How powerful would a fusion bomb be?

Thermonuclear bombs can be hundreds or even thousands of times more powerful than atomic bombs. The explosive yield of atomic bombs is measured in kilotons, each unit of which equals the explosive force of 1,000 tons of TNT.

How does a thermonuclear weapon work?

Once dense enough to reach the critical mass, neutrons are injected, initiating a fission chain reaction and producing an atomic explosion. In fusion weapons (also called “thermonuclear” or “hydrogen” weapons), the energy from an initial fission explosion is used to “fuse” hydrogen isotopes together.

What is better uranium or plutonium?

Plutonium-239, the isotope found in the spent MOX fuel, is much more radioactive than the depleted Uranium-238 in the fuel. Plutonium emits alpha radiation, a highly ionizing form of radiation, rather than beta or gamma radiation. When alpha-emitters get inside cells, on the other hand, they are extremely hazardous.

Why is uranium used more than plutonium?

Plutonium-239 is more frequently used in nuclear weapons than uranium-235, as it is easier to obtain in a quantity of critical mass. Both plutonium-239 and uranium-235 are obtained from Natural uranium, which primarily consists of uranium-238 but contains traces of other isotopes of uranium such as uranium-235.

What is a neutrino bomb?

The Neutrino Bomb is a powerful bomb invented by Rick Sanchez that could potentially wipe out all life on Earth and other planets.

What does thermonuclear fusion produce?

What is thermonuclear fusion? Thermonuclear fusion is the process that occurs when two atoms combine to make a larger atom, creating a whole lot of energy. Fusion already happens naturally in stars — including the sun — when intense pressure and heat fuse hydrogen atoms together, generating helium and energy.

What are the two main components of fusion weapons?

Modern fusion weapons consist essentially of two main components: a nuclear fission primary stage (fueled by uranium-235 or plutonium-239) and a separate nuclear fusion secondary stage containing thermonuclear fuel: the heavy hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium, or in modern weapons lithium deuteride.

What happens to the secondary stage of nuclear fusion?

The secondary fusion stage—consisting of outer pusher/tamper, fusion fuel filler and central plutonium spark plug—is imploded by the X-ray energy impinging on its pusher/tamper. This compresses the entire secondary stage and drives up the density of the plutonium spark plug.

How is a thermonuclear explosion created?

The original concept for creating a thermonuclear explosion was to create a thermonuclear combustion wave in a mass of liquid deuterium. The idea was to heat a portion of the mass to ignition conditions with an atomic bomb.

How did the British develop the fusion bomb?

In 1954 work began at Aldermaston to develop the British fusion bomb, with Sir William Penney in charge of the project. British knowledge on how to make a thermonuclear fusion bomb was rudimentary, and at the time the United States was not exchanging any nuclear knowledge because of the Atomic Energy Act of 1946.