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Section E
Minimum Residual Radiation (MRR) Weapons
1. The fact that we are interested in and are continuing studies on a weapon for minimizing the emerging flux of neutrons and internal induced activity. (67-1)
2. The fact of weapon laboratory interest in MRR devices. (76-3)
3. The fact of successful development of MRR devices. (76-3)
The paper begins with a general introduction and update to Fourth Gen-
eration Nuclear Weapons (FGNW), and then addresses some particularly
important military aspects on which there has been only limited public
discussion so far. These aspects concern the unique military character-
istics of FGNWs which make them radically different from both nuclear
weapons based on previous-generation nuclear-explosives and from con-
ventional weapons based on chemical-explosives: yields in the 1 to 100
tons range, greatly enhanced coupling to targets, possibility to drive pow-
erful shaped charged jets and forged fragments, enhanced prompt radiation
effects, reduced collateral damage and residual radioactivity, etc
Originally posted by Pootie
Since we know that the radiation from fusion devices is short lived, produces tritium and that the DoE admits to at least MINIMAL Residual Radiation weapons... how far are they from ZERO residual radiation weapons?
Originally posted by nobodyv2 I've not heard of any convincing mechanism that could allow for a pure fusion device.
Originally posted by Wizard_In_The_Woods
It’s called antimatter. When antimatter meets matter it releases more than the 10 million degrees Celsius/Kelvin (18 million degrees Fahrenheit) needed to initiate Deuterium(hydrogen-2)-Tritium (hydrogen-3) fusion (into one helium-4 atom and a neutron). For each gram loss of mass the energy equivalent of 700,000 gallons of gasoline are released. E=mc2 applies here, and that’s Albert Weinstein talking.
Originally posted by nobodyv2
Thanks Wizard. The only thing is though, if you can generate antimatter in sufficient quanties then why bother with a fusion weapon? You already have your ultimate weapon right there.
Originally posted by nobodyv2 Thanks Wizard. The only thing is though, if you can generate antimatter in sufficient quanties then why bother with a fusion weapon? You already have your ultimate weapon right there.
In the case of nuclear explosives the situation is more complicated because the different kinds of radiations can have a variety of effects, especially if they are very penetrating, as is the case for high energy neutrons and gamma rays. The most important of these effects are as follows:
• **** Heat the volume of a material. Penetrating high energy radiations neutrons, pions,15 or high energy gamma rays)will easily cross a low density intervening medium such as air and deposit their energy deep into any high density material. As a result, a substantial (i.e., centimeter to meter thick) layer of a bomb irradiated material can be brought to a temperature sufficiently high for it to melt, vaporize, or even explode. ****