Yeah..

I was just wondering that for how long these will remain as 'boosted'..

as i know that tritium illuminated weapons sights go 'bad' in 5-10 years..

Does this also happen to nuclear weapons?

Will the tritium disappear form them also?

Anybody any facts?

Tritium is rare in nature because of its 12.4-year half-life. It is produced by cosmic radiation in the upper atmosphere where it combines with oxygen to form water. It then falls to earth as rain, but the concentration is too low to be useful in a nuclear weapons program. Most tritium is produced by bombarding 6Li [ 6 Li(n, a) 3 H] with neutrons in a reactor; it is also produced as a byproduct of the operation of a heavy-water-moderated reactor when neutrons are captured on the deuterons present. It has been suggested that it may be feasible to produce tritium in an accelerator (electronuclear breeder) in which protons bombard an appropriate target.

just found some info...

maybe it will help?

The large scale production of tritium by Israel has been confirmed by South Africa, which received a shipments of tritium totalling 30 g during 1977-79. This clearly indicates tritium production on a scale sufficient for a weapon boosting program. It is difficult to find any other rationale for such a large tritium production capability except some sort of thermonuclear weapon application.



Neutron bombs also require very large amounts of tritium (20-30 g per weapon) which would impact the production of plutonium quite seriously (each gram of tritium displaces 80 grams of plutonium production).



So i already knew this..

Im just curious that how long does 'the booster' remains effective..

And it seems that not for long..

I was just hoping that somebody would give more detailed info..



[Edited on 21-12-2003 by FULCRUM]

Im just curious that how long does 'the booster' remains effective..

Tritium is rare in nature because of its 12.4-year half-life.

Originally posted by FULCRUM
The large scale production of tritium by Israel has been confirmed by South Africa, which received a shipments of tritium totalling 30 g during 1977-79.

I've heard Israel has many neutron bombs. I don't know if it's true.

Originally posted by Russian

Tritium is rare in nature because of its 12.4-year half-life.

Yes..

So 12,4 years max..

From weapon sights it disappers in 5-10 years..

(One of the weapons issued to me in the Army was made in 1991.. the year in which i used it was 1999.. its night sight didnt illuminate itself no more as the Tritium in it had 'gone bad'.. i asked about that and i was told that these work only for 5-10 years..)

So..

12 years (max) and these weapons need new 'boosters' am i right?



Also its somehow made out of Uranium in a reactor..

And not digged out of earth..

As:

"each gram of tritium displaces 80 grams of plutonium production."

Originally posted by Hyperspace

I've heard Israel has many neutron bombs. I don't know if it's true.

Ive heard the same thing..

And i think that it is true..

I could say that its true..

(As Israel having nuclear weapons is something like public secret..)

Originally posted by FULCRUM

Originally posted by Hyperspace

I've heard Israel has many neutron bombs. I don't know if it's true.

Ive heard the same thing..

And i think that it is true..

I could say that its true..

(As Israel having nuclear weapons is something like public secret..)

hehe...london's worst kept secret, MI6 hdqrtrs

they really messed that one up..

first time i've heard of israel owning neutron bombs....

Erm close Fulcrum. Basically what happens in a trit boosted nuke is you have a fission core (usually a plutonium pit) that has a yield around 100 kilotons, this in turn when blown up yields a burst of high intensity x-rays which fuse the tritium or deuterium lithide booster (btw its easier to use deuterium boosters since its more abundant, but larger in size), this release of x-rays causes a fusion reaction to occur which then ups the yield into near megatonnage range or megaton range..from there its possible to get a SECOND fission reaction by having a uranium tamper on the outside of the booster surrounding it like a cylinder or by setting another plutonium pit on the other end of the bomb. This is what we call a fission-fusion-fission bomb. Thse are the Teller-Ulam bombs and I don't think outside the W-61 (?) the US has any and I'm not sure if Russia keeps any more stockpiled.

The type I *THINK* you're wondering about are fission boosted bombs, in which a little bit of tritium is added to cause a 100% fission reaction in the pit (vs. a usual 20% reaction release). Although their half-life is 12 years approx, maintenance is usually done every 4-6 years and the tritium is usually replaced at the same time.

Originally posted by Hybrid
Erm close Fulcrum. Basically what happens in a trit boosted nuke is you have a fission core (usually a plutonium pit) that has a yield around 100 kilotons, this in turn when blown up yields a burst of high intensity x-rays which fuse the tritium or deuterium lithide booster (btw its easier to use deuterium boosters since its more abundant, but larger in size), this release of x-rays causes a fusion reaction to occur which then ups the yield into near megatonnage range or megaton range..from there its possible to get a SECOND fission reaction by having a uranium tamper on the outside of the booster surrounding it like a cylinder or by setting another plutonium pit on the other end of the bomb. This is what we call a fission-fusion-fission bomb. Thse are the Teller-Ulam bombs and I don't think outside the W-61 (?) the US has any and I'm not sure if Russia keeps any more stockpiled.

The type I *THINK* you're wondering about are fission boosted bombs, in which a little bit of tritium is added to cause a 100% fission reaction in the pit (vs. a usual 20% reaction release). Although their half-life is 12 years approx, maintenance is usually done every 4-6 years and the tritium is usually replaced at the same time.

Every Tactical nuke the army had had two tritium tubes. These were to enhance the radiation emmision upon impact. In essence, to make the bomb/missile "dirty". How do I know? I removed hundreds of these tubes from their respected warheads.

By the way, tritium exposure causes "dry land drowning". Meaning, after unprotected inhalation, the victims lungs fill with fluid. Rember, when handling tritium tubes, be VERY careful not to drop them, hehe.

Originally posted by Hybrid

The type I *THINK* you're wondering about are fission boosted bombs, in which a little bit of tritium is added to cause a 100% fission reaction in the pit (vs. a usual 20% reaction release). Although their half-life is 12 years approx, maintenance is usually done every 4-6 years and the tritium is usually replaced at the same time.

Thank you!

This is what i wanted to hear/learn..

Tritium is replaced on those on regular basis..



Like i thought.

The united states shut down their tritium production in 1988, im not sure if they have started it again, last I heard they had plans to start it back up either using reactors or particle accelerators. It is made from lithium and an isotope of hydrogen...it is not essential to nuclear weapons, but enhances the blast. And yes the half life is 12.4 years, so they will be running out soon. And no, U235 wont be decaying anytime soon as its half life is around 7 billion years.

The "ultimate bomb" as some people are saying is to create a pure fusion reaction with deuterium and tritium.

Originally posted by Shoktek
And no, U235 wont be decaying anytime soon as its half life is around 7 billion years.

No #?



It was the booster part of which i was interested in..

And i know how it works now..



But i must say:

Im now finding all nuclear weapons very interesting..

Especially those of South Africa and Israel..

Has anybody got a picture(s) of those past South African weapons?



I would love have one of those you know..

(A pic..)

Originally posted by FULCRUM

Originally posted by Shoktek
And no, U235 wont be decaying anytime soon as its half life is around 7 billion years.

No #?

You said "does this also happen to nuclear weapons" and there are many that don't contain tritium, so I was just clarifying