White House: 'The clock has now run out' on North Korean nuclear program

[longship]

15. Sorry, it will blow itself apart before the chain reaction begins.

Last edited Wed Apr 5, 2017, 01:47 AM - Edit history (1)

Without an initiator, you are not guaranteed a chain reaction because in the microsecond in which the super critical mass is assembled the chain reaction begins only if at least one neutron of the proper energy hits one of the nucleus. The super critical mass will blow itself apart faster than one could reasonably expect a neutron from a cosmic ray (for instance) to split one of the atoms.

Remember what Leo Szilard patented when he discovered the nuclear chain reaction. IF a single neutron splits a nucleus, AND IF at least two neutrons (of the appropriate energy) come out of that nucleus, THEN AND ONLY THEN a nuclear chain reaction will occur.

Without that first neutron at the precise point when the super critical mass is explosively assembled, the bomb fizzles. The chain reaction never gets going all the way before it blows itself apart. That's why all nuclear bombs have initiators.

Read the Rhodes book, cited above in another one of my posts. It's a great read. All is explained.