Gamma-ray weapons could trigger next arms race

An exotic kind of nuclear explosive being developed by the US Department of Defense could blur the critical distinction between conventional and nuclear weapons. The work has also raised fears that weapons based on this technology could trigger the next arms race.

www.newscientist.com...

Holy #!

Conventional weapons approaching the power of nukes!

It seems that every age has it's weapon so terrible as to end war, yet it never does. It's ironic that this time the new weapon is actually a step back from the last generations weapon (nukes) but more frightening because it provides a stepping stone that makes a path of escalation that could lead to another nuclear conflict.

Great find Mycroft. You beat me to posting the very same article.

The thing I noticed most about this article and the information gleaned from it is that they don't mention that gamma-ray causes cancer. Actually they cause a whole lot more than cancer but none-the-less.

I wonder if there are any treaties prohibiting or against beam weapons? I almost see no difference between this and single stage fission weapons.

The implications are staggering. This weapon could be used from almost any platform including space, I would think. I fear though that it will amount to another weapons race. Add this to the fact that the US is also contemplating mini-nuke technology and development and you have a serious weapons race going....

Good article.

regards
seekerof

When I first read the article, I was thinking beam weapon too, but when I read further it seemed more like a high energy explosive. A photon torpedo, if a sci-fi analgy helps.

What firepower?? It's just gamma-rays. I mean, you will have secondary processes. Will it work like a nuclear weapon?? I wonder how they think they could to use something like that.

And how on earth will military sensors distinguish between one of these and a real deal fission weapon?? They have a lot of issues still to address there....

I thought a gamma bomb was just a bomb that released alot of radiation, I guess I was wrong. Good article.