Part One: The History of the Atomic Bomb


Fission (A-Bomb) & Fusion (H-Bomb)
There are two 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, emitting 100 million to several hundred million volts of energy. This energy is expelled explosively and violently in the atomic bomb. A fusion reaction is usually started with a fission reaction, but unlike the fission (atomic) bomb, the fusion (hydrogen) bomb derives its power from the fusing of nuclei of various hydrogen isotopes into helium nuclei. This article discusses the A-bomb or atomic bomb.

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 various numbers and combinations of the three sub-atomic particles: protons, neutrons and electrons. 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 the balance and arrangement of these particles that determine the stability of the atom.

Most elements have very stable atoms which are impossible to split except by bombardment in particle accelerators. For all practical purposes, the only natural element whose atoms can be split easily is uranium, a heavy metal with the largest atom of all natural elements and an unusually high neutron-to-proton ratio. This higher ratio does not enhance its "splitability," but it does have an important bearing on its ability to facilitate an explosion, making uranium-235 an exceptional candidate for nuclear fission.

There are two naturally-occurring isotopes of uranium. Natural uranium consists mostly of isotope U-238, with 92 protons and 146 neutrons (92+146=238 ) per atom. Mixed with this is a 0.6% accumulation of U-235, with only 143 neutrons per atom. The atoms of this lighter isotope can be split, thus it is "fissionable" and useful in making atomic bombs. Neutron-heavy U-238 has a role to play in the atomic bomb as well since its neutron-heavy atoms can deflect stray neutrons, preventing an accidental chain reaction in a uranium bomb and keeping neutrons contained in a plutonium bomb. (U-238 can also be "saturated" to produce plutonium (Pu-239), a man-made, radioactive element also used in atomic bombs.)

Great stuff again Theis,

Didn't know that there was so many Atomic/nuclear bomb types.

Cheers

James

Here you go skörpion

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mushroom_cloud

hehe
nice one!

You didn't look too hard Skorp.

http://www.answers.com/topic/mushroom-cloud

Search words <explosion mushroom shape> http://www.google.co.uk/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2004-34...

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Nowhere near as screwed up as if a falling A or H-bomb were one of the last things you saw:'(
Neither so good if you were living in that era; death and mayhem were all *too common* [my punning nature wanted to put in the term *a rage*] so, on that account alone, your day could have come to a dead end[]. Fortunately, you don't and, all things considered, it's rather nice to have you around.

It can be worse:
  (aside from whether or not Hitler was his original surname)
A.Hitler's initials = AH
my dad's initials = AH
A.Hitler was born on April 20
My dad was born on April 20
Hitler ended his life just after his 56th birthdate
My dad died on the operating table just short of his 56th


[P.S.: strange conections in my family with dates. For instance, everyone else in my immediate family were born on a Saturday. On the other hand, I can't say that my life has followed such a lucky course for being its only Sonntagskind]

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Of the 'between' aspects you present, Lenin and Tchernobyl are more accurate.
As for April 24 - other than with one of my aunts - it's shared with WW2 British Minister of Plane Manufacture, R. Cripps (b. 1889). It's also one of the dates assigned to the 1769 birth of the 1st Duke of Wellington (Waterloo victor vs. Napoleon).
Those are the best I could do for now. Somebody help out here: we need something better than being stuck between ruthless dictators and explosive materials!
P.S. Dare I mention -- as I typed this, the bombing of Hiroshima was shown via the History Channel

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I remember posting a question about this not too long ago, and if memory sreves me correctly, it stumped everybody.  Reading from the link you gave, my theory is right.  It's nice to know I can figure some things out.  Certaintly not how to use Google effectively!

Interesting stuff Theis.
Nuclear Weapons are a very complex Topic.
I must confess.. I  have a "strange" hobby
I collect nuclear weapon test films.
(No I´m not completely crazy )
It´s unbeliveable
what you find if you start digging. So far my collections contains 32 Documentaries + 8 Department of Energy Films
and around 150 shorter sequences. Maybe I will make a little post with the "best" (visual) pictures.

Here is some more info about nuclear weapon types.
Actually there exist different types and some "special configurations.

1.Gun Type
(USA, Little Boy, 15kt)
The most simple atomic bomb. Uses two subcritical pieces
of U-235 (doesn´t work with pu-239) wich are shot/compressed to a critical mass. Actually a bomb of that kind is extremly easy to build. If you have two subcritical pieces just put one in your left and one in your right hand... lock yourself in a concrete/iron Safe and clap you hands actually the problem wich makes this bomb not that easy to build is the very rare u-235 (compared with pu-239)

-1.Implosion
(USA, Fatman, 22kt)
In this case a symetrical lense of high explosives compresses a hollow sphere of pu-239 into a critical mass.
A trigger is needed (as already described by theis) or the
reaction would occure before a super critical mass is reached.. wich would result in a fizzle of the bomb.
Even if the explosive lense doesn´t fire absolutely symetrical the bomb will fizzle .This happend accidential
several times when loaded nuclearbomber crashed.
The bomb exploded but fizzled.  (well a fizzle still can reach a yield of 200tons)

-2.Boosted Implosion
(USA, Greenhouse Item, 45.5 kt)
Same as implosion with the only difference that in the middle of the hollow plutonium sphere a  few grams of a deuterium/tritium gas mixture is included. This produces a
fusion reaction wich doubles the yield of the bomb.

-3.The Alarm Clock/Sloika (Layer Cake) Design
(USSR, Joe-4, 400kt,
UK, Grapple, Orange Herald, 720kt)
Similar to an implosion/boosted design. But inside the explosive lense system there are several spherical layers of fission and fussion fuel.

-4. 2stage thermo nuclear
(USA, Ivy/Mike, 10mt)
The true H-Bomb. A fission bomb and a pack of fussion fuel
(lithium, hydrogen) is packed next to each other inside a bomb case. The xrays from the fission explosion heats and compresses the fussion fuel until a fusion reactions appears (a big fusion reaction).

-5. 3stage thermo nuclear (multistage)
(USSR, "Tsar Bomba" largest manmade explosion 50mt)
The second fusion stage is used to ignite an even larger 3rd fusion stage (or more stages). With the explosion of the tsar bomba
the concept was proved. With this design nukes of theoretical unlimited size can be build (scarry !!).

There were a lot of strange bombs/designs/concepts/tests out there. For example Britain planned a "chicken driven" nuke. Codename "Blue Peacock". A 15ton (bomb weight)
nuclear mine wich should include living chickens to make shure low temperatures doesn´t freeze parts of the bomb. Or "Davy Crocket" an american Nuclear Rocket Launcher (actually a suicide machine). SADM the nuclear backpack...
The most scarry idea
was the soviet idea of building a doomsday ship.
Some might know this from Dr.Strangelove and I think
2 science fiction books picked up the idea as well.
But the plan for this ship was real. The idea was to build a ship where the ship itself is a huge multistage H-bomb
at a yield of 5000mt. (With a multistage design theoretical
possible). It was meant to be the final weapon in case the
soviet empire gets nuked and defeated. In that case the bomb would explode and give the planet the rest. If the Soviet Union can´t surrvive.. no one else should.
Thank God it was just an idea !!

to be continued when i find some more time...
and if someone searches for a specific picture or footage
just contact me.. if I don´t have it.. noone else has

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Well, the earth would have been screwed nonetheless, so what?

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Stupid germanisms. xP

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Nah. Those dates perfectly fit my black and unadapted personality.