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Yes, in two or three places depending on the design used:
- the atomic fission bomb primary
- the plutonium sparkplug rod that runs through the center for the length of the secondary
- if present the uranium tamper that surrounds the secondary inside the hohlraum, if a material other than uranium (e.g. lead, tungsten) is used for the tamper then no fission happens in it
If additional stages (e.g. tertiary, quaternary,...) are present in the design, repeat numbers 2 and 3 for each additional stage to get all the places that fission is used.
Wiki User
∙ 9y ago
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoYes, there is ordinary hydrogen in many places in an atomic fission bomb but it does not participate in the nuclear reactions that cause the explosion. Some of the parts of an atomic fission bomb that contain hydrogen in their compounds are:
- chemical explosives used to rapidly assemble the critical mass
- plastics
- some electronic components
- etc.
In addition to this atomic boosted fission bombs also contain bottles of compressed gaseous hydrogen isotopes (i.e. deuterium and/or tritium) that are injected into the bomb core just before firing to produce a small fusion reaction that boosts the fission yield.
Also atomic hydrogen fusion bombs (commonly just called hydrogen bombs) use lithium deuteride as fusion fuel. When the bomb is detonated fission neutrons split the lithium atoms producing tritium. These two hydrogen isotopes (deuterium that was chemically bound to the lithium and tritium produced by splitting the lithium) then produce a large fusion reaction.
Note: the term atomic bomb properly refers to any bomb that obtains its energy from the atomic nucleus, whether that is by the process of fission of large nuclei or the process of fusion of small nuclei, although in common usage it typically just refers to pure atomic fission bombs.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThat question has more than one answer:
- fusion - this is the key process to its operation
- both, it is usually referred to as fission-fusion-fission with 90% of its yield actually being due to the final fission step where the uranium-238 of the fusion tamper fissions from 15 MeV fusion neutrons
- most actual hydrogen bombs are fission/fusion-fission-fusion-fission bombs, with the primary stage being a hollow pit tritium boosted fission/fusion bomb and the secondary stage being a radiation imploded assembly of a plutonium rod (fission) wrapped in lithium deuteride (fusion) wrapped in a uranium-238 tamper (fission)
- multistage hydrogen bombs can be built by adding more radiation imploded assemblies to get any yield desired: a 3 stage hydrogen bomb would be a fission/fusion-fission-fusion-fission-fission-fusion-fission bomb, a 4 stage hydrogen bomb would be a fission/fusion-fission-fusion-fission-fission-fusion-fission-fission-fusion-fission bomb, etc.
- clean hydrogen bombs can be built with 95% or more of their yield from fusion by replacing the uranium-238 in the tamper with non-fissionable materials like lead or iron, such a bomb would be a fission/fusion-fission-fusion bomb (these can be used as enhanced radiation bombs aka neutron bombs)
- dirty hydrogen bombs can be built by "salting" the tamper with elements that absorb 15 MeV fusion neutrons, become radioactive and add to the fallout
Dirty bombs or more properly radiological bombs should not be confused with dirty hydrogen bombs. Radiological bombs are just conventional bombs wrapped in radioactive isotopes so that they are scattered in the blast.
Wiki User
∙ 11y agoIn order to compress and ignite the secondary (the "Hydrogen" part of a thermonuclear weapon), a large amount of energy is required that can only be produced by a nuclear weapon (albeit "small").
During detonation (and before the weapon blows itself apart), the primary (the fission bomb which is used as the trigger) releases a large amount of energy into the interior of the weapon's radiation case. Over 80% of the energy produced by detonation of the primary is in the form of soft X-rays, and these are used to heat the secondary. This rapid and intense heating produces intense pressures (billions of Bar of pressure) within the weapon. At the same time, the large amount of energy uniformly imparted on the tamper/pusher of the secondary causes the outer layer of the pusher (probably a high-Z material) to burn away, and produces an ablation rocket effect, directed inwardly. Only with this sort of energy can the secondary ignite.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoOnly known way to generate the required heat and pressure for thermonuclear ignition.
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Which is more powerful an atomic bomb or a nuclear bomb?
They are the same kind of bomb: bombs that derive their energy from the atomic nucleus. It just depends on design and how much of the design yield is from fission or from fusion. Pure fission bombs cannot be built with yields above 1 megaton, but including some fusion the theoretical yield is unlimited.However considering mission, construction costs, size limits, etc. it is usually more practical to build low yield bombs that are part fission part fusion than to try to build high yield bombs of either type.The lowest yield nuclear bomb tested was the US Davy Crocket at 10 tons yield, the highest yield nuclear bomb tested was the USSR Tsar Bomba at 52 to 58 megatons yield (depending on method of measurement). Both were part fission part fusion designs, although the designs were obviously very different: the Davy Crocket was almost entirely fission yield, the Tsar Bomba was over 95% fusion yield and generated the least fallout per kiloton yield of any nuclear bomb detonated in the atmosphere.
Why did the US build a hydrogen bomb?
Most Western Nations were surprised at how quickly the USSR was able to create their own fission (atomic) bomb. So instead of enjoying 5-10 years of atomic superiority, Western Countries were now looking at an unexpected threat. By pushing the development of the fusion (hydrogen) bomb, it was hoped that Western Countries could once again gain weapon superiority.
What was the name of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima?
An atomic bomb codenamed "Little Boy" was dropped on Hiroshima at 8:15 AM on the 6th of August, 1945.
How did fermium get its name?
It is named for Italian-American scientist Enrico Fermi. (1901-1954). As part of the Manhattan Project to build the atomic bomb, Fermi led the group that achieved the world's first controlled, self-sustaining fission reaction on December 2, 1942, at the University of Chicago.
What makes an atomic bomb go off?
The detonation is caused by bringing together a "critical mass" of radioactive material (the term "critical mass" refers to that quantity of material sufficient for a self-sustaining fission reaction). What triggers this can vary, depending on the intended usage of the bomb itself. It may be set with a barometric or proximity fuze to detonate in the air, an impact fuze to detonate upon, well, impact, a timed fuze to detonate at a particular pre-set instant, or any of the various other types of artillery fuzes. The hard part is holding that critical mass together long enough for it to fully fission. The warhead tends to blow apart due to prompt dispersal, causing incomplete detonation. High technology is used to form an focused, explosive, compression that will last long enough, even under the intense pressures of super prompt criticality, to make the most of the weapon.
Why is a fission bomb needed as part of an h bomb?
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Do H bombs deal with fission?
They do. While the hydrogen bomb is generally regarded as a weapon that uses nuclear fusion, there is no such thing as a purely fusion-powered device. The fusion reaction is triggered by a fission device that forms part of the bomb.
Does transmutation help in making a hydrogen bomb?
Transmutation occurs when a fusion bomb (H-bomb) detonates: The Primary (A-bomb/fission) converts a heavy element like plutonium or uranium into lighter elements, such as strontium, etc... The Secondary (H-bomb/fusion part) converts a light element into heavier elements, like Hydrogen into Helium.
What is a stable isotope of hydrogen and an essential part of the hydrogen bomb?
deuterium
What is he difference between an atom bomb and a hydrogen bomb?
The original attomic bombs were fission weapons- heavy elements such as uranium and plutonium were fissioned (broken apart) into lighter elements, releasing energy. So called hydrogen bombs use fusion as part of their process. Very light elements, such as hydrogen, are fused (mashed together) and become heavier elements, releasing energy. You should note that fusion bombs usually use a fission weapon to start the nuclear reaction.
How is fussion bomb different from a fission bomb?
Fusion reaction combines isotopes of hydrogen to make helium and release energy. This requires temperatures in the millions of Kelvins to start.Fission reaction breaks up isotopes of heavy elements (Uranium & Plutonium) into lighter elements (fission fragments, a major part of fallout) and release energy. This can start a normal temperatures.
What is more dangerous a nuclear bomb or hydrogen bomb?
Nuclear bomb is a general term encompassing both fission (atomic) and fusion (hydrogen) bombs. Therefore, your question as worded cannot be answered. A fission bomb has a maximum yield that cannot be exceeded (estimated at about 1MTon). A fusion bomb has no maximum yield. In principle you can make one as big as you like. However, that being said there are fusion bombs with much lower yield than many fission bombs have! LLNL is detonating tiny fusion bombs, using a powerful laser to drive implosion and heat the fuel, having a yield of about one stick of dynamite each as part of research into making a controlled fusion power reactor.
Which is more powerful an atomic bomb or a nuclear bomb?
They are the same kind of bomb: bombs that derive their energy from the atomic nucleus. It just depends on design and how much of the design yield is from fission or from fusion. Pure fission bombs cannot be built with yields above 1 megaton, but including some fusion the theoretical yield is unlimited.However considering mission, construction costs, size limits, etc. it is usually more practical to build low yield bombs that are part fission part fusion than to try to build high yield bombs of either type.The lowest yield nuclear bomb tested was the US Davy Crocket at 10 tons yield, the highest yield nuclear bomb tested was the USSR Tsar Bomba at 52 to 58 megatons yield (depending on method of measurement). Both were part fission part fusion designs, although the designs were obviously very different: the Davy Crocket was almost entirely fission yield, the Tsar Bomba was over 95% fusion yield and generated the least fallout per kiloton yield of any nuclear bomb detonated in the atmosphere.
What is a atom bomb made of?
Atomic bombs are very complex weapons designed to force a rapid collapse of fissionable radioactive materials to force them into a critical state. They may have a "conventional bomb" built into them to force this to occur. The active part of the bomb will be very pure isotopes of either Uranium or Plutonium. Hydrogen bombs are more complicated, and use Hydrogen, Lithium, or Helium to generate the explosive power, but they essentially require the energy of a fission atomic bomb to start the secondary fusion reaction.
Who produced the first controlled nuclear fission?
This was in Chicago in 1942, as part of the Manhattan Project to develop the A-bomb, and the chief scientist was Enrico Fermi.
Why is the sun a star and the Earth is not?
Because the Sun is a million miles of hydrogen bomb explosion, while the Earth is just a 8,000 mile-wide rock. It's the "hydrogen bomb explosions" part that makes it a star.
Which country first developed a neutron bomb?
usYes, the United States was the first to develop a Neutron bomb, it was originally part of the United States efforts following the fallout problems with the 1954 Castle Bravo test (15Mton) to develop a low fallout or "clean" Hydrogen bomb. In a standard Hydrogen bomb typically 90% of the yield and fallout is produced by fission of the depleted uranium tamper by the high energy fusion neutrons from the compressed hydrogen fuel assembly fusing. If one were to replace the depleted uranium tamper with one made from an element almost as dense as uranium, non-fissionable, and transparent to the high energy fusion neutrons (e.g. lead); then at some loss of yield one could eliminate almost all the fallout of a Hydrogen bomb! The fact that such a "clean" Hydrogen bomb would emit a very high local high energy neutron flux was not even considered at the time, just the reduction in fallout.The first such "clean" Hydrogen bomb was tested in the 1956 Redwing Zuni test (3.5Mton) had a yield that was only 15% fission with a similar reduction in fallout. The nearly identical standard Hydrogen bomb the 1956 Redwing Tewa test (5Mton) had a yield that was 87% fission. A second, different, "clean" Hydrogen bomb was tested in the 1956 Redwing Navaho test (4.7MTon) had a yield that was only 5% fission! It was first realized in 1958 by Sam Cohen at LLNL that further changes (e.g. more neutron transparent tamper, high efficiency hollow core tritium gas boosted fission trigger) could produce a weapon generating more of its yield as neutron radiation than as blast (this was first tested underground in Nevada in 1963).After long years of debate over the potential advantages/disadvantages of "clean" vs. standard vs. "dirty" (aka "salted") Hydrogen bombs, both "clean" and "dirty" designs were abandoned because of the lost yield for the same usage of expensive nuclear materials. The "clean" Hydrogen bomb returned (with some design changes, see above) in the middle 1970s, but now renamed the Neutron bomb or ERW (Enhanced Radiation Weapon). Carter delayed deployment, Reagan deployed it, Bush withdrew it.Do not confuse a dirty radiological bomb with a "dirty" Hydrogen bomb. The radiological bomb is just an ordinary chemical explosive wrapped in highly radioactive isotopes, which it disperses when it explodes. Such a bomb will probably kill everyone involved in assembling it before it affects anyone at its target. A "dirty" Hydrogen bomb uses a tamper made of a material that captures neutrons and transmutes into highly radioactive isotopes, increasing the fallout.
