military@cbnews.ATT.COM (William B. Thacker) (04/07/89)
From: sun!portal!cup.portal.com!mmm As I recall, Henry Kissinger in one of his books used as an example of how technology can suddenly change the political environment, a speculation of the effect of the development of a nuclear bullet. In particular, sponge californium. Californium has a critical mass of a few grams, so in principle a bullet might be developed which would produce a nuclear explosion on impact. Of course, the actual example used by HK is absurd. Californium is so radioactive and has such a short half-life that it could not be an effective weapon, even for asassination. But what if a highly-saturated slug of palladium can be forced into sudden fusion by impact. Might be a nice time to move to the Mariana Islands.
bobs@uunet.UU.NET (bobs) (04/08/89)
From: vrdxhq!vrdxhq.verdix.com!bobs@uunet.UU.NET (bobs) > > From: sun!portal!cup.portal.com!mmm > As I recall, Henry Kissinger in one of his books used as an example of > how technology can suddenly change the political environment, a speculation > of the effect of the development of a nuclear bullet. In particular, > sponge californium. Californium has a critical mass of a few grams, so > in principle a bullet might be developed which would produce a nuclear > explosion on impact. I remember reding that the depleted uranium rounds of the GAU-8 ( 30 mm gun on A-10s) deforms enough on penetration that it becomes a critical mass and puts out a burst of radiation. I believe gamma was mentioned but it has been a while. The emphasis of the report was that the radiation was enough to have an affect on the vehicle crew. Source was a report in "For your Eyes Only" column in The old Strategy & Tactics magazine. I can dig up the original cite if desired. Bob Smart (bsmart@verdix.com) [mod.note: I'll head off a number of probably replies by stating, "I don't buy it." I understand that DU (depleted uraniaum) has a significant pyrophoric effect (i.e., it burns), but I sincerely doubt that it can be brought to any degree of fusion by this impact, tremendous though it may be. That said, I invite anyone who knows (and can say) anything factual in this regard to contradict or vindicate me. 8-) - Bill ]
commgrp@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (BACS Data Communications Group) (04/08/89)
From: BACS Data Communications Group <commgrp@silver.bacs.indiana.edu> military@cbnews.ATT.COM (William B. Thacker) writes: >...Henry Kissinger in one of his books used as an example of >how technology can suddenly change the political environment, a >speculation of the effect of the development of a nuclear >bullet. In particular, sponge californium... > >Of course, the actual example used by HK is absurd. Californium >is so radioactive and has such a short half-life that it could >not be an effective weapon, even for asassination. > >But what if a highly-saturated slug of palladium can be forced >into sudden fusion by impact... Erroneous though it may prove, it's fun to speculate during the infancy of cold fusion (the year zero AF), after the fashion of Mary Shelley et al in the age of frog-leg electronics. Like it or not, anything as potentially powerful as cold fusion probably has weapons applications. A pencil-sized metal bar released 34 megajoules of heat over a long period. One megajoule is roughly equivalent to a stick of dynamite (T. Clancy, _The Cardinal of the Kremlin_). Lattices containing stored energy are reminiscent of lasers. If the deuterium or tritium could be stimulated to fuse in unison (by injecting muons or whatever), it might be a fusion laser (i.e., a FASER - I love it!), or a mini neutron-bomb, .50-cal slug that goes off like a case of dynamite (hopefully with arming delay so that it doesn't explode on impact too close to the launcher), terrorist volksnuke hand grenade, nuclear shaped-charge, nonfission H-bomb trigger, EMP power supply, SDI weapon in itself or as energy source for (already known) nuclear-pumped X-ray laser. -- Frank reid@gold.bacs.indiana.edu Park nuclear-powered cars in front of Jane Fonda's house.
john@gatech.edu (John DeArmond) (04/11/89)
From: stiatl!john@gatech.edu (John DeArmond) In article <5514@cbnews.ATT.COM> vrdxhq!vrdxhq.verdix.com!bobs@uunet.UU.NET (bobs) writes: > > >From: vrdxhq!vrdxhq.verdix.com!bobs@uunet.UU.NET (bobs) > >> >> From: sun!portal!cup.portal.com!mmm >> As I recall, Henry Kissinger in one of his books used as an example of >> how technology can suddenly change the political environment, a speculation >> of the effect of the development of a nuclear bullet. In particular, >> sponge californium. Californium has a critical mass of a few grams, so >> in principle a bullet might be developed which would produce a nuclear >> explosion on impact. > Californium is not a candidate for this. Exactly because of it's spontaneous fission which results in a neutron field at all times and because of its cost (several thousand dollars a MICROGRAM), it would not work in practice. Consider that the critical mass of plutonium is only a couple of Kg's, a mass of perhaps the size of a baseball, nuclear rounds for light cannon are already practical. Also consider that such techniques as neutron triggers can substantially reduce the mass of fissional material and consider that an explosion from a nuclear bullet need not be very effecient, conventional technology could be used to make much smaller rounds than one would think. >I remember reding that the depleted uranium rounds of the GAU-8 >( 30 mm gun on A-10s) deforms enough on penetration that it becomes >a critical mass and puts out a burst of radiation. I believe gamma >was mentioned but it has been a while. The emphasis of the report was > >[mod.note: I'll head off a number of probably replies by stating, >"I don't buy it." I understand that DU (depleted uraniaum) has a >significant pyrophoric effect (i.e., it burns), but I sincerely doubt >that it can be brought to any degree of fusion by this impact, >tremendous though it may be. > Bill is indeed correct. U-238 (depleted uranium) has no critical mass. It will not sustain a nuclear reaction without outside nuclear influence such as a fast neutron flux. Metallic U is pyrophoric and makes a pretty good mess if it penetrates the armor. The tiny amount of radiation emitted by U-238 is a non-existent hazard when compared to flying globs of high velocity, very heavy, white hot, and burning U metal. Not to mention the spalled armor shards. The nuclear aspect of depleted U projectiles is strictly incidental. -- John De Armond, WD4OQC | Manual? ... What manual ?!? Sales Technologies, Inc. Atlanta, GA | This is Unix, My son, You ...!gatech!stiatl!john | just GOTTA Know!!!
yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) (04/11/89)
From: yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) In article <5515@cbnews.ATT.COM> commgrp@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (BACS Data Communications Group) writes: >military@cbnews.ATT.COM (William B. Thacker) writes: > >>...Henry Kissinger in one of his books used as an example of >>how technology can suddenly change the political environment, a >>speculation of the effect of the development of a nuclear >>bullet... >>...what if a highly-saturated slug of palladium can be forced >>into sudden fusion by impact... >Erroneous though it may prove, it's fun to speculate during the >infancy of cold fusion (the year zero AF), after the fashion of Mary >Shelley et al in the age of frog-leg electronics. Here's an idea: Variable-Yield Fusion Bullets GDW has an interesting SF wargame called "The Bloodtree Rebellion". One of the ideas in the game is that the infantry carries automatic rifles which fire nuclear bullets whose charge be "dialed" from 0 (no explosion) to something like .1kt. So, just imagine a dial on each assault rifle magazine labelled Deuterium Saturation, and your trooper can dial one setting to take out a sniper, another to take out a tank, and yet another to take out a tank *battalion*. (An interesting rule in the aforementioned game is that if an infantry unit is ambushed, the soldiers may panic and use "high-dial" fire -- which has the effects of (1) usually annihilating the enemy, (2) turning forest terrain into clear terrain, and (3) making the local natives *really* angry.) >Frank >reid@gold.bacs.indiana.edu _______________________________________________________________________________ Brian Yamauchi University of Rochester yamauchi@cs.rochester.edu Computer Science Department _______________________________________________________________________________
moshe@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (Moshe Yudkowsky) (04/19/89)
From: moshe@cbnewsc.ATT.COM (Moshe Yudkowsky)
No way would the depleted uranium come a critical mass.
My professional, seat-of-the-pants, physicist's guess.
--
Moshe Yudkowsky moshe@ihnet.att.com att!ihnet!moshe
"From stupidity there is always something to be learned, but
it's always the same thing: don't be stupid." -- Robert M. Adamsallanh@ucscc.UCSC.EDU (04/26/89)
From: sco!allanh@ucscc.UCSC.EDU
For what it's worth, it wasn't Henry Kissinger who first
mentioned californium bullets ("atomic sixgun"), but Herman Kahn,
in his book _On Nuclear War_. I believe he was among the first
people to mention "doomsday weapons" as a means of "defense."
al