Difference between revisions of "Hydrogen bomb"
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In 1953, the [[Soviet Union]] was the first to produce an explosion which made use of nuclear fusion, greatly alarming the United States which had hoped to retain its nuclear lead indefinitely. However, this Soviet device was a huge ground-based installation rather than a deliverable weapon. It was not a "true" fusion bomb because the main use of the fusion reaction was not to produce explosive energy, but to produce a neutron flux which had the effect of boosting the fission reaction. That is, most of the explosive energy came from nuclear fission. The Soviet Union later developed a bomb similar to the Teller-Ulam design, and its scientists claimed to have invented it independently of the American bomb. | In 1953, the [[Soviet Union]] was the first to produce an explosion which made use of nuclear fusion, greatly alarming the United States which had hoped to retain its nuclear lead indefinitely. However, this Soviet device was a huge ground-based installation rather than a deliverable weapon. It was not a "true" fusion bomb because the main use of the fusion reaction was not to produce explosive energy, but to produce a neutron flux which had the effect of boosting the fission reaction. That is, most of the explosive energy came from nuclear fission. The Soviet Union later developed a bomb similar to the Teller-Ulam design, and its scientists claimed to have invented it independently of the American bomb. | ||
| − | Subsequently India, Pakistan, Great Britain, France, China, and South Africa have all developed their own hydrogen bombs, although South Africa has since dismantled its programme after negotiations with the international community. Negotiations between the US and Russia have also drastically cut both those nations' arsenals, although both retain very large nuclear stockpile. Israel is also widely suspected to | + | Subsequently India, Pakistan, Great Britain, France, China, and South Africa have all developed their own hydrogen bombs, although South Africa has since dismantled its programme after negotiations with the international community. Negotiations between the US and Russia have also drastically cut both those nations' arsenals, although both retain very large nuclear stockpile. Israel is also widely suspected to maintain a small nuclear arsenal, though the government has never confirmed or denied these reports. This is known is Israel as the "policy of deliberate ambiguity". The US maintained a similar policy throughout the [[Cold War]], whereby it would "Neither Confirm Nor Deny" the specific deployment of nuclear weapons. However, this differs from Israeli policy; Israel neither confirms or denies possessing nuclear weapons, while the U.S. policy merely did not disclose the specific locations of nuclear weapons. |
[[Category:Weapons]] | [[Category:Weapons]] | ||
Revision as of 19:24, December 22, 2007
The hydrogen bomb (H-Bomb), is far more powerful and deadly than the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. In 1950, President Harry Truman started a program to develop the H-Bomb.
Developed first by the United States of America, the viability of the H-bomb was proven with a massive detonation in 1952 by the USA on an atoll of the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The H-bomb consists of the release of massive energy when hydrogen atoms are fused together at very high temperature and pressure to form helium nuclei. The scientists instrumental in its development were the Hungarian immigrant Edward Teller and Polish immigrant Stanislaw Ulam. In 1956, the United States successfully detonated an H-bomb after being dropped from a military aircraft.
In 1953, the Soviet Union was the first to produce an explosion which made use of nuclear fusion, greatly alarming the United States which had hoped to retain its nuclear lead indefinitely. However, this Soviet device was a huge ground-based installation rather than a deliverable weapon. It was not a "true" fusion bomb because the main use of the fusion reaction was not to produce explosive energy, but to produce a neutron flux which had the effect of boosting the fission reaction. That is, most of the explosive energy came from nuclear fission. The Soviet Union later developed a bomb similar to the Teller-Ulam design, and its scientists claimed to have invented it independently of the American bomb.
Subsequently India, Pakistan, Great Britain, France, China, and South Africa have all developed their own hydrogen bombs, although South Africa has since dismantled its programme after negotiations with the international community. Negotiations between the US and Russia have also drastically cut both those nations' arsenals, although both retain very large nuclear stockpile. Israel is also widely suspected to maintain a small nuclear arsenal, though the government has never confirmed or denied these reports. This is known is Israel as the "policy of deliberate ambiguity". The US maintained a similar policy throughout the Cold War, whereby it would "Neither Confirm Nor Deny" the specific deployment of nuclear weapons. However, this differs from Israeli policy; Israel neither confirms or denies possessing nuclear weapons, while the U.S. policy merely did not disclose the specific locations of nuclear weapons.
