Documentation
and Diagrams of the Atomic Bomb
Table of Contents
On August 2nd 1939, just before the beginning of World War II,
Albert Einstein wrote to then President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Einstein and several other scientists told Roosevelt of efforts
in Nazi Germany to purify U-235 with which might in turn be used
to build an atomic bomb. It was shortly thereafter that the
United States Government began the serious undertaking known only
then as the Manhattan Project. Simply put, the Manhattan Project
was committed to expedient research
and production that would produce a viable atomic bomb.
The most complicated issue to be addressed was the production
of ample amounts of `enriched' uranium to sustain a chain
reaction. At the time, Uranium-235 was very hard to extract. In
fact, the ratio of conversion from Uranium ore to Uranium metal
is 500:1. An additional drawback is that the 1 part of Uranium
that is finally refined from the ore consists of over 99%
Uranium-238, which is practically useless for an atomic bomb. To
make it even more difficult, U-235 and U-238 are precisely
similar in their chemical makeup. This proved to be as much of a
challenge as separating a solution of sucrose from a solution of
glucose. No ordinary chemical extraction could separate the two
isotopes. Only mechanical methods could effectively separate
U-235 from U-238. Several scientists at Columbia University
managed to solve this dilemma.
A massive enrichment laboratory/plant was constructed at Oak
Ridge, Tennessee. H.C. Urey, along with his associates and
colleagues at Columbia University, devised a system that worked
on the principle of gaseous diffusion. Following this process,
Ernest O. Lawrence (inventor of the Cyclotron) at the University
of California in Berkeley implemented a process involving
magnetic separation of the two isotopes.
Following the first two processes, a gas centrifuge was used
to further separate the lighter U-235 from the heavier
non-fissionable U-238 by their mass. Once all of these procedures
had been completed, all that needed to be done was to put to the
test the entire concept behind atomic fission. [For more
information on these procedures of refining Uranium, see Section
3.]
Over the course of six years, ranging from 1939 to 1945, more
than 2 billion dollars were spent on the Manhattan Project. The
formulas for refining Uranium and putting together a working bomb
were created and seen to their logical ends by some of the
greatest minds of our time. Among these people who unleashed the
power of the atomic bomb was J. Robert Oppenheimer.
Oppenheimer was the major force behind the Manhattan Project.
He 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 its conception to its
completion.
Finally the day came when all at Los Alamos would find out
whether or not The Gadget (code-named as such during its
development) was either going to be the colossal dud of the
century or perhaps end the war. It all came down to a fateful
morning of midsummer, 1945.
At 5:29:45 (Mountain War Time) on July 16th, 1945, in a white
blaze that stretched from the basin of the Jemez Mountains in
northern New Mexico to the still-dark skies, The Gadget ushered
in the Atomic Age. The light of the explosion then turned orange as the atomic
fireball began shooting upwards at 360 feet per second, reddening
and pulsing as it cooled. The characteristic mushroom cloud of
radioactive vapor materialized at 30,000 feet. Beneath the cloud,
all that remained of the soil at the blast site were fragments of
jade green radioactive glass. ...All of this caused by the heat
of the reaction.
The brilliant light from the detonation pierced the early
morning skies with such intensity that residents from a faraway
neighboring community would swear that the sun came up twice that
day. Even more astonishing is that a blind girl saw the flash 120
miles away.
Upon witnessing the explosion, reactions among the people who
created it were mixed. Isidor Rabi felt that the equilibrium in
nature had been upset -- as if humankind had become a threat to
the world it inhabited. J. Robert Oppenheimer, though ecstatic
about the success of the project, quoted a remembered fragment
from Bhagavad Gita. "I am become Death," he said, "the destroyer
of worlds." Ken Bainbridge, the test director, told Oppenheimer,
"Now we're all sons of bitches."
Several participants, shortly after viewing the results,
signed petitions against loosing the monster they had created,
but their protests fell on deaf ears. As it later turned out, the
Jornada del Muerto of New Mexico was not the last site on planet
Earth to experience an atomic explosion.
As many know, atomic bombs have been used only twice in
warfare. The first and foremost blast site of the atomic bomb is
Hiroshima. A Uranium bomb (which
weighed in at over 4 & 1/2 tons) nicknamed "Little Boy" was
dropped on Hiroshima August 6th, 1945. The Aioi Bridge, one of 81
bridges connecting the seven-branched delta of the Ota River, was
the aiming point of the bomb. Ground Zero was set at 1,980 feet.
At 0815 hours, the bomb was dropped from the Enola Gay. It missed
by only 800 feet. At 0816 hours, in the flash of an instant,
66,000 people were killed and 69,000 people were injured by a 10
kiloton atomic explosion.
The point of total vaporization from the blast measured one
half of a mile in diameter. Total destruction ranged at one mile
in diameter. Severe blast damage carried as far as two miles in
diameter. At two and a half miles, everything flammable in the
area burned. The remaining area of the blast zone was riddled
with serious blazes that stretched out to the final edge at a
little over three miles in diameter. [See diagram below for blast
ranges from the atomic blast.]
On August 9th 1945, Nagasaki
fell to the same treatment as Hiroshima. Only this time, a
Plutonium bomb nicknamed "Fat Man" was dropped on the city. Even
though the "Fat Man" missed by over a mile and a half, it still
leveled nearly half the city. Nagasaki's population dropped in
one split-second from 422,000 to 383,000. 39,000 were killed,
over 25,000 were injured. That blast was less than 10 kilotons as
well. Estimates from physicists who have studied each atomic
explosion state that the bombs that were used had utilized only
1/10th of 1 percent of their respective explosive
capabilities.
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 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 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.
.
. .
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Diagram Outline
[1] Vaporization Point
------------------
Everything is vaporized by the atomic blast. 98% fatalities.
Overpress=25 psi. Wind velocity=320 mph.
[2] Total Destruction
-----------------
All structures above ground are destroyed. 90% fatalities.
Overpress=17 psi. Wind velocity=290 mph.
[3] Severe Blast Damage
-------------------
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 |
| | | | | |
|______________________| |______________________| |______________________|
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
|
|
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[1]------------------------------> o
. o o .
. o_0_o . <-----------------------[2]
. o 0 o .
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|
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[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
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.
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).
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.
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 cup concentrated solution of uric acid (C5 H4 N4 O3)
- 1/3 cup of nitric acid
- 4 heat-resistant glass containers
- 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.
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-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.
-
-
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.
-
-
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)
|
______________________________________|_____________________________________
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.
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.
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)
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)
|
