Nuclear weapons

Overview[]

Worlds_Top_5_Nuclear_Power_Comparison_2015. — Worlds Top 5 Nuclear Power Comparison 2015.

The Worl'ds Top 5 Nuclear Power Comparison 2015.

"Nukes", "A-bombs", "H-Bombs", Atom bombs or nuclear weapons are the names given to all radiological, fusion and fission weapons. War with these weapons is called atomic war.

What is atomic war?[]

Technically speaking, atomic war would be any war in which nuclear weapons are used, ranging from a single, small weapon (like a 'bunker buster' or a 1kt Soviet 'suitcase bomb'), a few smaller weapons like the tactical ones dropped by the United States on Japan in World War II, a 300kt strategic bomb, a 450kt city killer, or a ad-hock terrorist bomb right the way up to a full-blown assault between nuclear powers using ICBMs, SLBMs and bombs with multi-megaton yielding atomic arms (and possibly also including striking opponents do not have there own nukes with nukes).

Types of bomb[]

A conventional type of nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb such as atom\A-bombs) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bombs like the hydrogen\H-bomb) such, producing a nuclear or thermo-nuclear explosion. Both bomb types release large quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter, including light, x-rays. gamma rays, radio waves, microwaves, heat, shockwaves and noise!

A enhanced radiation bomb (neutron bomb or N-bomb) maximises the ionising radiation radiation and kills living things, but will not have a massive physically destructive impact on dead things, but it dose make them dangerously radioactive for a long time afterwards. A similar effect is caused by 1kt or lower regular nuclear bombs, but not to such a large existent.

An Electro-magnetic pulse bomb (E-bomb or EMP device) maximises the EMP wave to wipe out all the electrical stuff for miles around.

A salted bomb (dirty bomb, cobalt-60, Co-60, C-bomb, radiological device, R-bomb, C-60-bomb or D-bomb) maximises fall out over a horrendously wide area down wind of it.

What a A-bomb or H-bomb's explosion is like[]

When the nuke detonates it is both as hot and pressurised as the centre of the sun for a fraction of a millisecond as X-Rays and Gama-rays energise the air to make the fireball, which sends out a mixture of light, ultraviolent, infra-red (heat) radiation

After 1 millisecond the light in the fire ball hit's its peak.

Fires would ignite in seconds in a large radius around the bomb due to a heat wave caused by the infra-read radiation.

A hypersonic shock wave of compressed air travels away from the bomb. Buildings would be demolished for a radius a bit short of that of the heat, with light damage going for a even bigger radius. The shock wave is followed by a strong, 300mph + wind and then the wind reverses it's direction in a second or 2.

The vaporised bomb and air, along with anything sucked off of the ground will form a killer ash called fall out an will blow down wind for several miles as it fall to earth.

The EMP wave would fry any unshielded electrical goods or infrastructure with a strong electro-magnetic burst over several seconds, but it's range is less than the heat's. If a big enough nuke was detonated 300,000ft + up in the sky the EMP could be quite literally continental in range.

If it is detonated on the ground the fall out would reach ridiculously high levels due to the vaporised soil and ground base object caught up in the fireball. Underground bunkers and missile silo would collapse in the artificial earthquake caused by the shock wave.

At sea the water is vaporised along with the bomb. Subs would be crushed by the shock waves in the water for miles around the bomb site and a huge tidal wave would turn over ships for miles around the bomb site.

A ground burst by a N. Korean 150kt nuke over MOD Corsham in the UK[]

A ground burst by a N. Korean 150kt nuke over MOD Corsham in Wiltshire would lead to this according to nuclearsecrecy.com:

Air pressure of 3,000pst 176 meters- only missile silos and major underground bunkers survive!
Fireball 0.66km that vaporises all it touches!
Air pressure of 20 psi 1.16 km - heavy damage.
5,000 rem of radiation 1.43km death with in days.
500 rem of radiation 1.94km- will kill most in 1 month, but ~15% will live with a high risk of cancer.
100 rem of radiation 2.3km- will kill ~3% in 1 month, but most will live with a high risk of cancer.
Air pressure of 5psi 2.43km -moderate damage.
Incineration of people and untreated wood ignites readily 2.6km.
3rd degree burns 4.67km.
Air pressure 1psi 6.25km - light damage.
Minimum distance to escape any burns 10.8km!
The crater is 49.1 meters deep and 0.26km wide!
With a 15 MPH N.E. wind, the fall out's worst effects would from Corsham to Chippenham's Sheldon School. There is a lesser stretch between Chippenham to Kingtown Langley and Charlbury, Lechlade, Upper Seagry and Upper Minety. The farthest and weakest extreme is at Cowbit, Lincolnshire!
The human loss would be great, and at ground zero:
1. Whitley, South Wraxal, Garstad, Ashley, Atworth, Colerne and Biddestone - 100% flash burnt.
2. 50% of Corsham is radio active, ash cover and heat scorched bare earth, 10% is consumed by the crater's pit, 30% is burning rubble and 10% is fire stormed.
3. Hudswell is 90% is consumed by the crater's pit and 10% is radio active, ash cover and heat scorched bare earth.
4. Neston is 80% consumed by the crater's pit and 20% is radio active, ash cover and heat scorched bare earth.
5. Rudhole is 80% is consumed by the crater's pit and 20% is radio active, ash cover and heat scorched bare earth.
6. Wadswick is 100% burning rubble.
7. 50% of Box flash burnt and 50% fire stormed.
8. 10% of Shaw flash burnt and the rest is OK.
9. The RSG bunker may have collapsed.
10. All the citizens in Hudswell, Corsham, Neston, Rudhole and Wadswick would die instantly! All citizens of Chippenham, Kingtown Langly, Charlbury, Lechlade, Upper Seagry, Upper Minety, Whitley, South Wraxal, Garstad, Ashley, Atworth, Colerne and Biddestone would mostly be dead with in a few hours, with some hanging on for a few days longer after the blast before before also dying!

150kt is tiny compared to some. A 5mt Chinese DF-5 ICBM nuke detonated in an airburst over the Mitte district in central Berlin could reach Zossen and consume both Potsdam and Teltow!

Yield scale classes[]

It was soon realised that bombs of 20mt or over in yield were militarily useless and fiscally stupid, and so were only good for the occasional act of test blast showing off.