The fissioning released energy and produced the explosion.
But there was a wide gap between theory and practice. A nuclear bomb was
actually pretty complicated. It had to be complicated to keep the pieces
of the fissionable material apart until a chemical explosion drove them
together fast and hard enough to create a fission explosion. If the
pieces weren't brought together rapidly enough, the mass would fission
in a slow chain reaction with no explosion.
Rip was trained in scientific analysis. He tackled the problem logically,
considering the design of a nuclear bomb and the reasons for it.
Atomic bombs had to be carried. That meant an outer casing was necessary.
The casing had a lot to do with the design. Suppose no casing were
required? What would be needed?
He took the stylus and computation board from Koa and jotted down the
parts required. First, two or more pieces of plutonium large enough to
form a critical mass. Second, a neutron source--the type of radioactivity
that produced neutrons--to accelerate the reaction. Third, some kind of
neutron reflector. And fourth, explosive to drive the pieces together.
Did they have all those items? He checked them off. Their single five KT
bomb contained at least enough plutonium for two critical masses, if
brought together inside a good neutron reflector.
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