MILNET Mirror: The Nuclear Weapons FAQ
Nuclear Weapons Frequently Asked
Questions
Version 2.25: 9 August 2001
COPYRIGHT CAREY SUBLETTE This material may
be excerpted, quoted, or
distributed freely provided that attribution to the author (Carey
Sublette) and document name (Nuclear Weapons Frequently Asked
Questions) is clearly preserved. I would prefer that the user also
include the URL of the source. Only authorized host sites may make this
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anonymous FTP, or other means. Unauthorized host sites are expressly
forbidden. If you wish to host this FAQ, in whole or in part, please
contact me at: careysub@earthling.net This restriction is placed to
allow me to maintain version control. The current Carey Sublette site
is found at: http://nuclearweaponarchive.org/
NOTE TO THE READER: This document began its life as pure ASCII text in
the days when the number of homepages on the World Wide Web was in the
single digits. It is slowly evolving into a true web document with
graphics and full html formatting, as time allows. Since web browsers
are now ubiquitous and standards are fairly well established, I am
abandoning efforts to maintain a "plain text-ish" version of the NWFAQ.
I will post a zip file of the full NWFAQ on the web, with all necessary
GIFs and JPGs needed to view it, to make downloading the full document
easier. The sections shown in this index are being completed and posted
as time allows.
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Section 14. Nuclear Weapons FAQ Change History
Section. 0
This section changes whenever a new version of any other section is
released.
Section. 1
Version 2.12: July 12, 1996
1.5.2 Staged Fission-Fusion and Fission-Fusion-Fission Weapons
Version 2.13: January 10, 1997
1.5.2 Staged Fission-Fusion and Fission-Fusion-Fission Weapons
1.5.3 The Alarm Clock/Layer Cake (Sloika) Design
1.6 Cobalt Bombs and other Salted Bombs
Version 2.14: May 15, 1997
1.5.1 Boosted Fission Weapons
Version 2.15: 5 December, 1997
1.3 Units of Measurement
Version 2.16: 1 May, 1998
Significant revision of most sections.
Section. 2
Version 2.13: May 15, 1997
Section was HTMLized.
Version 2.14: September 22, 1998
2.1.4.3 Preventing Disassembly and Increasing Efficiency
Version 2.15: 20 February 1999
ASCII diagram repleced by GIF
Section. 3
Version 2.13: May 22, 1996
3.2.4 Matter At High Pressures
3.4.1 Acoustic Waves
3.4.3.1 Classical Shock Waves
3.5.2 Subcritical Shocks
3.5.3 Critical Shock Waves
3.5.4 Supercritical Shock Waves
3.7.5 Methods for Extreme Compression
Version 2.14: July 12, 1996
In addition to the sections below with substantive changes, equation and
table numbering was introduced throughout the section.
3.1.4 The Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution Law
3.1.6 Properties of Blackbody Radiation
3.2.4 Matter At High Pressures
3.2.5 Matter At High Temperatures
3.3.1 Bound-Bound Interactions
3.3.3.1 Bremsstrahlung Absorption and Emission
3.3.3.2 Scattering
3.4.3.3 Linear Equation of State for Shock Compression
3.5.5 Radiation Dominated Shock Waves
Version 2.15: August 12, 1996
3.1.3 Thermodynamic Equilibrium and Equipartition
3.1.4 Relaxation
3.1.5 The Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution Law
3.1.7 Properties of Blackbody Radiation
3.3.3 Free-Free Interactions
3.7.5 Methods for Extreme Compression
Version 2.16: March 13, 1997
The entire document was reworked to achieve a more sophisticated level HTML
formatting (use of tables, elimination or preformatted text, inclusion of
figure GIFs, etc.).
New material was added to:
3.2.4 Matter At High Pressures
3.3 Interaction of Radiation and Matter
(Almost completely rewritten, with many new subsections added.)
3.4.3.3 Linear Equation of State for Shock Compression
3.7.3 Convergent Shock Waves
3.8 Instability
Version 2.17: December 5, 1997
The ASCII diagrams were completely replaced by GIFs (changed sections listed below are in addition to this).
3.2.4 Matter At High Pressures
3.7.5 Methods for Extreme Compression
Section. 4
Version 2.0: October 4, 1996
Initial version.
Version 2.01: May 16, 1997
HTMLized through Subsection 4.2.
4.0 Engineering and Design of Nuclear Weapons
4.1.1 Dimensional and Temporal Scale Factors
4.1.5.2.1 Tampers
4.1.6.1.1 Single Gun Systems
4.1.6.1.2 Double Gun Systems
4.1.6.1.4 Initiation
4.1.6.2 Implosion Assembly
4.1.6.2.2.5 Explosives
4.1.6.2.2.6 Detonation Systems
4.1.9.1 Nuclear Tests
4.2.2 High Efficiency Weapons
4.2.3.1 Minimum Size
4.2.5.1 Thermonuclear Primaries (Triggers)
4.2.5.2 Earth Penetrating Warheads
Version 2.02: December 5, 1997
4.1.6 Methods of Core Assembly
(GIFs added)
4.4.2 Schematic of a Thermonuclear Device
(GIF added)
Version 2.03: January 7, 1998
4.1 Elements of Fission Weapon Design
Various bug fixes, some revisions (most substantial in 4.1.6.2 Implosion Assembly)
4.2.4 High Yield Weapons
Version 2.04: 20 Februrary 1999
4.1.7.1.3 U-233
Section. 5
Version 2.13: May 22, 1996
5.2.1 Radioactive Contamination
5.2.2 Effects on the Atmosphere and Climate
5.2.2.1 Harm to the Ozone Layer
5.2.2.2 Nuclear Winter
5.6.3.5.3 Cancer
Version 2.14: May 15, 1997
Section was HTMLized.
Section. 6
Version 2.13: May 22, 1996
6.2.2.1 Plutonium Metallurgy
6.3.2 Lithium (Li)
Version 2.14: July 12, 1996
6.2.1 Uranium (U)
Version 2.15: August 23, 1996
6.2.1 Uranium (U)
Version 2.16: January 10, 1997
6.2.1.4 Depleted Uranium
6.3.1 Hydrogen Isotopes
6.3.1.2 Tritium (T)
6.3.2 Lithium (Li)
6.4.1 Beryllium (Be)
Version 2.17: May 15, 1997
Section was HTMLized.
Version 2.18: 20 February 1999
Many revisions, including especially:
6.2.1.3 U-233
6.2.2 Plutonium (Pu)
6.2.3 Thorium (Th)
6.2.4.1 Protactinium
6.2.4.2 Neptunium
6.2.4.3 Americium
6.2.4.4 Californium
6.3.1.1 Deuterium (D)
6.3.2 Lithium (Li)
6.4.1 Beryllium (Be)
Section. 7
Version 2.13: May 22, 1996
7.1 Nuclear Weapon Treaties
Version 2.14: July 12, 1996
7.1 Nuclear Weapon Treaties
(Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty)
7.2.3.2 Stockpiled British Nuclear Weapons
7.2.3.3 British Nuclear Installations
7.2.4 France
7.2.5 China
7.2.6.1 Ukraine
7.3.3 Israel
7.3.6 Pakistan
Version 2.15: August 23, 1996
7.1 Nuclear Weapon Treaties
(Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty)
7.2.3.1 History of British Nuclear Weapons
7.4.6 Sweden
7.4.7 Switzerland
7.5 Other Nuclear Capable States
Version 2.16: January 10, 1997
7.1 Nuclear Weapon Treaties
7.2.1 United States of America
7.2.6 Other Former Soviet States
7.2.6.1 Ukraine
7.2.6.3 Belarus
7.5 Other Nuclear Capable States
(Germany and Japan)
Version 2.17: May 15, 1997
Section was HTMLized.
7.1 Nuclear Weapon Treaties
(Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, START II)
7.2.2 Russia
Version 2.18: December 5, 1997
7.2.3 Britain (extensive revisions)
7.2.4 France (extensive revisions)
7.2.5 China (extensive revisions)
7.2.6.2 Kazakhstan
7.3.1 India
7.3.2 Iran
7.3.3 Israel (extensive revisions)
7.3.4 Libya
7.3.6 Pakistan
7.4.2 Brazil
7.4.4 South Africa
7.4.5 South Korea
7.4.7 Switzerland
7.4.7 Algeria
Version 2.19: 20 February 1999
7.0 Nuclear Weapon Nations and Arsenals
(Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT))
7.2.1 United States of America
Completely revised
7.2.2 Russia
Completely revised
7.2.3.2 History of the British Nuclear Weapon Stockpile
7.2.3.3 The Current British Nuclear Weapon Stockpile
7.2.3.4 British Nuclear Installations
7.3.2 Iran
7.3.3 Israel
7.4.2 Brazil
7.4.8 Taiwan
7.4.9 Algeria
7.5.3 Germany
Section. 8
Version 2.13: May 22, 1996
8.1.5 Availability of Additional Bombs
Version 2.14: July 12, 1996
8.2.2 Design and Testing of the First Fusion Weapons
(Ivy Mike)
Version 2.15: October 4, 1996
8.1.3 Little Boy
8.2.2 Design and Testing of the First Fusion Weapons
(Castle Bravo, Castle Romeo)
Version 2.16: January 10, 1997
8.1.1 The Design of Gadget, Fatman, and "Joe 1" (RDS-1)
8.1.3 Little Boy
8.2.2 Design and Testing of the First Fusion Weapons
(Joe 4)
Version 2.17: May 15, 1997
Section was HTMLized.
Section. 9
Not released.
Section. 10
Version 2.12: July 12, 1996
February, 1945
Version 2.13: May 15, 1997
Section HTMLized.
Section. 11
Not released.
Section. 12
Version 2.0: August 23, 1996
Initial version.
Version 2.01: 20 February 1999
Major new section added:
Isotope Properties and Neutron Cross Sections
Section. 13
Not released.
Section. 14
This section changes whenever a new version of any other section is
released.
