By: David Worrell
To: The Master

DW> "The Master" seems to think the methods used to build nuclear bombs
DW> are some kind of secret.  That in itself is indicative of his level
DW> of understanding where science of any kind is concerned.

TM> Then why don't you explain to everyone how to build a nuclear bomb?

Don't try to call my bluffs, dipshit.  I don't bluff.

With thanks to Dr. Igor Alexeff, University of Tennessee.

The basic observation is that a naturally occuring isotope of uranium -
U235 - is fissionable.  A neutron drifts into a U235 nucleus, is seized
by the nuclear force field, and impacts with an energy of about 2*10^6
electron volts.  This additional energy makes the nucleus unstable, and
it splits into two almost equal parts, releasing 250*10^6 electron
volts of energy, as compared with about 1 electron volt of energy for a
chemical reaction.  THe resulting fission fragments are also unstable
and boil off about 2.5 more neutrons, which go off to cause more
fissions.  Thus a chain reaction starts which liberates lots of energy.

Unfortunately, for a bomb to be made, the U238 must be removed, as it
absorbs neutrons without causing fissions.

Let us estimate the size and weight of an A-bomb core.  We assume that a
neutron is generated in the center of a sphere of U235, and compute the
radius at which 50% absorption takes place.

THe radius of a nucleus is about 10^-14 meter.  Its cross sectional area
is thus about 10^-28 square meters.  The number of nuclei per cubic
meter is 10^30.  Thus, a neutron entering a slab see a fraction obscured
by nuclei of,

        10^-28 m^2 * 10^30 m^-3 * x meter

For this number to equal 1 (about 50% absorption), x = 1 cm = 10^-2
meters.

Thus, a rough estimate of the radius of an A-bomb core is 1 cm.  Of
course, fissions near the surface lose electrons, so for good burnup the
core must be several skin depths thick - say 3.

So our bomb is a sphere of U235 3 centimeters in radius.  It cannot be
too big, or each piece is a bomb in itself.

The idea is to have several pieces of the core, each too small to
sustain a chain reaction.  THe material is assembled rapidly with
explosive charges to form a critical mass.

Weight of the bomb
                  4                4
        Volume = --- * pi * r^3 = --- * pi * 3^3
                  3                3
               = 36*10^-6 cubic meters

        number of atoms  36*10^-6 * 10^30 = 3.6*10^25

Mass of atoms
        235 * 1.67*10^-27 * 3.6*10^25 = 15 kilograms

Power
        3.6*10^25 * 250 * 10^6 * 1.6*10^-19 = 15*10^14 joules
                                            = 1.5*10^9 megajoules
                                            = 1.5*10^9 lbs high
                                                       explosive
                                            = 1.5*10^3 kilotons high
                                                       explosive


There are one or two other minor issues, such as exactly how to
"assemble" the pieces of U235 and whether or not to use a neutron
"poison" in the early stages of the reaction, but those are left as an
exercise for the student.  If the above is too complicated for your
paltry little mind to understand, let me know.

The general methods of building nuclear bombs aren't secret - you can't
classify simple laws of nature.  There are two major reasons why
everybody and his brother don't have their own nuclear arsenal:
        1.  Some nations don't want to spend the money required, and
        2.  the damn things are *hard* to get to work properly.

Now, please explain just how these unnamed scientists are designing
viruses to attack certain ethnic groups.  You claimed that you had read
an article about it, so you should be able to give us a general idea.

Of course, I still think you're full of shit and a damned liar to boot,
but I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt.

 TM>         And if you had any kind of intelligence you wouldn't be spending
 TM> your whole day posting on FIDO arguing with nonentities about nothing.

What the fuck are you doing here then, moron?