Re: If the European WW2 had gone on longer.

Diamond Jim wrote:

"Guy Alcala" <g_alcala@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:44A78285.15709F2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Diamond Jim wrote:

<snip>

You are wrong on the quantity and availability of nuclear weapons the US
would have had in 1945.

At the middle of July 1945 it was know that by using a composition of
Pu-239
and U-235 instead of just Pu-235, that the power of the weapon would be
increased and less overall nuclear material would be required per
weapon.

Are you sure about the power being increased with a composite core? IIRC
Pu-239
fission is somewhat more energetic than U-235 -- Going from memory of
Chuck
Hansen's book so don't quote me, but it's somewhere in the ballpark of 21
MEV
vs. 19.5 MEV. From what I recall the advantage of the composite core was
that
it allowed the production of far more weapons. It was the levitated core
that
boosted efficiency. Both designs were tested in the 1948 Sandstone
development
test series, IIRR one of the three tests included a levitated, composite
core.

Guy


I tried to keep things simple. Going to a U/Pu composite core, less critical
mass was required and the efficiency was increased greatly. Combining a
composite core, the levitated pit, improved neutron initiators, and better
electronics (better timing and more ignition points), the bomb power was
more than doubled (est.210%) for the same amount of critical mass. Much of
this was due to the levitated pit which by itself almost doubled (est. 190%)
the power.

Thanks for the correction/clarification, and the explanation of the
kerosene-layered bomb. I figured the latter fell into the Popular Science Gee
Whiz! category, along with a helicopter in every garage by 1960 and the like.
But it's at least slightly more plausible than Rob's usual masturbatory
fantasies involving Sekrit SS Bases in Antarctica out of which Mercury-powered
disc aircraft operate.

Guy

.

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