Swords of Armageddon 2

3068 Pages·2007·87.95 MB·English

by  Chuck Hansen

T h e S wo r d S o f A r m Ag e d d o n
®
Version 2
by Chuck Hansen
Volume I
The Development of U.S. Nuclear Weapons
• Glossary
• Weapons Physics
• Postwar Fission Weapons Development

T h e S wo r d S o f A r m Ag e d d o n
®
Version 2
by Chuck Hansen
Volume I
The Development of U.S. Nuclear Weapons
• Glossary
• Weapons Physics
• Postwar Fission Weapons Development
Copyright © 1995, 2007 Chukelea Publications
P.O.BOX 70744, SUNNYVALE, CA 94086-0744

www.uscoldwar.com

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

ISBN 978-0-9791915-1-0

This volume is one of seven in the
SWORDS OF ARMAGGEDONTM Series
ISBN 978-0-9791915-0-3 (for the complete series)

Series Editors: Eleanor Hansen, Larry Hatfield
Series Design: Larry Hatfield

CD-ROM version produced by Chukelea Publications
Chuck Hansen 1947-2003

U.S. DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS

CONTENTS

How & Why This Series Came To Exist…………………………. I-i
Volumes Now Available………………………………………… I-iv
A Note About Sources …………………………………………… I-ix
Acknowledgements (1987) ……………..……………………… I-xv
Preface (1987) …………………..……………………………….. I-xvii
Preface (1995) ………………….……………………………… I-xxi
Forward (1995)……………………………….……………….. I-xxv
Posthumous Acknowledgements (2007) .…………………… I-xxix
Forward (2007)……….…………………….……………….. I-xxxi

In Memorium – Chuck Hansen………………….………………. I-xxxv

The Chuck Hansen Document Collection……….………………. I-xxxix

GLOSSARY
…………………………………………………...……………….. I-2

WEAPONS PHYSICS
OVERVIEW ……….…………………………………………… I-50
Units- a Frame of Reference …………………………………… I-55
Time …………….…………………………………..………… I-56
Distance ………………………………………….…………… I-57
Temperature ….….………………………………….………… I-58
Pressure …….…………………………………….…………… I-59
FISSION PHYSICS ………..…………………………………… I-61
FUSION PHYSICS …………….……………………………….. I-65
Fissile Explosives …………………………….……………….. I-74
Uranium…………………………………….……………… I-74
Plutonium……………………………………...…………… I-77
Thorium……………………………………….…………… I-79
Fission Explosion Principles ………………………………….. I-80
Gun Assembly……………………………………………… I-82
Spherical Implosion………………………….………..…… I-82
High-Energy Neutron Bombardment…………………..…… I-85
Reaction Efficiency - Alpha………………………………… I-88
Transit Time………………………………....……………… I-90
Improving Fission Efficiency……………....……………… I-91
Thermonuclear Explosives ……………………..……..……… I-93
Lithium……………………………………...……………… I-94
Deuterium…………………………………..……………… I-95
Tritium……………………………….……..……………… I-96
Fusion Explosion Principles ……………………….…………. I-97
Compression………………………………..……………… I-99
Inertial Confinement………………………..……………… I-100
Staging……………………………………………………… I-102
“Breeding” Tritium…………………..……………………… I-106
Uranium – Plutonium Contribution…..………..…………… I-108
Fluid Instabilities……………………..………..…………… I-110
Radiation Focusing………………………….……………… I-111
Boosted Fission Principles …………………….……………… I-112
Modern Thermonuclear Design ……………………………….… I-117
SUMMARY ……………………………………..……………… I-118

POSTWAR FISSION WEAPONS DEVELOPMENT
Overview…………………………………………….…………….. I-119
The Search for Simplicity ……………….…………..……………. I-143
Advances in High Explosives …..…………………..…………….. I-176
Development of New Postwar Explosives ………..….………… I-181
HE Manufacturing Methods …………………...……………….. I-188
Insensitive High Explosives ……………….…………………… I-193
High Explosives Naming Conventions .……………………….. I-197
Advances in Pit Designs ………………….………………………. I-199
Levitation ……………………………….……………….……… I-199
Composite Cores……………………………………………..….. I-206
Uranium Implosion …………………...………………………… I-218
Uranium Hydride……………...………………………………… I-220
Operation SANDSTONE………………………………..………… I-238
Summary of Sandstone Results…………………………………… I-246
Alternative Fissionable Materials……………………….………… I-257
Hollow Cores ……………………………..……………………… I-276
Interchangeability ………………………….…………………….. I-281
Linear Implosion………………………….………………...…….. I-285
Advances in Tampers and Reflectors …………………………….. I-291
Advances in Neutron Sources ……………..……………………... I-296
Postwar Improvements of Internal Initiators ……………....….. I-297
Development of External Initiators………..………….………… I-318
Advent of the External Neutron Source (ENS) ………………… I-344
Summer 1954: A Proposal for Declassification………………… I-357
Tests of External Neutron Sources………..………………..…… I-361
ENS Production Begins……………………….………………… I-366
Spring 1960: Initiator Details are Published….………………… I-374
Advances in Boosted Fission Weapons …..………………………. I-380
Plans for Testing a Boosted Device…..………………………… I-384
Summary……….………………………….……………………… I-397
APPENDIX: NUCLEAR WARHEAD SCHEMATICS …… I-399
ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure I-1 Components of B-61 bomb ……….…………………….. I-52
Figure I-2 Average Mass Per Nucleon / Number of Nucleons ……….. I-62
Figure I-3 Fission chain reaction ……………………..………….. I-63
Figure I-4 Fusion reaction ………..…………………………….. I-65
Figure I-5 An enriched uranium “biscuit”………………..……….. I-75
Figure I-6 Uranium biscuits stored in trays …………….………….. I-76
Figure I-7 Machined uranium shapes ……………….…………….. I-76
Figure I-8 A plutonium “button” ……………….….…………….. I-78
Figure I-9 Schematic of production reactor design, ca. 1942……...….. I-86
Figure I-10 The Boeing B-29 Superfortress……………………….… I-120
Figure I-11 Weight benefits of various improvements in design………. I-145
Figure I-12 Chart of stockpile growth – 1945 - 1961………………… I-174
Figure I-13 Chart of stockpile growth in megattonage 1945 - 1995…… I-174
Figure I-14 Chart of weapon retirements………………………….... I-175
Figure I-15 Chart of retired weapons………………………………. I-175
Figure I-16 B-Reactor at Hanford, Washington……………………... I-217
Figure I-17 Illustration of neutron generator operation……….……... I-379
Figure I-18 Electronic and explosive neutron generators…………….. I-379
APPENDIX: NUCLEAR WARHEAD SCHEMATICS
Figure I-19 Conceptual schematic of FAT MAN implosion bomb…… I-399
Figure I-20 Schematic of improvements in implosion weapons……… I-400
Figure I-20 Boosted fission process……………………………… I-401
Figure I-21 Three-Stage ‘Teller-Ulam’ Thermonuclear design……… I-402
Figure I-22 Conceptual schematic of W-88 warhead……………… I-403