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To: chimera
Californium mini-nukes
33 posted on 01/11/2002 5:46:03 PM PST by B-Chan
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To: B-Chan
Well, that link discusses some elementary stuff but does not address the predetonation issue, and only gives a wave of the hand to the problem of symmetry in the implosion scheme. 252Cf has such a huge rate that the reaction mass would be blown apart by predetonation before much could be attained in the way of yield. It would then be a "mini-fizzle". The thing that makes nuclear artillary shells work is a sophisticated sensor and timing system, that begins the implosion process just before the shell hits and smashes itself and the impact forces significantly deform and scatter the fissile and implosive materials. I doubt that something like that could be made to fit and work in a handgun projectile, there just isn't the space. Nuke warheads are quite compact compared with their conventional counterparts, but reducing the size of the working components to something on the order of a 9mm or .45 slug is really a challenge.
34 posted on 01/11/2002 6:00:11 PM PST by chimera
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