I saw this posted as "Nuclear Weapons for Home Defense" somewhere. Though I am all for self defense I found this a little extreme and quite laughable. Assuming you can get enough weapons grade plutonium to make a critical mass and a sequential firing system and a some highexplosive. This recipe thinks you can make an atomic device. One thing is missing. In the center of a critical mass there is a metal sphere that will release a spray of neutrons
splitting atoms as they go about bouncing around. In all recipes regarding such weapons I have seen this critical piece missing. I don't even know what this metal is, only that it is required. Does anybody have the slightest idea? It would most likely be a heavy metal, mostl likely radio active that gives off alpha radiation and some gamma radiation, the decay can be increased with intense heat and pressure. Or with the intese heat and pressure the relative neutron to plutonium impacts would be greatly increase. Anyone have any ideas?

I myself preffer Uranium 235 harder to obtain simpler to make a bomb out of.

then there is always the ever popular duetrium-tritium mixture for the Thermo-nuclear device which made the other two atomic bombs obsolete.

[This message has been edited by Alan Smithee (edited 09-15-2000).]

its actually a mixture of beryllium and polonium in the neutron producer.

By the way that particular mettle is around the uranium core not int the middle And the 2 ways that it sets off the netron REaction is by high explosive shock to the panels The pannels then release netrons at such a rapid rate as to cause the reaction and Make the plutonium or uranium core reach CM If you remove On of those plates it will not reach Criticle mass and It will just be a normal explosion Granted a big one but with out that last plate there is not enough neutrons to Bring the Core to critical mass

I think the metal you may be looking for is a polonium/lithium composite.

When lithium and polonuim impace at high velocities, a neutron burst is emitted. So, the simplest working nuke looks something like this.... <follow the link for a look then leave a message at the second link with your opinion>

nuke : http://www.geocities.com/tcaine666/nuke.jpg

messageboard: http://network54.com/Hide/Forum/66562

Hmm interesting, but the metal is in the center of an already existing critical mass. The explosion doesn't cause or create a critical mass, it just aids in triggering a reaction by causing a release of high energy particles. The Pit, as it is called consists of a grapefruit sized sphere of an "atomic/nuclear" fuel with a core of this particular metal. The reason it is placed in the middle is simple for efficiency. A sphere has the largest surface area to mass ratio and the rxn is faster when in the particles travel from the inside out, rather than visa versa. There are materials between the fuel and the main explosive, but those are mainly for containment and to aid in directing the force of the explosion. The explosive itself is sandwiched as well.

If the nuclear rxn didn't occur, you'd just get an explosion, probably not a big one, I'm sure that as small as nukes are, the amount of explosives in one are no more, and probably less, than the amount of explosives in an anti-armor warhead. A small amount of explosives, directed correctly, can produce tremendous pressures. Out in the open air explosives can cause a 1atm increase in pressure and more. Doesn't sound like alot, but think of it like this. Say you have a 12x24" window in your house, inside there is a pressure of 14.7psi or 1atm. Now a near by explosion occurs that produces 1atm increacse. The outside pressure around your house is the same as on the inside, so the cancel out. The surface are on your window is 288sq inches, when the shockwave hits there will be a force of 4233.3lbs on your window (keep in mind this is not a directed force).

I don't know how much explosives exist in nuclear weapons, but it can't be much, because they can be so small, and as explained, a little can produce a lot of pressure.

Let me explain something to you Nothing reaches critical mass with exploding NOTHING Excuse me for Acing physics. The neutrons that bombard the core cause the reaction that brings the core to critical mass and the "primer" explosive in a nuke is enough to to take out half a city block, however the entire blast is directed inward to the neutreno plates to cause the neutron implosion which makes the uranium plutonium or what not to reach critical and go friggen BOOM! Next thing your going to attempt to tell me is fusion still isnt practical, well before you get a chance Fusion has reached the point where you gtet out just as much as you put in they have an operational plant up and running in japan and theri also working on miniturizing it for weapons and propulsion.... , And before you get a chance to say other wise the neutron bomb is working as well The next war wont be nukes it will be turning our enemies into to puddles and leaving their jewelry behind any more questions

[This message has been edited by joranax (edited 10-16-2000).]

[This message has been edited by joranax (edited 10-16-2000).]

the is another way to make a nuke, the implosion type, but the way the explosives are positioned is critical, and its bloody hard to get it right. I think they showed one in 'the peace keeper' (a crap film) or something.

Critical mass is the mass of the component nuclear fuel required for a nuclear reaction.
By adding neutrons to the equation the mass of uranium or plutonium, whichever is being used does not increase.

The explosives required are enough to take our a city block, lol, you know little of explosives. There are tactical nukes that are fired from artillery and tanks. There exists no round fired from an artillery round or tank that will level a city block. I guess the military in conjuction with you must have developed some sort of "super explosive" in which a few pounds of it will level a city a block. Nukes can even fit in a suitcase anymore, wheres this amount of explosive stored that can level a city block? Hell a rider truck full to the brim of ANFO can't level a city a block, I've never heard, you aren't thinking very well aren't you?

I've never said fusion isn't practical. But you are a liar to say you can get just as much energy into a system as you put into it. Obviously you didn't ace physics because you know nothing of the laws of Thermodynamics, you don't consider wastes of energy that occur. Waste as light, heat, friction, etc. Anyone one who atleast came out of physics with a Zero should know that.

Aced physics my butt. You don't know what a critical mass even is, you think neutrons come from some implosion, a small amount of explosives will level half a city block, all without putting 2 and 2 together.

The next war will be conventional neutron bomb theory is a joke. Destroys only life not buildings? Any and every chemical found in an organism is found in every building, vehicle, piece of jewelry, and every other inanimate object. Please tell me how such a device determines what is life, what is not, and then selectively picks out what it will destroy. And please explain the chemical rxn behind it, turning everything to some sort of goo. What kind of goo will it be? Why won't concrete be affected, ya know being that concrete contains many of the elements that we are made of, nitrogens, carbond, metals, silica, etc. Or haven't you thought of that either?

What a physicist I suppose you believe that if two stones are dropped the heavier one hits the ground first. And you'll tell me that ton of feathers is lighter than a ton of bricks. You may have had highschool physics, but you should retake the class. I do this shit for a living and I'm quite good at it. So excuse me for knowing more than you.

Oh yeah, since when did the teach how to make nuclear weapons in basic physics class, since you think you know so much about it?

[This message has been edited by The Real (edited 22-10-2000).]

,i am not a nuclear physicist but hereis the jist of it the part that gives the neutrons is called a neutron generator some implosion type and gun types both use them guntype nucs always have the generators outside the physics package older implosion types have them mounted on the inside and they would work off the explosively generated pressure allthe generators do is increase the nuclear yield south africa built one without a generator but it had a low yield equaling a greater amount of radiaton dispersel most generators utilize high amounts of electricity to initiate the onset of critical mass only the newer ones use explosively initiated generators. sorry to be a dick but the explosives used in gun types are not high explosives its propellant second the explosives used in new thermo nuc's are powerful and insensitve like a motherfucker and its because of how they shaped in relation to the physics package that makes them work so well the isn't some crap i read out of pop sci or some crusty asshole told me in a college it's just they way nucs are, and lastly smart ass the us army just took of service the last 8 inch nuclear projectile fired from the 8 inch self propelled howitzer and the army used to have a job that was the use and employment of a backpack size nuc don'ttalk about the things you dont have thr facts on man

Proppellants used in big guns are high explosives, it's called nitrocellulose and nitroglycerin. Some even use RDX another uhm, lets see here, HIGH EXPLOSIVE. Do you really think we've taken tactical nukes out of commission? Think about it. The South Afican bomb and those being made by Sadaam and Korea and China are all what are known as "dirty bombs". They are typically fission devices which yield a tremendous amounnt of radiactive fallout.

"it's just the way nukes are"? Nothing is, "just the way it is", everything has an explanation, it seems you don't have one. If you didn't read it or hear it anywhere, then where did you get your info? I guess it's just inate to you and know one else? You can't even spell for Christ's Sake. Only newer ones use explosives? Bull shit the first ones used TNT. Little Boy and Big Tom both did.

I can get high grade uranium, whats it worth to you, email me, tempest@mwt.net

propellant as in it,s to propel a piece of plutonium at a piece of uranim to get a critical mass not wether or not it,s tube launched little boy was a gun type thats why it wasn't tested like fatman the neutron generator was mounted on the inside of it also ,it was called nebo the newer u.s. nuclear weapons are one point safe and are required to have ihe insensitve high explosive( nitrocellulose is a low explosive so are most propellants) it won't explode when it's confined in a fire like tnt or rdx or petn does the last phase of eod school is nothing but nukes you to look at all these cutaways of weapons so you can kinda figure out how they work but what happens at the atomic level is kind of mystery to me but i pretty much finger fucked every training aid they had i,am an army eod tech with seconary MOS as an 11b/g never went to college can't spell to well so what

I heard that the metal used to encase the radioactive material within an atomic bomb was "Boron".

Since uranium is used in A-bombs, couldn't you use plutonium or some other radioactive material? Or is there a specific quality in the radioactive element that allows only that material to be used?

You sure it was Boron or Beryllium? Boron is not a metal,it is however somewhat of a transitional metal. Meaning it share properties of both metals and nonmetals, most of the time nonmetals.

I've probably seen as many cutaways as you have eod I have access to such things, Military Manuals not yet released to the public. You wouldn't believe what Uncle Sam throws away, especially the USMC. Name it chances are I have it or have seen it, if not I can get a hold of it.

Nitrocellulose just burns when in contact with fire, I've seen it. If you went through eod school why the hell aren't you righting all of the dumb shit people bring up here. Most of them don't even know what the hell a blasting cap is used for or think some sort of confinement is required for an explosion to occur. Seems to me they are all powder junkies, well many of them, especially the newbies.

the berylium is used just outside the physics package it supposed to reflecton the neutrons back into the fission process the more neutron bombardment the greater the the yield after the berylium is a depleted uranium casing that is supposed to create a tamper to keep the package together that much longer . iam notsure why berylium reflects neutrons so well but it might have something to do with the fact it has no magnetic signature. carbon boron fiber is used on icbm reentry vehicles it also works as a x-ray filter, required for a thermo nuc.

Blasting caps used to initiate H.E. mercury fulminate and lead azide placed in a stainless steel tube with a closed end. you got point about powder fiends stuff is to weak to realy accomplish anything .Do any experimting with shape chages or exposively formed projectiles a.k.platter charges?

I've played with parabolic shaped charges, but no platter charges. I've seen what they can do though, compliments of the discovery channel. The device they aired was a four wheeler turned robot with a platter charge on it. It could be remotely driven and used as a sentry. It would aim for detected movement and was used as an anti-armor device. The plate that was to be the projectile was a copper alloy set infront of a 15lb charge of TNT. Upon detonation the plate would become a molten sphere and obtain some outrageous velocity, I believe it was around 5000mps. I can't comprehend that the projectile would become spherical though, due to direction of the blast, I could see it becoming cone shaped. Anyways they demonstrated another platter charge that used a steel plate, the person demonstrating shot a hole through one inch steel plate at about 100m it looked like on tv anyways, pretty impressive accuracy for such a mechanism.

Berryllium is probably used in alloy form or a in a compound, it is very reactive in its elemental form and is not a very dense metal.

if it,s not very dense why the hell are beryllium tools so damn heavy 15pounds is pretty heavy for an anti-tank charge most only use a pound or less real common in submunitions and off route mines the slugs when you can find them look like a tissue picked up from the middle totaly inverted .

If you look at it's position on the periodic table you will see that it is an alkali earth metal, it's very close to hydrogen, the lightest of all metals. No hand tools nor nuclear shells are made of pure berryllium, they are berryllium alloys. I was watching a show today about Operation Pluto. It was an experiment to make a nuclear powered ram jet. Berryllium is used in it's oxide state in such things. The reason being is because of it's near size of a neutron and it's compatibility with nuclear fuels. It doesn't release neutrons, it reflects them, the downside is that it's higly toxic, as would be expected. I can guarantee that you have never touched pure berryllium only alloys or compounds which contain it. If you did touch this or similar metals, unprotected, you'd have experienced your hand being set on fire. Berryllium by itself is also a very soft metal, the likes of sodium or pottassium, not suitable for hand tools in it's elemental form.

Believe me, I'm a chemist.

[This message has been edited by The Real (edited 11-07-2000).]

boron is a transition metal??

whuh?

i thought it was a nonmetal. a metalloid at best.

Is this the Interrogation Room?

Xcuse me, I must have opened the wrong door.

bye

Boron is used in applications that metals may do better in, however would be too expensive to use or would make the material too dense. Of course it used in compound form, it's most popular use is aiding in creating fire retardent materials, usually in plastics and rubbers. It is usually attached to an R group with another nonmetal it has some properties as salts, which have high ait's or flashpoints. I guess a better description would be that Boron can carry some metallic properties dependent on the material it is bonded to.