Turk's seize weapons grade URANIUM...yahoo.com

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Colt45

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
19,720
1
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fission is old technology.

you just need enough fission to get the hydrogen hot enough (in a fusion bomb).

im not sure how much "enough" is though, but if it were me, i'd be making a H-bomb (fusion).

in theory, if you could get the deuterium and tritium hot enough to start fusion, without using a fission bomb, it wouldnt be radioactive.

but thats not gonna happen

edit: I think modern h-bombs use some lithium based stuff that breaks down into hydrogen once heated, because the hydrogen gasses are a bitch to store, and revert to normal hydrogen after a while (IIRC).
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
17,976
141
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American news boobs are ignoring this story. Any better coverage or more details??
 

DorkBoy

Diamond Member
Sep 25, 2000
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Uranium is a natural element found in the ground.

Bomb grade is basically spent Uranium, like from a Nuke plant. It's still harmless, it cannot "blow" up. I know I work next to a spent fuel pool filled with with Uranium and Plutonium control rods-> I am an Operator at a Nuclear plant.

Just the news trying to get everyones attention.

Bomb grade Uranium is still a world a way from being used in a Nuclear bomb, now it could be used as a "dirty" bomb to spread radiation and contamination.

Regardless, it shouldn't be anywhere other under a stable governments control.


" I am an Operator at a Nuclear plant." yeah yeah yeah........ like Homer Simpson
 

Harvey

Administrator<br>Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
35,059
73
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I'm guessing the authorities were tipped off by the glowing driver.

According to this link,
For weapons applications, the concentration U-235 must be much higher to create a condition called "prompt criticality". This means that it is critical with only the neutrons directly produced in the fission process. For U-235 enriched to "bomb-grade" uranium, the critical mass may be as small as about 15 kg in a bomb configuration.
This linkputs the figure at 5 kg. No matter how you look at it, this is scary stuff. :disgust:
 

XMan

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
12,513
50
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Originally posted by: Harvey
I'm guessing the authorities were tipped off by the glowing driver.

According to this link,
For weapons applications, the concentration U-235 must be much higher to create a condition called "prompt criticality". This means that it is critical with only the neutrons directly produced in the fission process. For U-235 enriched to "bomb-grade" uranium, the critical mass may be as small as about 15 kg in a bomb configuration.
This linkputs the figure at 5 kg. No matter how you look at it, this is scary stuff. :disgust:

I wonder if the amounts are purposely obfuscated to make it harder to build one. I know Tom Clancy has said that he changed a lot of things in his book Sum of All Fears so that the design for the bomb seemed realistic but if you tried to build one you'd get nada.
 

IgoByte

Diamond Member
Jan 23, 2001
4,765
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Originally posted by: tcsenter
Its not a matter of if, but when, a nuclear device is detonated in the United States by these muslim groups. WTC x 100.

My first response after WTC was that we actually got lucky. I don't mean it in an offending way, but those terrorists could just as easily have carried nuclear bombs on those planes. Just imagine the kind of disaster had either of the two WTC planes carried a suitcase nuke... The sad part is that they are pretty easy to obtain and just as easy to get into the US.
 

Oscar1613

Golden Member
Jan 31, 2001
1,424
0
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Originally posted by: Carbonyl
Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Originally posted by: Carbonyl
That is so frecken scary. Just imagine what they HAV'NT cought... Jeez 55 lbs is about the same as fat man and little boys U-235 content:frown:

We really need to domocratize the middle east quickly.


55 is really not that much. URANIUM, is a very dense, and a little weighs a lot, think of gold just more dense if I remember correct. That and doesn't it take a lot more than 55pds to make a current nuclear bomb??? Maybe enough for a older style one, but not new??

And it is hard to sneak URANIUM in the US as it could be found very easy, even from a helicopter. The problem is knowing about it and where to look.

Its like the old saying, "I am not afaid of the man that wants 10 nuclear bombs, I am afraid of the man that only wants one". So if Saddam got one, I think he would be more likely to sit of it for protection, then use it, kinda like US vs former USSR. BUT he might have one planted somewhere and say, you touch me it gos off...


Who cares about desity? 33 lbs using BASIC 55 year old "little boy" technology is equivalent to 30,000 tons of TNT. The would kill at least 300,000 if set of in New York. Even more from higher elevation like on top of the Empire State. Add a little Pt-239 (whcih is easier to get tha U-235) and you got even more deaths.

It's the U and/or Pt thats the big problem. cause once you got that critical mass is fairly easy to achive. That's why I'm scared. How much havent they caught?
yeah... platinum is some dangerous stuff...




:p
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
17,976
141
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When you consider the vast volume of illegal drugs that are smuggled in to the US..any crude nuclear device in whole or parts will be smuggled in.
 

Tominator

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
9,559
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Bomb grade Uranium is still a world a way from being used in a Nuclear bomb, now it could be used as a "dirty" bomb to spread radiation and contamination.

Exactly! It is the 'Dirty Bomb' that we should be afraid of. Very simple to make and deploy. The effect would be every bit as destructive as a nuclear bomb. Imagine one going off in NYC. Just the panic caused would claim thousands of lives and disrupt the US economy for decades.
 

prontospyder

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
6,262
0
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Thanks to the Turkish authorities for catching these guys.

Maybe Saddam is sneaking out all his WMD out of Iraq to terrorists so he can blackmail the US/UK if they attack him?
 

JellyBaby

Diamond Member
Apr 21, 2000
9,159
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Maybe Saddam is sneaking out all his WMD out of Iraq to terrorists so he can blackmail the US/UK if they attack him?
Umm, just about every middle eastern nation have a WMD program and are actively seeking components.
 

charrison

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
17,033
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Originally posted by: JW
whoops, just kidding I guess. 5 ounces, not 33 pounds. Yahoo News Link

-jw

Something is not right here.

But that amount had included the weight of the container and the radioactive material was actually around 140 grams, an official from the gendarmes force in Sanliurfa said on condition of anonymity.

How does one mistake a 1/10 of kilo for 15 kilos?