A 3-Minute Briefing On Nuclear Weapons
The "power" of a nuclear weapon is described as yield.
There are three main types of nuclear weapons.
Atom bomb: A fission weapon. Relatively low yield. Nagasaki "Fat Man".
Hydrogen bomb: Otherwise known as a thermonuclear weapon. Uses fission to produce a fusion reaction. Relatively high yield.
Neutron bomb: Relatively low yield, but uniquely produces a lethal neutron burst.
A nuclear weapon is actually a machine. If the machine is not precisely designed and manufactured, it will destroy itself before all the nuclear fuel is consumed, limiting its actual yield.
Therefore, unlike a conventional bomb, adding more fuel does not directly result in a higher yield nuclear weapon.
A skilled design team and a moderate-technology industrial base are required to produce a nuclear weapon of significant yield.
A very skilled design team and a high-technology modern industrial base are required to produce a miniaturized nuclear weapon of significant yield.
This is a technical presentation only. Nuclear weapons are broadly misunderstood.
The "power" of a nuclear weapon is described as yield.
There are three main types of nuclear weapons.
Atom bomb: A fission weapon. Relatively low yield. Nagasaki "Fat Man".
Hydrogen bomb: Otherwise known as a thermonuclear weapon. Uses fission to produce a fusion reaction. Relatively high yield.
Neutron bomb: Relatively low yield, but uniquely produces a lethal neutron burst.
A nuclear weapon is actually a machine. If the machine is not precisely designed and manufactured, it will destroy itself before all the nuclear fuel is consumed, limiting its actual yield.
Therefore, unlike a conventional bomb, adding more fuel does not directly result in a higher yield nuclear weapon.
A skilled design team and a moderate-technology industrial base are required to produce a nuclear weapon of significant yield.
A very skilled design team and a high-technology modern industrial base are required to produce a miniaturized nuclear weapon of significant yield.
This is a technical presentation only. Nuclear weapons are broadly misunderstood.