To: Southack
He thought that Tritium, a booster material, was an atomic trigger.
Can be either. Definitely can be an initiator (which is what you mean by trigger) when generating a D-T fusion to whip up a burst of neutrons. No one uses polonium/beryllium these days, other than maybe someone whipping up a crude gun type device.
To: doorgunner69
"Can be either. Definitely can be an initiator (which is what you mean by trigger) when generating a D-T fusion to whip up a burst of neutrons." Tritium has a half-life of 12.3 years and emits a very weak beta particle. That's not suitable for an atomic initiator at all.
D-T Fusion is the stuff of criticality and chain reactions...not super-criticality...certainly not with 1st generation weapons...certainly not with artillery shells or suitcase nukes (the topic under discussion).
Small nukes need lots of neutrons emitted from the initiator.
470 posted on
04/28/2006 3:35:35 PM PDT by
Southack
(Media Bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)
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