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Nuclear Arsenals

Nuclear Arsenals. Dennis Silverman, U C Irvine Source: Energy and Problems of a Technical Society , by Jack J. Kraushaar and Robert A. Ristinen. Nuclear Forces, 1991. United States Deployed Strategic Warheads (ICBMs, SLBMs, Bombers): 8,772; Total Megatons ~2,500;

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Nuclear Arsenals

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  1. Nuclear Arsenals Dennis Silverman, U C Irvine Source: Energy and Problems of a Technical Society, by Jack J. Kraushaar and Robert A. Ristinen

  2. Nuclear Forces, 1991 • United States • Deployed Strategic Warheads (ICBMs, SLBMs, Bombers): 8,772; • Total Megatons ~2,500; • Tactical Weapons, ~10,000 (Today 1600) • Former USSR • Deployed Strategic Warheads: 9,537; • Total Megatons ~4,500; • Tactical Weapons, ~10,000.

  3. Other Countries’ Nuclear Weapons, 1991 • France, ~550 • China, ~450 • U. K., ~300

  4. Newer Countries, Today • Israel: 200+ nuclear weapons • India: 60+ • Pakistan: 24-48 • India and Pakistan are in dispute over Kashmir • Source: Center for Defense Information (www.cdi.org)

  5. Nuclear war is unthinkable • Immediate destruction of ½ of population • Due to the complexity and interdependence of systems, all fuel, power, industrial, transportation, water, food, communication, and medical systems would not function • In a major power war, nuclear winter would destroy crops worldwide • The ozone layer shielding us from UV radiation would be destroyed • There would be long term radiation exposure • Because of international trade, companies and investment, making war is essentially making war on yourself.

  6. Problems with Nuclear Arsenals • Must maintain their functionality despite • Tritium in fusion part decays in decades • Radiation damage to structures • Computer simulations, physical tests, and maintenance required • Possibility of theft (but code protected, and in the US, by delivery method)

  7. New US nuclear initiatives • Develop smaller weapons to hide the difference between conventional and nuclear weapon usage • Testing to be resumed to test these – scientists claim not needed • Bunker busters – scientists claim will not be any more effective and large extended damage • These have been funded only for research, but not development

  8. Total Cost of US Nuclear Arsenal • Source: Atomic Audit, … • Stephen I. Schwartz, ed., of the Brookings Institute. • The total cost since 1940 is estimated at $5 trillion, to produce 70,000 weapons.

  9. Fission Weapons Developments • Enriching 235U for Fission Weapons • Done in diffusion Plants, or by • Electromagnetic Separation, or by • Centrifuge Separation • Getting Critical Mass from gun type bombs • Uniting halves, or • Inserting the missing core • 239Pu Fission • Create 239Pu in short nuclear reactor runs • Implode sphere or shell to get critical mass together

  10. Hydrogen Bomb Development • Fission bomb core produces neutrons • T (Tritium) production from • n + 6Li → 4He + T + 4.8 MeV • Fusion energy from • D + T → 4He + n + 17.6 MeV • Surround by 238U for further fission from high energy n

  11. The Trouble with N. Korea • Surreptitiously worked on weapons despite previous agreement • May have reprocessed Pu giving it the capacity for several bombs • Also have U enrichment program • May have one or two weapons • Developing long range missiles • US and Russia have shut down building two nuclear plants • Fuel and food embargo continues • US position is complete dismantling of weapons programs with full inspections

  12. The Trouble with Iran • Finishing a nuclear plant • Has centrifuge U enrichment technology • Developing long range missiles • Agreed to new inspections, but some doubt their completeness

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