Atomic and thermonuclear bomb. Difference between atomic and hydrogen bomb

The geopolitical ambitions of major powers always lead to an arms race. The development of new military technologies gave one country or another an advantage over others. Thus, with leaps and bounds, humanity approached the emergence of terrible weapons - nuclear bomb . From what date did the report of the atomic era begin, how many countries on our planet have nuclear potential and in what ways? fundamental difference hydrogen bomb from an atomic one? You can find the answer to these and other questions by reading this article.

What is the difference between a hydrogen bomb and a nuclear bomb?

Any nuclear weapon based on intranuclear reaction, the power of which is capable of almost instantly destroying both a large number of living units and equipment, and all kinds of buildings and buildings. Let's consider the classification of nuclear warheads in service with some countries:

  • Nuclear (atomic) bomb. During the nuclear reaction and fission of plutonium and uranium, energy is released on a colossal scale. Typically, one warhead contains two plutonium charges of the same mass, which explode away from each other.
  • Hydrogen (thermonuclear) bomb. Energy is released based on the fusion of hydrogen nuclei (hence the name). The intensity of the shock wave and the amount of energy released exceeds atomic energy by several times.

What is more powerful: a nuclear or a hydrogen bomb?

While scientists were puzzling over how to use the atomic energy obtained in the thermal process nuclear fusion hydrogen for peaceful purposes, the military has already conducted more than a dozen tests. It turned out that charge in a few megatons of a hydrogen bomb are thousands of times more powerful than an atomic bomb. It’s even difficult to imagine what would have happened to Hiroshima (and indeed to Japan itself) if there had been hydrogen in the 20-kiloton bomb thrown at it.

Consider the powerful destructive force that results from a 50 megaton hydrogen bomb explosion:

  • Fire ball: diameter 4.5 -5 kilometers in diameter.
  • Sound wave: The explosion can be heard from 800 kilometers away.
  • Energy: from the released energy, a person can get burns to the skin, being up to 100 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion.
  • nuclear mushroom: height is more than 70 km in height, the radius of the cap is about 50 km.

Atomic bombs of such power have never been detonated before. There are indicators of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, but its size was significantly inferior to the hydrogen discharge described above:

  • Fire ball: diameter about 300 meters.
  • nuclear mushroom: height 12 km, cap radius - about 5 km.
  • Energy: the temperature at the center of the explosion reached 3000C°.

Now in service nuclear powers are worth namely hydrogen bombs. In addition to the fact that they are ahead in their characteristics of their " little brothers", they are much cheaper to produce.

The principle of operation of a hydrogen bomb

Let's look at it step by step, stages of detonating hydrogen bombs:

  1. Charge detonation. The charge is in a special shell. After detonation, neutrons are released and the high temperature required to begin nuclear fusion in the main charge is created.
  2. Lithium fission. Under the influence of neutrons, lithium splits into helium and tritium.
  3. Thermonuclear fusion. Tritium and helium trigger a thermonuclear reaction, as a result of which hydrogen enters the process, and the temperature inside the charge instantly increases. A thermonuclear explosion occurs.

The principle of operation of an atomic bomb

  1. Charge detonation. The bomb shell contains several isotopes (uranium, plutonium, etc.), which decay under the detonation field and capture neutrons.
  2. Avalanche process. The destruction of one atom initiates the decay of several more atoms. There is a chain process that leads to destruction large quantity cores.
  3. Nuclear reaction. In a very short time, all parts of the bomb form one whole, and the mass of the charge begins to exceed the critical mass. A huge amount of energy is released, after which an explosion occurs.

The danger of nuclear war

Even in the middle of the last century, the danger of nuclear war was unlikely. Two countries had atomic weapons in their arsenal - the USSR and the USA. The leaders of the two superpowers were well aware of the dangers of using weapons mass destruction, and the arms race was most likely conducted as a “competitive” confrontation.

Of course, there were tense moments in relation to the powers, but common sense always prevailed over ambitions.

The situation changed at the end of the 20th century. Not only developed countries have taken possession of the “nuclear baton” Western Europe, but also representatives of Asia.

But, as you probably know, " nuclear club"consists of 10 countries. It is unofficially believed that Israel, and possibly Iran, have nuclear warheads. Although the latter, after the imposition of economic sanctions on them, abandoned the development of the nuclear program.

After the appearance of the first atomic bomb, scientists in the USSR and the USA began to think about weapons that would not cause such great destruction and contamination of enemy territories, but would have a targeted effect on the human body. The idea arose about creation of a neutron bomb.

The operating principle is interaction of neutron flux with living flesh and military equipment. The more radioactive isotopes produced instantly destroy a person, and tanks, transporters and other weapons become sources of strong radiation for a short time.

A neutron bomb explodes at a distance of 200 meters to ground level, and is especially effective during an enemy tank attack. Armor military equipment 250 mm thick, capable of reducing the effects of a nuclear bomb several times, but is powerless against the gamma radiation of a neutron bomb. Let's consider the effects of a neutron projectile with a power of up to 1 kiloton on a tank crew:

As you understand, the difference between a hydrogen bomb and an atomic bomb is enormous. The difference in the nuclear fission reaction between these charges makes a hydrogen bomb is hundreds of times more destructive than an atomic bomb.

When using a 1 megaton thermonuclear bomb, everything within a radius of 10 kilometers will be destroyed. Not only buildings and equipment will suffer, but also all living things.

The heads of nuclear countries should remember this, and use the “nuclear” threat solely as a deterrent tool, and not as an offensive weapon.

Video about the differences between the atomic and hydrogen bombs

This video will describe in detail and step by step the principle of operation of an atomic bomb, as well as the main differences from the hydrogen one:

In December 2017, everyone managed to discuss one of the most unpleasant news - North Korea's successful testing of a hydrogen bomb. Kim Jong-un did not fail to hint (directly state) that he was ready at any moment to transform weapons from defensive to offensive, which caused an unprecedented stir in the press around the world.

However, there were also optimists who declared that the tests were falsified: they say that the shadow of the Juche is falling in the wrong direction, and somehow the radioactive fallout is not visible. But why is the presence of a hydrogen bomb in the aggressor country such a significant factor for free countries, because even nuclear warheads that North Korea are available in abundance, have you ever scared anyone like that?

What is this

The hydrogen bomb, also known as the Hydrogen Bomb or HB, is a weapon of incredible destructive power, whose power is measured in megatons of TNT. The operating principle of HB is based on the energy that is generated when thermonuclear fusion hydrogen nuclei - exactly the same process occurs on the Sun.

How is a hydrogen bomb different from an atomic bomb?

Nuclear fusion, the process that occurs during the detonation of a hydrogen bomb, is the most powerful type of energy available to humanity. We have not yet learned how to use it for peaceful purposes, but we have adapted it for military purposes. This thermonuclear reaction, similar to what can be seen in stars, releases an incredible flow of energy. In atomic energy, energy is obtained from the fission of the atomic nucleus, so the explosion of an atomic bomb is much weaker.

First test

AND Soviet Union again ahead of many race participants cold war. The first hydrogen bomb, manufactured under the leadership of the brilliant Sakharov, was tested at the secret Semipalatinsk test site - and, to put it mildly, they impressed not only scientists, but also Western spies.

Shock wave

Direct destructive impact A hydrogen bomb is a powerful, highly intense shock wave. Its power depends on the size of the bomb itself and the height at which the charge detonated.

Thermal effect

A hydrogen bomb of only 20 megatons (the size of the largest bomb tested so far is 58 megatons) creates a huge amount of thermal energy: concrete melted within a radius of five kilometers from the test site of the projectile. Within a nine-kilometer radius, all living things will be destroyed; neither equipment nor buildings will survive. The diameter of the crater formed by the explosion will exceed two kilometers, and its depth will fluctuate about fifty meters.

Fire ball

The most spectacular thing after the explosion will seem to observers to be a huge fireball: flaming storms initiated by the detonation of a hydrogen bomb will support themselves, drawing more and more flammable material into the funnel.

Radiation contamination

But the most dangerous consequence of the explosion will, of course, be radiation contamination. The disintegration of heavy elements in a raging fiery whirlwind will fill the atmosphere with tiny particles of radioactive dust - it is so light that when it enters the atmosphere, it can go around Earth two or three times and only then will it fall as precipitation. Thus, one explosion of a 100 megaton bomb could have consequences for the entire planet.

Tsar bomb

58 megatons - this is the power of the largest hydrogen bomb exploded at the archipelago test site New Earth. The shock wave circled the globe three times, forcing the opponents of the USSR to once again become convinced of the enormous destructive power of this weapon. Veselchak Khrushchev joked at the plenum that they didn’t make another bomb only for fear of breaking the glass in the Kremlin.

Everyone has already discussed one of the most unpleasant news of December - North Korea's successful testing of a hydrogen bomb. Kim Jong-un did not fail to hint (directly state) that he was ready at any moment to transform weapons from defensive to offensive, which caused an unprecedented stir in the press around the world.

However, there were also optimists who declared that the tests were falsified: they say that the shadow of the Juche is falling in the wrong direction, and somehow the radioactive fallout is not visible. But why is the presence of a hydrogen bomb in the aggressor country such a significant factor for free countries, since even nuclear warheads, which North Korea has in abundance, have never scared anyone so much?

What is this

The hydrogen bomb, also known as the Hydrogen Bomb or HB, is a weapon of incredible destructive power, whose power is measured in megatons of TNT. The principle of operation of HB is based on the energy that is generated during thermonuclear fusion of hydrogen nuclei - exactly the same process occurs in the Sun.

How is a hydrogen bomb different from an atomic bomb?

Nuclear fusion, the process that occurs during the detonation of a hydrogen bomb, is the most powerful type of energy available to humanity. We have not yet learned how to use it for peaceful purposes, but we have adapted it for military purposes. This thermonuclear reaction, similar to what can be seen in stars, releases an incredible flow of energy. In atomic energy, energy is obtained from the fission of the atomic nucleus, so the explosion of an atomic bomb is much weaker.

First test

And the Soviet Union was once again ahead of many participants in the Cold War race. The first hydrogen bomb, manufactured under the leadership of the brilliant Sakharov, was tested at the secret Semipalatinsk test site - and, to put it mildly, they impressed not only scientists, but also Western spies.

Shock wave

The direct destructive effect of a hydrogen bomb is a powerful, highly intense shock wave. Its power depends on the size of the bomb itself and the height at which the charge detonated.

Thermal effect

A hydrogen bomb of only 20 megatons (the size of the largest bomb tested so far is 58 megatons) creates a huge amount of thermal energy: concrete melted within a radius of five kilometers from the test site of the projectile. Within a nine-kilometer radius, all living things will be destroyed; neither equipment nor buildings will survive. The diameter of the crater formed by the explosion will exceed two kilometers, and its depth will fluctuate about fifty meters.

Fire ball

The most spectacular thing after the explosion will seem to observers to be a huge fireball: flaming storms initiated by the detonation of a hydrogen bomb will support themselves, drawing more and more flammable material into the funnel.

Radiation contamination

But the most dangerous consequence of the explosion will, of course, be radiation contamination. The disintegration of heavy elements in a raging fiery whirlwind will fill the atmosphere with tiny particles of radioactive dust - it is so light that when it enters the atmosphere, it can circle the globe two or three times and only then fall out in the form of precipitation. Thus, one explosion of a 100 megaton bomb could have consequences for the entire planet.

Tsar bomb

58 megatons - this is the power of the largest hydrogen bomb exploded at the test site of the Novaya Zemlya archipelago. The shock wave circled the globe three times, forcing the opponents of the USSR to once again become convinced of the enormous destructive power of this weapon. Veselchak Khrushchev joked at the plenum that they didn’t make another bomb only for fear of breaking the glass in the Kremlin.

North Korea announced successful testing of a hydrogen bomb. I figured out how this weapon differs from an atomic bomb.

On Sunday, September 3, North Korea announced it had tested an advanced hydrogen bomb, also known as a thermonuclear bomb. Thus, Pyongyang moved away from experiments with first-generation nuclear weapons. What is the difference between an atomic bomb and the more advanced hydrogen bomb?

Detonation process

The fundamental difference is the detonation process. The explosive force of an atomic bomb - such as that dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - is the result of the sudden release of energy that occurs due to the fission of the nucleus of a heavy chemical element, for example, plutonium. This is a process of division.

A few years after the United States created the first atomic bomb, which was tested in New Mexico, the Americans developed a weapon that was based on the same technology, but with an improved detonation process for a stronger explosion. This weapon was later called a thermonuclear bomb.

The detonation process of such weapons consists of several stages and begins with the detonation of an atomic bomb. This first explosion results in temperatures of several million degrees. This creates enough energy to bring the two nuclei close enough to fuse. This second stage is called synthesis.

A thermonuclear bomb operating on the Teller-Ulam principle consists of two stages: a trigger and a container with thermonuclear fuel. The trigger is a small plutonium nuclear charge with amplification of several kilotons. The purpose of the trigger is to create the necessary conditions for initiating a thermonuclear reaction - high temperature and pressure.

A container with thermonuclear fuel is the main element of a bomb. Inside it there is thermonuclear fuel - lithium-6 deuteride - and, located along the axis of the container, a plutonium rod, which plays the role of a fuse for a thermonuclear reaction. The container shell can be made of either uranium-238 or lead.

The container is covered with a layer of neutron absorber (boron compounds) to protect the thermonuclear fuel from premature heating by neutron fluxes after the trigger explosion. The trigger and container, located coaxially, are filled with a special plastic that conducts radiation from the trigger to the container, and are placed in a bomb body made of steel or aluminum.

When the trigger explodes, 80% of the energy is released in the form of a powerful pulse of soft x-rays, which is absorbed by the second stage shell and plastic filler, which turns into high-temperature plasma under high pressure. As a result of sharp heating of the uranium (lead) shell, ablation of the shell material occurs and jet thrust appears, which, together with the pressure of light and plasma, compresses the second stage. At the same time, its volume decreases several thousand times, and thermonuclear fuel heats up to enormous temperatures.

However, the pressure and temperature are still insufficient to start a thermonuclear reaction, creating necessary conditions provides a plutonium rod, which, as a result of compression, goes into a supercritical state - a nuclear reaction begins inside the container. The neutrons emitted by the plutonium rod as a result of the fission of plutonium nuclei interact with lithium-6 nuclei, resulting in tritium, which further interacts with deuterium.

A Warhead before explosion; the first step is at the top, the second step is at the bottom. Both components of a thermonuclear bomb.
B The explosive detonates the first stage, compressing the plutonium core to a supercritical state and initiating a fission chain reaction.
IN During the cleavage process in the first stage, an X-ray pulse occurs, which propagates along the inside of the shell, penetrating the polystyrene foam filler.
G The second stage contracts due to ablation (evaporation) under the influence of X-rays, and the plutonium rod inside the second stage goes into a supercritical state, initiating a chain reaction, releasing enormous amounts of heat.
D In compressed and heated lithium-6 deuteride, a fusion reaction occurs; the emitted neutron flux initiates the tamper splitting reaction. The fireball expands...

Shape plays a role

Experts say the latest bomb tested by North Korea was significantly different from previous ones and was a chambered device. This suggests that we are talking about a two-stage hydrogen bomb.

“The photographs show a more complete form of a possible hydrogen bomb, where the primary atomic bomb and the secondary fusion stage are combined with each other in the form hourglass"explained Lee Chun Guan, senior researcher at the South Korean State Institute scientific and technological problems.

Different power

The power of a thermonuclear bomb can be hundreds of thousands of times greater than that of an atomic bomb. The explosive force of the latter is often calculated in kilotons. One kiloton is equal to a thousand tons of TNT. The unit of measurement for the power of a thermonuclear bomb is the megaton, or one million tons of TNT.

On Sunday, September 3, North Korea announced it had tested an advanced hydrogen bomb, also known as a thermonuclear bomb. Thus, Pyongyang moved away from experiments with first-generation nuclear weapons. What is the difference between an atomic bomb and the more advanced hydrogen bomb?

Detonation process

The fundamental difference is the detonation process. The explosive force of an atomic bomb - such as the one dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki - is the result of the sudden release of energy that occurs when the nucleus of a heavy chemical element such as plutonium splits. This is a process of division.

A few years after the United States created the first atomic bomb, which was tested in New Mexico, the Americans developed a weapon that was based on the same technology, but with an improved detonation process for a stronger explosion. This weapon was later called a thermonuclear bomb.

The detonation process of such weapons consists of several stages and begins with the detonation of an atomic bomb. This first explosion results in temperatures of several million degrees. This creates enough energy to bring the two nuclei close enough to fuse. This second stage is called synthesis.

Shape plays a role

Experts say the latest bomb tested by North Korea was significantly different from previous ones and was a chambered device. This suggests that we are talking about a two-stage hydrogen bomb.

"The photographs show a more complete form of a possible hydrogen bomb, where the primary atomic bomb and the secondary fusion stage are combined with each other in an hourglass shape," explained Lee Chun Guang, a senior researcher at South Korea's state-run Institute of Science and Technology.

Different power

The power of a thermonuclear bomb can be hundreds of thousands of times greater than that of an atomic bomb. The explosive force of the latter is often calculated in kilotons. One kiloton is equal to a thousand tons of TNT. The unit of measurement for the power of a thermonuclear bomb is the megaton, or million tons of TNT.

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