an atomic bomb is more complicated than banging two bits of plutonium together. I'm sure the government has better things to do than tell people how to wire the detenators for an implosion assembly.

Amazingly an atomic bomb is more complicated than banging two bits of plutonium together. I'm sure the government has better things to do than tell people how to wire the detenators for an implosion assembly.

Eh, basically all the first atomic bombs were was plutonium that were perfectly round surrounded by dynamite, and the dynamite had to denoate all at once for it to work correctly.

Eh, basically all the first atomic bombs were was plutonium that were perfectly round surrounded by dynamite, and the dynamite had to denoate all at once for it to work correctly.

It's getting it all to go off at exactly the same time that is the trick. If you don't , you won't get a proper implosion.

I'm not saying that it's impossible to figure out, but I can see why the government isn't handing out "A bomb switching for dummies" guides.

When I was in Oshkosh, WI for AirVenture.

Not to get off topic, but you might have been staying at the hotel that I work at. :)

As for the bomb...it's been a while since I've been there, but I recall parts of the model being missing.

My guess is they just like to say it's still secret cause it sounds cooler. :p

It's getting it all to go off at exactly the same time that is the trick. If you don't , you won't get a proper implosion.

I'm not saying that it's impossible to figure out, but I can see why the government is handing out "A bomb switching for dummies" guides.

That is true, the trick is to get them to go off at exactly the same time.

Eh, basically all the first atomic bombs were was plutonium that were perfectly round surrounded by dynamite, and the dynamite had to denoate all at once for it to work correctly.

I seem to remember an even simpler design where a plutnioum sphere would be slammed into a larger one with a hollow cut out via explosives.

Not to get off topic, but you might have been staying at the hotel that I work at. :)

As for the bomb...it's been a while since I've been there, but I recall parts of the model being missing.


Nah I camped out at Sleepy Hallow.

I seem to remember an even simpler design where a plutnioum sphere would be slammed into a larger one with a hollow cut out via explosives.

That's the uranium one.

Nah I camped out at Sleepy Hallow.

Oh, cool...were you there for the whole week?

Oh, cool...were you there for the whole week?

Yep! It was my first one, so I wanted to see the entire thing. Next time I may leave on the last day though.

Right on :cool:

...that thing is such a boost for the local economy. Damn nice to have that event here every year.

It's a lot of fun, but I didn't go at all this year....too hot! :mad:

Right on :cool:

...that thing is such a boost for the local economy. Damn nice to have that event here every year.

It's a lot of fun, but I didn't go at all this year....too hot! :mad:

Yea, one of the locals told me it's not usually that hot. But eh the entire country is going through heatwaves.

That's the uranium one.
Yes, exactly. Plutonium has a spontaneous rate of fission that actually causes it to blow up too fast in a gun-style bomb. Creates a nice mess but doesn't fission too much of the fuel. Plutonium requires an implosion-style bomb where the material is compressed uniformly by conventional explosives.

Amazingly an atomic bomb is more complicated than banging two bits of plutonium together. I'm sure the government has better things to do than tell people how to wire the detenators for an implosion assembly.

Actually, a plutonium device using the implosion principle is a bit more complicated than people imagine - but...

if you have HEU (highly enriched uranium), any schmuck with a conventional explosive that can drive a gun-type design can put together an 18 to 20 kt weapon - albeit heavier and bulkier than the implosion design, it works very well, and the critical factor is not in the wiring.

True, you may have to put it inside a large truck trailer, but there it is.

Hey..I have a question..

Whats the primary difference between early a-bombs, like Fat Man, and Little Boy, and Hydrogen bombs like the ones tested in the Bikini Atols?

Hey..I have a question..

Whats the primary difference between early a-bombs, like Fat Man, and Little Boy, and Hydrogen bombs like the ones tested in the Bikini Atols?

The early atomic bombs:

1. A gun-type design (one piece of highly enrichedc uranium slamming into or within another piece of HEU at high velocity (over 5km/sec).

2. An implosion-type design (36 pieces of plutonium driven inwards, perhaps with a driver layer of beryllium to enhance initial neutron confinement.

These used the fission (splitting) of either highly enriched uranium or plutonium as the reaction.

Current thermonuclear weapons (hydrogen weapons) use an implosion device as an igniter - to provide an initial high intensity flux of soft x-rays onto a lithium-6 component (with a variety of external drivers) to produce fusion - a combining of hydrogen atoms to produce helium and a large amount of energy.

Typical thermonuclear designs also include an outer blanket of enriched uranium, which provides a fission boost. Thus, the typical modern weapon is fission-fusion-fission. A neutron bomb is merely a device without the outer blanket of HEU, which allows the neutrons produced by the fusion reaction to escape.