1115 lines
55 KiB
Plaintext
1115 lines
55 KiB
Plaintext
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--------------------------------
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File courtesy of Outlaw Labs
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--------------------------------
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============================================================================
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-------------------------------------------------
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- Documentation and Diagrams of the Atomic Bomb -
|
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-------------------------------------------------
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============================================================================
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______________
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/ \
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<-} DISCLAIMER {->
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\______________/
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The information contained in this file is strictly for academic use
|
||
alone. Outlaw Labs will bear no responsibility for any use otherwise. It
|
||
would be wise to note that the personnel who design and construct these
|
||
devices are skilled physicists and are more knowledgeable in these matters
|
||
than any layperson can ever hope to be... Should a layperson attempt to
|
||
build a device such as this, chances are s/he would probably kill his/herself
|
||
not by a nuclear detonation, but rather through radiation exposure. We here
|
||
at Outlaw Labs do not recommend using this file beyond the realm of casual or
|
||
academic curiosity.
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||
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||
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============================================================================
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-----------------------
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-+ Table of Contents +-
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-----------------------
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I. The History of the Atomic Bomb
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------------------------------
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A). Development (The Manhattan Project)
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B). Detonation
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1). Hiroshima
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2). Nagasaki
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3). Byproducts of atomic detonations
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4). Blast Zones
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II. Nuclear Fission/Nuclear Fusion
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------------------------------
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A). Fission (A-Bomb) & Fusion (H-Bomb)
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B). U-235, U-238 and Plutonium
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III. The Mechanism of The Bomb
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-------------------------
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A). Altimeter
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B). Air Pressure Detonator
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C). Detonating Head(s)
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||
D). Explosive Charge(s)
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||
E). Neutron Deflector
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F). Uranium & Plutonium
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G). Lead Shield
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H). Fuses
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IV. The Diagram of The Bomb
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-----------------------
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A). The Uranium Bomb
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B). The Plutonium Bomb
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============================================================================
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--------------------------------
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File courtesy of Outlaw Labs
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--------------------------------
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I. The History of the Atomic Bomb
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------------------------------
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On August 2nd 1939, just before the beginning of World War II, Albert
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||
Einstein wrote to then President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Einstein and several
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||
other scientists told Roosevelt of efforts in Nazi Germany to purify U-235
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with which might in turn be used to build an atomic bomb. It was shortly
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||
thereafter that the United States Government began the serious undertaking
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||
known only then as the Manhattan Project. Simply put, the Manhattan Project
|
||
was committed to expedient research and production that would produce a viable
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atomic bomb.
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The most complicated issue to be addressed was the production of ample
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amounts of `enriched' uranium to sustain a chain reaction. At the time,
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Uranium-235 was very hard to extract. In fact, the ratio of conversion from
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Uranium ore to Uranium metal is 500:1. An additional drawback is that the 1
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||
part of Uranium that is finally refined from the ore consists of over 99%
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Uranium-238, which is practically useless for an atomic bomb. To make it even
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more difficult, U-235 and U-238 are precisely similar in their chemical
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makeup. This proved to be as much of a challenge as separating a solution of
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sucrose from a solution of glucose. No ordinary chemical extraction could
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separate the two isotopes. Only mechanical methods could effectively separate
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U-235 from U-238. Several scientists at Columbia University managed to solve
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this dilemma.
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A massive enrichment laboratory/plant was constructed at Oak Ridge,
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Tennessee. H.C. Urey, along with his associates and colleagues at Columbia
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||
University, devised a system that worked on the principle of gaseous
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diffusion. Following this process, Ernest O. Lawrence (inventor of the
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Cyclotron) at the University of California in Berkeley implemented a process
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involving magnetic separation of the two isotopes.
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Following the first two processes, a gas centrifuge was used to further
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separate the lighter U-235 from the heavier non-fissionable U-238 by their
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mass. Once all of these procedures had been completed, all that needed to be
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done was to put to the test the entire concept behind atomic fission. [For
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||
more information on these procedures of refining Uranium, see Section 3.]
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Over the course of six years, ranging from 1939 to 1945, more than 2
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||
billion dollars were spent on the Manhattan Project. The formulas for
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refining Uranium and putting together a working bomb were created and seen to
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their logical ends by some of the greatest minds of our time. Among these
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||
people who unleashed the power of the atomic bomb was J. Robert Oppenheimer.
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||
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Oppenheimer was the major force behind the Manhattan Project. He
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||
literally ran the show and saw to it that all of the great minds working on
|
||
this project made their brainstorms work. He oversaw the entire project from
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||
its conception to its completion.
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||
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Finally the day came when all at Los Alamos would find out whether or not
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The Gadget (code-named as such during its development) was either going to be
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the colossal dud of the century or perhaps end the war. It all came down to
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a fateful morning of midsummer, 1945.
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||
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At 5:29:45 (Mountain War Time) on July 16th, 1945, in a white blaze that
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||
stretched from the basin of the Jemez Mountains in northern New Mexico to the
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still-dark skies, The Gadget ushered in the Atomic Age. The light of the
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explosion then turned orange as the atomic fireball began shooting upwards at
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360 feet per second, reddening and pulsing as it cooled. The characteristic
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||
mushroom cloud of radioactive vapor materialized at 30,000 feet. Beneath the
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cloud, all that remained of the soil at the blast site were fragments of jade
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||
green radioactive glass. ...All of this caused by the heat of the reaction.
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||
|
||
The brilliant light from the detonation pierced the early morning skies
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||
with such intensity that residents from a faraway neighboring community would
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||
swear that the sun came up twice that day. Even more astonishing is that a
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||
blind girl saw the flash 120 miles away.
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||
|
||
Upon witnessing the explosion, reactions among the people who created
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||
it were mixed. Isidor Rabi felt that the equilibrium in nature had been
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||
upset -- as if humankind had become a threat to the world it inhabited.
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||
J. Robert Oppenheimer, though ecstatic about the success of the project,
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||
quoted a remembered fragment from Bhagavad Gita. "I am become Death," he
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||
said, "the destroyer of worlds." Ken Bainbridge, the test director, told
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||
Oppenheimer, "Now we're all sons of bitches."
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||
|
||
Several participants, shortly after viewing the results, signed petitions
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||
against loosing the monster they had created, but their protests fell on deaf
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||
ears. As it later turned out, the Jornada del Muerto of New Mexico was not
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||
the last site on planet Earth to experience an atomic explosion.
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||
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||
As many know, atomic bombs have been used only twice in warfare. The
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first and foremost blast site of the atomic bomb is Hiroshima. A Uranium
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||
bomb (which weighed in at over 4 & 1/2 tons) nicknamed "Little Boy" was
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dropped on Hiroshima August 6th, 1945. The Aioi Bridge, one of 81 bridges
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connecting the seven-branched delta of the Ota River, was the aiming point of
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the bomb. Ground Zero was set at 1,980 feet. At 0815 hours, the bomb was
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||
dropped from the Enola Gay. It missed by only 800 feet. At 0816 hours, in
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the flash of an instant, 66,000 people were killed and 69,000 people were
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injured by a 10 kiloton atomic explosion.
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The point of total vaporization from the blast measured one half of a
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mile in diameter. Total destruction ranged at one mile in diameter. Severe
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blast damage carried as far as two miles in diameter. At two and a half
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miles, everything flammable in the area burned. The remaining area of the
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blast zone was riddled with serious blazes that stretched out to the final
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edge at a little over three miles in diameter. [See diagram below for blast
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ranges from the atomic blast.]
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On August 9th 1945, Nagasaki fell to the same treatment as Hiroshima.
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Only this time, a Plutonium bomb nicknamed "Fat Man" was dropped on the city.
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Even though the "Fat Man" missed by over a mile and a half, it still leveled
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nearly half the city. Nagasaki's population dropped in one split-second from
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422,000 to 383,000. 39,000 were killed, over 25,000 were injured. That
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blast was less than 10 kilotons as well. Estimates from physicists who have
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||
studied each atomic explosion state that the bombs that were used had utilized
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only 1/10th of 1 percent of their respective explosive capabilities.
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||
|
||
While the mere explosion from an atomic bomb is deadly enough, its
|
||
destructive ability doesn't stop there. Atomic fallout creates another hazard
|
||
as well. The rain that follows any atomic detonation is laden with
|
||
radioactive particles. Many survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki blasts
|
||
succumbed to radiation poisoning due to this occurance.
|
||
|
||
The atomic detonation also has the hidden lethal surprise of affecting
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||
the future generations of those who live through it. Leukemia is among the
|
||
greatest of afflictions that are passed on to the offspring of survivors.
|
||
|
||
While the main purpose behind the atomic bomb is obvious, there are many
|
||
by-products that have been brought into consideration in the use of all
|
||
weapons atomic. With one small atomic bomb, a massive area's communications,
|
||
travel and machinery will grind to a dead halt due to the EMP (Electro-
|
||
Magnetic Pulse) that is radiated from a high-altitude atomic detonation.
|
||
These high-level detonations are hardly lethal, yet they deliver a serious
|
||
enough EMP to scramble any and all things electronic ranging from copper wires
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||
all the way up to a computer's CPU within a 50 mile radius.
|
||
|
||
At one time, during the early days of The Atomic Age, it was a popular
|
||
notion that one day atomic bombs would one day be used in mining operations
|
||
and perhaps aid in the construction of another Panama Canal. Needless to say,
|
||
it never came about. Instead, the military applications of atomic destruction
|
||
increased. Atomic tests off of the Bikini Atoll and several other sites were
|
||
common up until the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was introduced. Photos of nuclear
|
||
test sites here in the United States can be obtained through the Freedom of
|
||
Information Act.
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
- Breakdown of the Atomic Bomb's Blast Zones -
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||
----------------------------------------------
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||
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||
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||
.
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||
. .
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||
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||
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||
. . .
|
||
. .
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||
[5] [4] [5]
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||
.
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||
. . . .
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||
|
||
. . . .
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||
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||
. [3] _ [3] .
|
||
. . [2] . .
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||
. _._ .
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||
. .~ ~. .
|
||
. . [4] . .[2]. [1] .[2]. . [4] . .
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||
. . . .
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||
. ~-.-~ .
|
||
. . [2] . .
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||
. [3] - [3] .
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||
|
||
. . . .
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||
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||
. ~ ~ .
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||
~
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||
[5] . [4] . [5]
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||
.
|
||
. .
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||
|
||
|
||
. .
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||
.
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||
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||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
- Diagram Outline -
|
||
---------------------
|
||
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||
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||
[1] Vaporization Point
|
||
------------------
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||
Everything is vaporized by the atomic blast. 98% fatalities.
|
||
Overpress=25 psi. Wind velocity=320 mph.
|
||
|
||
[2] Total Destruction
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||
-----------------
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||
All structures above ground are destroyed. 90% fatalities.
|
||
Overpress=17 psi. Wind velocity=290 mph.
|
||
|
||
[3] Severe Blast Damage
|
||
-------------------
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||
Factories and other large-scale building collapse. Severe damage
|
||
to highway bridges. Rivers sometimes flow countercurrent.
|
||
65% fatalities, 30% injured.
|
||
Overpress=9 psi. Wind velocity=260 mph.
|
||
|
||
[4] Severe Heat Damage
|
||
------------------
|
||
Everything flammable burns. People in the area suffocate due to
|
||
the fact that most available oxygen is consumed by the fires.
|
||
50% fatalities, 45% injured.
|
||
Overpress=6 psi. Wind velocity=140 mph.
|
||
|
||
[5] Severe Fire & Wind Damage
|
||
-------------------------
|
||
Residency structures are severely damaged. People are blown
|
||
around. 2nd and 3rd-degree burns suffered by most survivors.
|
||
15% dead. 50% injured.
|
||
Overpress=3 psi. Wind velocity=98 mph.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
- Blast Zone Radii -
|
||
----------------------
|
||
[3 different bomb types]
|
||
____________________________________________________________________________
|
||
______________________ ______________________ ______________________
|
||
| | | | | |
|
||
| -[10 KILOTONS]- | | -[1 MEGATON]- | | -[20 MEGATONS]- |
|
||
|----------------------| |----------------------| |----------------------|
|
||
| Airburst - 1,980 ft | | Airburst - 8,000 ft | | Airburst - 17,500 ft |
|
||
|______________________| |______________________| |______________________|
|
||
| | | | | |
|
||
| [1] 0.5 miles | | [1] 2.5 miles | | [1] 8.75 miles |
|
||
| [2] 1 mile | | [2] 3.75 miles | | [2] 14 miles |
|
||
| [3] 1.75 miles | | [3] 6.5 miles | | [3] 27 miles |
|
||
| [4] 2.5 miles | | [4] 7.75 miles | | [4] 31 miles |
|
||
| [5] 3 miles | | [5] 10 miles | | [5] 35 miles |
|
||
| | | | | |
|
||
|______________________| |______________________| |______________________|
|
||
____________________________________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
-End of section 1-
|
||
|
||
|
||
--------------------------------
|
||
File courtesy of Outlaw Labs
|
||
--------------------------------
|
||
|
||
II. Nuclear Fission/Nuclear Fusion
|
||
------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
There are 2 types of atomic explosions that can be facilitated by U-235;
|
||
fission and fusion. Fission, simply put, is a nuclear reaction in which an
|
||
atomic nucleus splits into fragments, usually two fragments of comparable
|
||
mass, with the evolution of approximately 100 million to several hundred
|
||
million volts of energy. This energy is expelled explosively and violently in
|
||
the atomic bomb. A fusion reaction is invariably started with a fission
|
||
reaction, but unlike the fission reaction, the fusion (Hydrogen) bomb derives
|
||
its power from the fusing of nuclei of various hydrogen isotopes in the
|
||
formation of helium nuclei. Being that the bomb in this file is strictly
|
||
atomic, the other aspects of the Hydrogen Bomb will be set aside for now.
|
||
|
||
The massive power behind the reaction in an atomic bomb arises from the
|
||
forces that hold the atom together. These forces are akin to, but not quite
|
||
the same as, magnetism.
|
||
|
||
Atoms are comprised of three sub-atomic particles. Protons and neutrons
|
||
cluster together to form the nucleus (central mass) of the atom while the
|
||
electrons orbit the nucleus much like planets around a sun. It is these
|
||
particles that determine the stability of the atom.
|
||
|
||
Most natural elements have very stable atoms which are impossible to
|
||
split except by bombardment by particle accelerators. For all practical
|
||
purposes, the one true element whose atoms can be split comparatively easily
|
||
is the metal Uranium. Uranium's atoms are unusually large, henceforth, it is
|
||
hard for them to hold together firmly. This makes Uranium-235 an exceptional
|
||
candidate for nuclear fission.
|
||
|
||
Uranium is a heavy metal, heavier than gold, and not only does it have
|
||
the largest atoms of any natural element, the atoms that comprise Uranium have
|
||
far more neutrons than protons. This does not enhance their capacity to
|
||
split, but it does have an important bearing on their capacity to facilitate
|
||
an explosion.
|
||
|
||
There are two isotopes of Uranium. Natural Uranium consists mostly of
|
||
isotope U-238, which has 92 protons and 146 neutrons (92+146=238). Mixed with
|
||
this isotope, one will find a 0.6% accumulation of U-235, which has only 143
|
||
neutrons. This isotope, unlike U-238, has atoms that can be split, thus it is
|
||
termed "fissionable" and useful in making atomic bombs. Being that U-238 is
|
||
neutron-heavy, it reflects neutrons, rather than absorbing them like its
|
||
brother isotope, U-235. (U-238 serves no function in an atomic reaction, but
|
||
its properties provide an excellent shield for the U-235 in a constructed bomb
|
||
as a neutron reflector. This helps prevent an accidental chain reaction
|
||
between the larger U-235 mass and its `bullet' counterpart within the bomb.
|
||
Also note that while U-238 cannot facilitate a chain-reaction, it can be
|
||
neutron-saturated to produce Plutonium (Pu-239). Plutonium is fissionable and
|
||
can be used in place of Uranium-235 {albeit, with a different model of
|
||
detonator} in an atomic bomb. [See Sections 3 & 4 of this file.])
|
||
|
||
Both isotopes of Uranium are naturally radioactive. Their bulky atoms
|
||
disintegrate over a period of time. Given enough time, (over 100,000 years or
|
||
more) Uranium will eventually lose so many particles that it will turn into
|
||
the metal lead. However, this process can be accelerated. This process is
|
||
known as the chain reaction. Instead of disintegrating slowly, the atoms are
|
||
forcibly split by neutrons forcing their way into the nucleus. A U-235 atom
|
||
is so unstable that a blow from a single neutron is enough to split it and
|
||
henceforth bring on a chain reaction. This can happen even when a critical
|
||
mass is present. When this chain reaction occurs, the Uranium atom splits
|
||
into two smaller atoms of different elements, such as Barium and Krypton.
|
||
|
||
When a U-235 atom splits, it gives off energy in the form of heat and
|
||
Gamma radiation, which is the most powerful form of radioactivity and the most
|
||
lethal. When this reaction occurs, the split atom will also give off two or
|
||
three of its `spare' neutrons, which are not needed to make either Barium or
|
||
Krypton. These spare neutrons fly out with sufficient force to split other
|
||
atoms they come in contact with. [See chart below] In theory, it is
|
||
necessary to split only one U-235 atom, and the neutrons from this will split
|
||
other atoms, which will split more...so on and so forth. This progression
|
||
does not take place arithmetically, but geometrically. All of this will
|
||
happen within a millionth of a second.
|
||
|
||
The minimum amount to start a chain reaction as described above is known
|
||
as SuperCritical Mass. The actual mass needed to facilitate this chain
|
||
reaction depends upon the purity of the material, but for pure U-235, it is
|
||
110 pounds (50 kilograms), but no Uranium is never quite pure, so in reality
|
||
more will be needed.
|
||
|
||
Uranium is not the only material used for making atomic bombs. Another
|
||
material is the element Plutonium, in its isotope Pu-239. Plutonium is not
|
||
found naturally (except in minute traces) and is always made from Uranium.
|
||
The only way to produce Plutonium from Uranium is to process U-238 through a
|
||
nuclear reactor. After a period of time, the intense radioactivity causes the
|
||
metal to pick up extra particles, so that more and more of its atoms turn into
|
||
Plutonium.
|
||
|
||
Plutonium will not start a fast chain reaction by itself, but this
|
||
difficulty is overcome by having a neutron source, a highly radioactive
|
||
material that gives off neutrons faster than the Plutonium itself. In certain
|
||
types of bombs, a mixture of the elements Beryllium and Polonium is used to
|
||
bring about this reaction. Only a small piece is needed. The material is not
|
||
fissionable in and of itself, but merely acts as a catalyst to the greater
|
||
reaction.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
- Diagram of a Chain Reaction -
|
||
-------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
[1]------------------------------> o
|
||
|
||
. o o .
|
||
. o_0_o . <-----------------------[2]
|
||
. o 0 o .
|
||
. o o .
|
||
|
||
|
|
||
\|/
|
||
~
|
||
|
||
. o o. .o o .
|
||
[3]-----------------------> . o_0_o"o_0_o .
|
||
. o 0 o~o 0 o .
|
||
. o o.".o o .
|
||
|
|
||
/ | \
|
||
|/_ | _\|
|
||
~~ | ~~
|
||
|
|
||
o o | o o
|
||
[4]-----------------> o_0_o | o_0_o <---------------[5]
|
||
o~0~o | o~0~o
|
||
o o ) | ( o o
|
||
/ o \
|
||
/ [1] \
|
||
/ \
|
||
/ \
|
||
/ \
|
||
o [1] [1] o
|
||
. o o . . o o . . o o .
|
||
. o_0_o . . o_0_o . . o_0_o .
|
||
. o 0 o . <-[2]-> . o 0 o . <-[2]-> . o 0 o .
|
||
. o o . . o o . . o o .
|
||
|
||
/ | \
|
||
|/_ \|/ _\|
|
||
~~ ~ ~~
|
||
|
||
. o o. .o o . . o o. .o o . . o o. .o o .
|
||
. o_0_o"o_0_o . . o_0_o"o_0_o . . o_0_o"o_0_o .
|
||
. o 0 o~o 0 o . <--[3]--> . o 0 o~o 0 o . <--[3]--> . o 0 o~o 0 o .
|
||
. o o.".o o . . o o.".o o . . o o.".o o .
|
||
. | . . | . . | .
|
||
/ | \ / | \ / | \
|
||
: | : : | : : | :
|
||
: | : : | : : | :
|
||
\:/ | \:/ \:/ | \:/ \:/ | \:/
|
||
~ | ~ ~ | ~ ~ | ~
|
||
[4] o o | o o [5] [4] o o | o o [5] [4] o o | o o [5]
|
||
o_0_o | o_0_o o_0_o | o_0_o o_0_o | o_0_o
|
||
o~0~o | o~0~o o~0~o | o~0~o o~0~o | o~0~o
|
||
o o ) | ( o o o o ) | ( o o o o ) | ( o o
|
||
/ | \ / | \ / | \
|
||
/ | \ / | \ / | \
|
||
/ | \ / | \ / | \
|
||
/ | \ / | \ / | \
|
||
/ o \ / o \ / o \
|
||
/ [1] \ / [1] \ / [1] \
|
||
o o o o o o
|
||
[1] [1] [1] [1] [1] [1]
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
- Diagram Outline -
|
||
---------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
[1] - Incoming Neutron
|
||
[2] - Uranium-235
|
||
[3] - Uranium-236
|
||
[4] - Barium Atom
|
||
[5] - Krypton Atom
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
===========================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
-End of section 2-
|
||
-Diagrams & Documentation of the Atomic Bomb-
|
||
--------------------------------
|
||
File courtesy of Outlaw Labs
|
||
--------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
III. The Mechanism of The Bomb
|
||
-------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
Altimeter
|
||
---------
|
||
|
||
An ordinary aircraft altimeter uses a type of Aneroid Barometer which
|
||
measures the changes in air pressure at different heights. However, changes
|
||
in air pressure due to the weather can adversely affect the altimeter's
|
||
readings. It is far more favorable to use a radar (or radio) altimeter for
|
||
enhanced accuracy when the bomb reaches Ground Zero.
|
||
|
||
While Frequency Modulated-Continuous Wave (FM CW) is more complicated,
|
||
the accuracy of it far surpasses any other type of altimeter. Like simple
|
||
pulse systems, signals are emitted from a radar aerial (the bomb), bounced off
|
||
the ground and received back at the bomb's altimeter. This pulse system
|
||
applies to the more advanced altimeter system, only the signal is continuous
|
||
and centered around a high frequency such as 4200 MHz. This signal is
|
||
arranged to steadily increase at 200 MHz per interval before dropping back to
|
||
its original frequency.
|
||
|
||
As the descent of the bomb begins, the altimeter transmitter will send
|
||
out a pulse starting at 4200 MHz. By the time that pulse has returned, the
|
||
altimeter transmitter will be emitting a higher frequency. The difference
|
||
depends on how long the pulse has taken to do the return journey. When these
|
||
two frequencies are mixed electronically, a new frequency (the difference
|
||
between the two) emerges. The value of this new frequency is measured by the
|
||
built-in microchips. This value is directly proportional to the distance
|
||
travelled by the original pulse, so it can be used to give the actual height.
|
||
|
||
In practice, a typical FM CW radar today would sweep 120 times per
|
||
second. Its range would be up to 10,000 feet (3000 m) over land and 20,000
|
||
feet (6000 m) over sea, since sound reflections from water surfaces are
|
||
clearer.
|
||
|
||
The accuracy of these altimeters is within 5 feet (1.5 m) for the higher
|
||
ranges. Being that the ideal airburst for the atomic bomb is usually set for
|
||
1,980 feet, this error factor is not of enormous concern.
|
||
|
||
The high cost of these radar-type altimeters has prevented their use in
|
||
commercial applications, but the decreasing cost of electronic components
|
||
should make them competitive with barometric types before too long.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Air Pressure Detonator
|
||
----------------------
|
||
|
||
The air pressure detonator can be a very complex mechanism, but for all
|
||
practical purposes, a simpler model can be used. At high altitudes, the air
|
||
is of lesser pressure. As the altitude drops, the air pressure increases. A
|
||
simple piece of very thin magnetized metal can be used as an air pressure
|
||
detonator. All that is needed is for the strip of metal to have a bubble of
|
||
extremely thin metal forged in the center and have it placed directly
|
||
underneath the electrical contact which will trigger the conventional
|
||
explosive detonation. Before setting the strip in place, push the bubble in
|
||
so that it will be inverted.
|
||
|
||
Once the air pressure has achieved the desired level, the magnetic bubble
|
||
will snap back into its original position and strike the contact, thus
|
||
completing the circuit and setting off the explosive(s).
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Detonating Head
|
||
---------------
|
||
|
||
The detonating head (or heads, depending on whether a Uranium or
|
||
Plutonium bomb is being used as a model) that is seated in the conventional
|
||
explosive charge(s) is similar to the standard-issue blasting cap. It merely
|
||
serves as a catalyst to bring about a greater explosion. Calibration of this
|
||
device is essential. Too small of a detonating head will only cause a
|
||
colossal dud that will be doubly dangerous since someone's got to disarm and
|
||
re-fit the bomb with another detonating head. (an added measure of discomfort
|
||
comes from the knowledge that the conventional explosive may have detonated
|
||
with insufficient force to weld the radioactive metals. This will cause a
|
||
supercritical mass that could go off at any time.) The detonating head will
|
||
receive an electric charge from the either the air pressure detonator or the
|
||
radar altimeter's coordinating detonator, depending on what type of system is
|
||
used. The Du Pont company makes rather excellent blasting caps that can be
|
||
easily modified to suit the required specifications.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Conventional Explosive Charge(s)
|
||
--------------------------------
|
||
|
||
This explosive is used to introduce (and weld) the lesser amount of
|
||
Uranium to the greater amount within the bomb's housing. [The amount of
|
||
pressure needed to bring this about is unknown and possibly classified by the
|
||
United States Government for reasons of National Security]
|
||
|
||
Plastic explosives work best in this situation since they can be
|
||
manipulated to enable both a Uranium bomb and a Plutonium bomb to detonate.
|
||
One very good explosive is Urea Nitrate. The directions on how to make Urea
|
||
Nitrate are as follows:
|
||
|
||
- Ingredients -
|
||
---------------
|
||
[1] 1 cup concentrated solution of uric acid (C5 H4 N4 O3)
|
||
[2] 1/3 cup of nitric acid
|
||
[3] 4 heat-resistant glass containers
|
||
[4] 4 filters (coffee filters will do)
|
||
|
||
|
||
Filter the concentrated solution of uric acid through a filter to remove
|
||
impurities. Slowly add 1/3 cup of nitric acid to the solution and let the
|
||
mixture stand for 1 hour. Filter again as before. This time the Urea Nitrate
|
||
crystals will collect on the filter. Wash the crystals by pouring water over
|
||
them while they are in the filter. Remove the crystals from the filter and
|
||
allow 16 hours for them to dry. This explosive will need a blasting cap to
|
||
detonate.
|
||
|
||
|
||
It may be necessary to make a quantity larger than the aforementioned
|
||
list calls for to bring about an explosion great enough to cause the Uranium
|
||
(or Plutonium) sections to weld together on impact.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Neutron Deflector
|
||
-----------------
|
||
|
||
The neutron deflector is comprised solely of Uranium-238. Not only is
|
||
U-238 non-fissionable, it also has the unique ability to reflect neutrons back
|
||
to their source.
|
||
|
||
The U-238 neutron deflector can serve 2 purposes. In a Uranium bomb, the
|
||
neutron deflector serves as a safeguard to keep an accidental supercritical
|
||
mass from occurring by bouncing the stray neutrons from the `bullet'
|
||
counterpart of the Uranium mass away from the greater mass below it (and vice-
|
||
versa). The neutron deflector in a Plutonium bomb actually helps the wedges
|
||
of Plutonium retain their neutrons by `reflecting' the stray particles back
|
||
into the center of the assembly. [See diagram in Section 4 of this file.]
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Uranium & Plutonium
|
||
-------------------
|
||
|
||
Uranium-235 is very difficult to extract. In fact, for every 25,000 tons
|
||
of Uranium ore that is mined from the earth, only 50 tons of Uranium metal can
|
||
be refined from that, and 99.3% of that metal is U-238 which is too stable to
|
||
be used as an active agent in an atomic detonation. To make matters even more
|
||
complicated, no ordinary chemical extraction can separate the two isotopes
|
||
since both U-235 and U-238 possess precisely identical chemical
|
||
characteristics. The only methods that can effectively separate U-235 from
|
||
U-238 are mechanical methods.
|
||
|
||
U-235 is slightly, but only slightly, lighter than its counterpart,
|
||
U-238. A system of gaseous diffusion is used to begin the separating process
|
||
between the two isotopes. In this system, Uranium is combined with fluorine
|
||
to form Uranium Hexafluoride gas. This mixture is then propelled by low-
|
||
pressure pumps through a series of extremely fine porous barriers. Because
|
||
the U-235 atoms are lighter and thus propelled faster than the U-238 atoms,
|
||
they could penetrate the barriers more rapidly. As a result, the
|
||
U-235's concentration became successively greater as it passed through each
|
||
barrier. After passing through several thousand barriers, the Uranium
|
||
Hexafluoride contains a relatively high concentration of U-235 -- 2% pure
|
||
Uranium in the case of reactor fuel, and if pushed further could
|
||
(theoretically) yield up to 95% pure Uranium for use in an atomic bomb.
|
||
|
||
Once the process of gaseous diffusion is finished, the Uranium must be
|
||
refined once again. Magnetic separation of the extract from the previous
|
||
enriching process is then implemented to further refine the Uranium. This
|
||
involves electrically charging Uranium Tetrachloride gas and directing it past
|
||
a weak electromagnet. Since the lighter U-235 particles in the gas stream are
|
||
less affected by the magnetic pull, they can be gradually separated from the
|
||
flow.
|
||
|
||
Following the first two procedures, a third enrichment process is then
|
||
applied to the extract from the second process. In this procedure, a gas
|
||
centrifuge is brought into action to further separate the lighter U-235 from
|
||
its heavier counter-isotope. Centrifugal force separates the two isotopes of
|
||
Uranium by their mass. Once all of these procedures have been completed, all
|
||
that need be done is to place the properly molded components of Uranium-235
|
||
inside a warhead that will facilitate an atomic detonation.
|
||
|
||
Supercritical mass for Uranium-235 is defined as 110 lbs (50 kgs) of
|
||
pure Uranium.
|
||
|
||
Depending on the refining process(es) used when purifying the U-235 for
|
||
use, along with the design of the warhead mechanism and the altitude at which
|
||
it detonates, the explosive force of the A-bomb can range anywhere from 1
|
||
kiloton (which equals 1,000 tons of TNT) to 20 megatons (which equals 20
|
||
million tons of TNT -- which, by the way, is the smallest strategic nuclear
|
||
warhead we possess today. {Point in fact -- One Trident Nuclear Submarine
|
||
carries as much destructive power as 25 World War II's}).
|
||
|
||
While Uranium is an ideally fissionable material, it is not the only one.
|
||
Plutonium can be used in an atomic bomb as well. By leaving U-238 inside an
|
||
atomic reactor for an extended period of time, the U-238 picks up extra
|
||
particles (neutrons especially) and gradually is transformed into the element
|
||
Plutonium.
|
||
|
||
Plutonium is fissionable, but not as easily fissionable as Uranium.
|
||
While Uranium can be detonated by a simple 2-part gun-type device, Plutonium
|
||
must be detonated by a more complex 32-part implosion chamber along with a
|
||
stronger conventional explosive, a greater striking velocity and a
|
||
simultaneous triggering mechanism for the conventional explosive packs. Along
|
||
with all of these requirements comes the additional task of introducing a fine
|
||
mixture of Beryllium and Polonium to this metal while all of these actions are
|
||
occurring.
|
||
|
||
Supercritical mass for Plutonium is defined as 35.2 lbs (16 kgs). This
|
||
amount needed for a supercritical mass can be reduced to a smaller quantity of
|
||
22 lbs (10 kgs) by surrounding the Plutonium with a U-238 casing.
|
||
|
||
|
||
To illustrate the vast difference between a Uranium gun-type detonator
|
||
and a Plutonium implosion detonator, here is a quick rundown.
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
[1] Uranium Detonator
|
||
-----------------
|
||
|
||
Comprised of 2 parts. Larger mass is spherical and concave.
|
||
Smaller mass is precisely the size and shape of the `missing'
|
||
section of the larger mass. Upon detonation of conventional
|
||
explosive, the smaller mass is violently injected and welded
|
||
to the larger mass. Supercritical mass is reached, chain
|
||
reaction follows in one millionth of a second.
|
||
|
||
|
||
[2] Plutonium Detonator
|
||
-------------------
|
||
|
||
Comprised of 32 individual 45-degree pie-shaped sections of
|
||
Plutonium surrounding a Beryllium/Polonium mixture. These 32
|
||
sections together form a sphere. All of these sections must
|
||
have the precisely equal mass (and shape) of the others. The
|
||
shape of the detonator resembles a soccerball. Upon detonation
|
||
of conventional explosives, all 32 sections must merge with the
|
||
B/P mixture within 1 ten-millionths of a second.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
____________________________________________________________________________
|
||
|
||
- Diagram -
|
||
-------------
|
||
____________________________________________________________________________
|
||
|
|
||
[Uranium Detonator] | [Plutonium Detonator]
|
||
______________________________________|_____________________________________
|
||
_____ |
|
||
| :| | . [2] .
|
||
| :| | . ~ \_/ ~ .
|
||
| [2]:| | .. . ..
|
||
| :| | [2]| . |[2]
|
||
| .:| | . ~~~ . . . ~~~ .
|
||
`...::' | . . . . .
|
||
_ ~~~ _ | . . ~ . .
|
||
. `| |':.. | [2]\. . . . [1] . . . ./[2]
|
||
. | | `:::. | ./ . ~~~ . \.
|
||
| | `::: | . . : . .
|
||
. | | :::: | . . . . .
|
||
| [1] | ::|:: | . ___ . ___ .
|
||
. `. .' ,::||: | [2]| . |[2]
|
||
~~~ ::|||: | .' _ `.
|
||
.. [2] .::|||:' | . / \ .
|
||
::... ..::||||:' | ~ -[2]- ~
|
||
:::::::::::::||||::' |
|
||
``::::||||||||:'' |
|
||
``:::::'' |
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
[1] = Collision Point | [1] = Collision Point
|
||
[2] - Uranium Section(s) | [2] = Plutonium Section(s)
|
||
|
|
||
|
|
||
______________________________________|_____________________________________
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Lead Shield
|
||
-----------
|
||
|
||
The lead shield's only purpose is to prevent the inherent radioactivity
|
||
of the bomb's payload from interfering with the other mechanisms of the bomb.
|
||
The neutron flux of the bomb's payload is strong enough to short circuit the
|
||
internal circuitry and cause an accidental or premature detonation.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Fuses
|
||
-----
|
||
|
||
The fuses are implemented as another safeguard to prevent an accidental
|
||
detonation of both the conventional explosives and the nuclear payload. These
|
||
fuses are set near the surface of the `nose' of the bomb so that they can be
|
||
installed easily when the bomb is ready to be launched. The fuses should be
|
||
installed only shortly before the bomb is launched. To affix them before it
|
||
is time could result in an accident of catastrophic proportions.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
-End of section 3-
|
||
-Documentation & Diagrams of the Atomic Bomb-
|
||
|
||
--------------------------------
|
||
File courtesy of Outlaw Labs
|
||
--------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
IV. The Diagram of the Atomic Bomb
|
||
------------------------------
|
||
|
||
[Gravity Bomb Model]
|
||
----------------------------
|
||
-> Cutaway Sections Visible <-
|
||
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
/\
|
||
/ \ <---------------------------[1]
|
||
/ \
|
||
_________________/______\_________________
|
||
| : ||: ~ ~ : |
|
||
[2]-------> | : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| :______||:_____________________________: |
|
||
|/_______||/______________________________\|
|
||
\ ~\ | | /
|
||
\ |\ | | /
|
||
\ | \ | | /
|
||
\ | \ | | /
|
||
\ |___\ |______________| /
|
||
\ | \ |~ \ /
|
||
\|_______\|_________________\_/
|
||
|_____________________________|
|
||
/ \
|
||
/ _________________ \
|
||
/ _/ \_ \
|
||
/ __/ \__ \
|
||
/ / \ \
|
||
/__ _/ \_ __\
|
||
[3]_______________________________ \ _|
|
||
/ / \ \ \
|
||
/ / \/ \ \
|
||
/ / ___________ \ \
|
||
| / __/___________\__ \ |
|
||
| |_ ___ /=================\ ___ _| |
|
||
[4]---------> _||___|====|[[[[[[[|||]]]]]]]|====|___||_ <--------[4]
|
||
| | |-----------------| | |
|
||
| | |o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o| <-------------------[5]
|
||
| | \_______________/ | |
|
||
| |__ |: :| __| |
|
||
| | \______________ |: :| ______________/ | |
|
||
| | ________________\|: :|/________________ | |
|
||
| |/ |::::|: :|::::| \| |
|
||
[6]----------------------> |::::|: :|::::| <---------------------[6]
|
||
| | |::::|: :|::::| | |
|
||
| | |::==|: :|== <------------------------[9]
|
||
| | |::__\: :/__::| | |
|
||
| | |:: ~: :~ ::| | |
|
||
[7]----------------------------> \_/ ::| | |
|
||
| |~\________/~\|:: ~ ::|/~\________/~| |
|
||
| | ||:: <-------------------------[8]
|
||
| |_/~~~~~~~~\_/|::_ _ _ _ _::|\_/~~~~~~~~\_| |
|
||
[9]-------------------------->_=_=_=_=_::| | |
|
||
| | :::._______.::: | |
|
||
| | .:::| |:::.. | |
|
||
| | ..:::::'| |`:::::.. | |
|
||
[6]---------------->.::::::' || || `::::::.<---------------[6]
|
||
| | .::::::' | || || | `::::::. | |
|
||
/| | .::::::' | || || | `::::::. | |
|
||
| | | .:::::' | || <-----------------------------[10]
|
||
| | |.:::::' | || || | `:::::.| |
|
||
| | ||::::' | |`. .'| | `::::|| |
|
||
[11]___________________________ ``~'' __________________________[11]
|
||
: | | \:: \ / ::/ | |
|
||
| | | \:_________|_|\/__ __\/|_|_________:/ | |
|
||
/ | | | __________~___:___~__________ | | |
|
||
|| | | | | |:::::::| | | | |
|
||
[12] /|: | | | | |:::::::| | | | |
|
||
|~~~~~ / |: | | | | |:::::::| | | | |
|
||
|----> / /|: | | | | |:::::::| <-----------------[10]
|
||
| / / |: | | | | |:::::::| | | | |
|
||
| / |: | | | | |::::<-----------------------------[13]
|
||
| / /|: | | | | |:::::::| | | | |
|
||
| / / |: | | | | `:::::::' | | | |
|
||
| _/ / /:~: | | | `: ``~'' :' | | |
|
||
| | / / ~.. | | |: `: :' :| | |
|
||
|->| / / : | | ::: `. .' <----------------[11]
|
||
| |/ / ^ ~\| \ ::::. `. .' .:::: / |
|
||
| ~ /|\ | \_::::::. `. .' .::::::_/ |
|
||
|_______| | \::::::. `. .' .:::<-----------------[6]
|
||
|_________\:::::.. `~.....~' ..:::::/_________|
|
||
| \::::::::.......::::::::/ |
|
||
| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
|
||
`. .'
|
||
`. .'
|
||
`. .'
|
||
`:. .:'
|
||
`::. .::'
|
||
`::.. ..::'
|
||
`:::.. ..:::'
|
||
`::::::... ..::::::'
|
||
[14]------------------> `:____:::::::::::____:' <-----------------[14]
|
||
```::::_____::::'''
|
||
~~~~~
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
- Diagram Outline -
|
||
---------------------
|
||
|
||
[1] - Tail Cone
|
||
[2] - Stabilizing Tail Fins
|
||
[3] - Air Pressure Detonator
|
||
[4] - Air Inlet Tube(s)
|
||
[5] - Altimeter/Pressure Sensors
|
||
[6] - Lead Shield Container
|
||
[7] - Detonating Head
|
||
[8] - Conventional Explosive Charge
|
||
[9] - Packing
|
||
[10] - Uranium (U-235) [Plutonium (See other diagram)]
|
||
[11] - Neutron Deflector (U-238)
|
||
[12] - Telemetry Monitoring Probes
|
||
[13] - Receptacle for U-235 upon detonation
|
||
to facilitate supercritical mass.
|
||
[14] - Fuses (inserted to arm bomb)
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
- Diagram for Plutonium Bomb -
|
||
--------------------------------
|
||
[Gravity Bomb - Implosion Model]
|
||
--------------------------------
|
||
-> Cutaway Sections Visible <-
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
/\
|
||
/ \ <---------------------------[1]
|
||
/ \
|
||
_________________/______\_________________
|
||
| : ||: ~ ~ : |
|
||
[2]-------> | : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| : ||: : |
|
||
| :______||:_____________________________: |
|
||
|/_______||/______________________________\|
|
||
\ ~\ | : |:| /
|
||
\ |\ | : |:| /
|
||
\ | \ | :__________|:| /
|
||
\ |:_\ | :__________\:| /
|
||
\ |___\ |______________| /
|
||
\ | \ |~ \ /
|
||
\|_______\|_________________\_/
|
||
|_____________________________|
|
||
/ \
|
||
/ \
|
||
/ \
|
||
/ _______________ \
|
||
/ ___/ \___ \
|
||
/____ __/ \__ ____\
|
||
[3]_______________________________ \ ___|
|
||
/ __/ \ \__ \
|
||
/ / \/ \ \
|
||
/ / ___________ \ \
|
||
/ / __/___________\__ \ \
|
||
./ /__ ___ /=================\ ___ __\ \.
|
||
[4]-------> ___||___|====|[[[[[|||||||]]]]]|====|___||___ <------[4]
|
||
/ / |=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=| <-------------------[5]
|
||
.' / \_______ _______/ \ `.
|
||
: |___ |*| ___| :
|
||
.' | \_________________ |*| _________________/ | `.
|
||
: | ___________ ___ \ |*| / ___ ___________ | :
|
||
: |__/ \ / \_\\*//_/ \ / \__| :
|
||
: |______________:|:____:: **::****:|:********\ <---------[6]
|
||
.' /:|||||||||||||'`|;..:::::::::::..;|'`|||||||*|||||:\ `.
|
||
[7]----------> ||||||' .:::;~|~~~___~~~|~;:::. `|||||*|| <-------[7]
|
||
: |:|||||||||' .::'\ ..:::::::::::.. /`::. `|||*|||||:| :
|
||
: |:|||||||' .::' .:::''~~ ~~``:::. `::. `|\***\|:| :
|
||
: |:|||||' .::\ .::''\ | [9] | /``::: /::. `|||*|:| :
|
||
[8]------------>::' .::' \|_________|/ `::: `::. `|* <-----[6]
|
||
`. \:||' .::' ::'\ [9] . . . [9] /::: `::. *|:/ .'
|
||
: \:' :::'.::' \ . . / `::.`::: *:/ :
|
||
: | .::'.::'____\ [10] . [10] /____`::.`::.*| :
|
||
: | :::~::: | . . . | :::~:::*| :
|
||
: | ::: :: [9] | . . ..:.. . . | [9] :: :::*| :
|
||
: \ ::: :: | . :\_____________________________[11]
|
||
`. \`:: ::: ____| . . . |____ ::: ::'/ .'
|
||
: \:;~`::. / . [10] [10] . \ .::'~::/ :
|
||
`. \:. `::. / . . . \ .::' .:/ .'
|
||
: \:. `:::/ [9] _________ [9] \:::' .:/ :
|
||
`. \::. `:::. /| |\ .:::' .::/ .'
|
||
: ~~\:/ `:::./ | [9] | \.:::' \:/~~ :
|
||
`:=========\::. `::::... ...::::' .::/=========:'
|
||
`: ~\::./ ```:::::::::''' \.::/~ :'
|
||
`. ~~~~~~\| ~~~ |/~~~~~~ .'
|
||
`. \:::...:::/ .'
|
||
`. ~~~~~~~~~ .'
|
||
`. .'
|
||
`:. .:'
|
||
`::. .::'
|
||
`::.. ..::'
|
||
`:::.. ..:::'
|
||
`::::::... ..::::::'
|
||
[12]------------------> `:____:::::::::::____:' <-----------------[12]
|
||
```::::_____::::'''
|
||
~~~~~
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
- Diagram Outline -
|
||
---------------------
|
||
|
||
[1] - Tail Cone
|
||
[2] - Stabilizing Tail Fins
|
||
[3] - Air Pressure Detonator
|
||
[4] - Air Inlet Tube(s)
|
||
[5] - Altimeter/Pressure Sensors
|
||
[6] - Electronic Conduits & Fusing Circuits
|
||
[7] - Lead Shield Container
|
||
[8] - Neutron Deflector (U-238)
|
||
[9] - Conventional Explosive Charge(s)
|
||
[10] - Plutonium (Pu-239)
|
||
[11] - Receptacle for Beryllium/Polonium mixture
|
||
to facilitate atomic detonation reaction.
|
||
[12] - Fuses (inserted to arm bomb)
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
============================================================================
|
||
|
||
|
||
-End of section 4-
|
||
-Documentation & Diagrams of the Atomic Bomb-
|
||
|