Re: [LAU] OT: metal, money, changes, bleg

On 04/04/2011 04:14 PM, Erik de Castro Lopo wrote:
> Patrick Shirkey wrote:
>
>
>> So just to make sure I am correct here... All nuclear weapons require an
>> assisted explosion?
>>
> Yes, you need both high heat and high pressure to force the fissile
> material into the required chain reaction.
>
>

So, just having enough Pu-239 in one location is definitely,
categorically not going to be able to cause a nuclear explosion? Not
even a little one that might cause a rapid escalation?

>> It's categorically impossible for Plutonium-239 to
>> become critical without assistance from an explosion of some other fuel
>> or high energy source?
>>
>> You don't have super heated Pu-239 actively being created in a semi
>> critical chain reaction. If it gets unstable there is not enough neutron
>> flux to make baby go boom.
>>
> As explained here:
>
> https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Criticality_accident
>
>

Gotta love wikipedia. Instant truth just add complement set ;-)

> there have been a number of criticality accidents, but they always
> create so much heat that the fissile material expands and the conditions
> cease to be critical.
>
>

So far so good, nuclear physics being of course entirely understood and
modelled and no gaps exist is current knowledge of the fundamental
processes involved :-)

-- 
Patrick Shirkey
Boost Hardware Ltd.
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