All nuclear weapons up to about 10 kilotons in yield have prompt neutron radiation as their furthest-reaching lethal component. Technically speaking, every low yield nuclear weapon is a radiation weapon, including non-enhanced variants. Furthermore, the neutrons emitted by a neutron bomb have a much higher average energy level (close to 14 M eV) than those released during a fission reaction (1–2 MeV). In a fission bomb, at sea level, the total radiation pulse energy which is composed of both gamma rays and neutrons is approximately 5% of the entire energy released in neutron bombs it would be closer to 40%, with the percentage increase coming from the higher production of neutrons. Since the neutrons are absorbed or decay rapidly, such a burst over an enemy column would kill the crews but leave the area able to be quickly reoccupied.Ĭompared to a pure fission bomb with an identical explosive yield, a neutron bomb would emit about ten times the amount of neutron radiation. This makes the lethal radius of the neutron burst greater than that of the explosion itself. By designing the thermonuclear stage of the weapon carefully, the neutron burst can be maximized while minimizing the blast itself. The burst of neutrons created in the thermonuclear reaction is then free to escape the bomb, outpacing the physical explosion. In a neutron bomb, the casing material is selected either to be transparent to neutrons or to actively enhance their production. For this reason, these weapons are technically known as fission-fusion-fission designs. These can add considerable energy to the reaction in a typical design as much as 50% of the total energy comes from fission events in the casing. The case is normally made of depleted uranium or natural uranium metal, because the thermonuclear reactions give off extraordinarily large numbers of high-energy neutrons that can cause fission reactions in the casing material. The case traps the energy from the fission bomb for a brief period, allowing it to heat and compress the main thermonuclear fuel. The two components are then placed within a thick radiation case, usually made from uranium, lead or steel. In a standard thermonuclear design, a small fission bomb is placed close to a larger mass of thermonuclear fuel. The last W70 was dismantled in February 1996. US President Ronald Reagan ordered the production of the W70-3, which remained in the US stockpile until they were retired in 1992. Opposition was so intense that European leaders refused to accept it on their territory. This time it led to protests as the growing anti-nuclear movement gained strength through this period. The weapon was once again proposed for tactical use by the United States in the 1970s and 1980s, and production of the W70 began for the MGM-52 Lance in 1981. It is believed the Soviet equivalent, the A-135's 53T6 missile, uses a similar design. The first example of such a system was the W66, used on the Sprint missile used in the US Nike-X system. For this to work, the ABM would have to explode within approximately 100 metres (300 ft) of its target. In this role the burst of neutrons would cause nearby warheads to undergo partial fission, preventing them from exploding properly. ĮRWs were first operationally deployed for anti-ballistic missiles (ABMs). As these would be used over allied nations, notably West Germany, the reduced blast damage was seen as an important advantage. It was seen as a "cleaner" bomb for use against massed Soviet armored divisions. The concept was originally developed by the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. The neutron burst, which is used as the primary destructive action of the warhead, is able to penetrate enemy armor more effectively than a conventional warhead, thus making it more lethal as a tactical weapon. The neutron release generated by a nuclear fusion reaction is intentionally allowed to escape the weapon, rather than being absorbed by its other components. Low yield thermonuclear weapon Energy distribution of weaponĪ neutron bomb, officially defined as a type of enhanced radiation weapon (ERW), is a low-yield thermonuclear weapon designed to maximize lethal neutron radiation in the immediate vicinity of the blast while minimizing the physical power of the blast itself.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |