looking for documentation for 1963 minuteman missile computer

From: Gene Buckle <geneb_at_deltasoft.com>
Date: Wed Oct 17 11:51:32 2001

> > > There are tricks to getting the critical radius down to lower values...
> > >
> > Hmmm. Well, like I said, I'm not a weapon designer. I don't even play
> > one on TV. :)
> >
> > (does the trick involve Tritium, or is that just a yield enhancer for
> > implosion types?)
>
> The tricks usually involve things like surrounding the implosion core
> with a neutron reflector which can reduce the critical mass by a factor
> of two (from 11 kg to 5 kg or so for Pu).
>
Ahhh, ok.
 
> For some reason I don't understand and haven't looked into, it's possible
> to get a critical mass as low as 1 kg using plutonium nitrate solution
> in a stainless steel implosion sphere. Yield would probably be a few kilotons.
>
You mean a _liquid_ in an implosion sphere? Wild.
 
> Tritium is a yeild enhancer. Turns your A bomb into an H bomb.

That's what I figured. I've heard that the Tritium needs to be replaced
on a regular basis due to decay...

g.
Received on Wed Oct 17 2001 - 11:51:32 BST