The Iranians are almost there - this is how they did it

algemeiner.com ^

[djone]

Iran is now closer than ever — probably in the latter stages of perfecting an atomic bomb with a multipoint detonation mechanism, compact enough to insert into a Shahab-3 missile nosecone....Pakistan helped Iran start...far enough to reach Israel— airburst at 600 meters...The reason Iran’s pursuit of an airburst detonation of approximately 600 meters is so troubling to IAEA inspector is because the inspectors know their history. The atomic bombs dropped over Hiroshima and Nagasaki were designed to detonate as an airburst—at 600 meters...."

[djone]

"In its August 30, 2012 report summary, the IAEA concluded that it was more or less giving up: “As Iran is not providing the necessary cooperation,” the IAEA stated, “the Agency is unable to provide credible assurance about the absence of undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran, and therefore to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is in peaceful activities”

[Viennacon]

Hans Blix will be very, very angry with them, and he will write them a letter, telling them how angry he is.

[Viennacon]

[glorgau]

A super-precise, multipoint detonating trigger would be needed to initiate the atomic chain reaction that will produce the bomb with its mushroom cloud. The deadly spheroid cannot just be match-lit with a fuse or beat with a hammer. Such a device must be detonated with a super-sophisticated nuclear trigger engineered with the extraordinary precision and synchrony requisite to initiate the implosion.

Not as I've heard. Of the first two atomic bombs, Fat Man used this method (probably more efficient) with Plutonium, Little Boy just shot one chunk of Uranium into another to achieve critical mass.

[Navy Patriot]

A very detailed and exceptional article.

One wonders if the Iranians will share their nuclear warheads with the Muslim brotherhood.

After the completion of the MB takeover, Iranian made missiles and warheads could be moved across Syria and launched from Lebanon. So Israel would be allowed to uselessly retaliate against Lebanon.

Probably all part of the Halfrican Muslim's plan.

[chrisser]

I’m no nuclear engineer, but could it be that this type of trigger is necessitated by the confines of the scud missile Iran wants this device to fit within?

Fat Man and Little Boy were pretty large devices by comparison, IIRC.

[doorgunner69]

There are Freepers with far better knowledge of nuke design than I have. I would have to re-read just what this implosion design is to form a better idea of how it differs from the classic Fat Man. Sounds like a few unique aspects, possibly to reduce diameter.

Fitting a spherical system into a smaller missile nosecone is an issue. Why the US invented the non-spheroidal design first used in the Polaris warhead. The older, bigger Titan used a more conventional warhead design.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks djone.

[Oztrich Boy]

I’m no nuclear engineer, but could it be that this type of trigger is necessitated by the confines of the scud missile Iran wants this device to fit within?

Not really. the Shahab-3 can carry a warhead up to 2200lb and 47" diameter.

While that's smaller than the 1st gen weapons it's capable of carrying 2d gen weapons like US W-7 (tested 1951) or the UK Red Beard (tested 1956) both c. 1000-1200lb 30" diameter.

For Iran's Bomb 1, the comparison might be late 50's technology

• 40KT W-31 30" diameter 1000lbs
• 10KT W-40 18" diameter 400lbs - or UK Indigo Hammer (1957 test)of similar yield, weight, size

(There were smaller lighter weapons like the W-45 and W-54, but they were sub-kiloton yield)

[chrisser]

Wow. Thanks for that info.

Is the Iranian design a pretty conventional one? It seems awfully complicated. Perhaps I didn’t realize how difficult the engineering is.

[Oztrich Boy]

Is the Iranian design a pretty conventional one?

Who knows? I was assuming a best case scenario based on eraly nuclear technologu. Which also includes

Orange Herald UK uranium fission bomb 36" diameter c4000lbs 720 Megatons

Fortunantely apart from being too heavy for Iran's missiles, it would also take their enrichment plants 3-4 years to produce ebough wepons grafe HEU for one of them

But

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Worst case Scenatio: The 50s was also the time the advanced nuclear nations got smart, as developed 2 point ignition (elegant: looks simple, but takes a lot of mathematics to work out the controlled explosive compression required. But once done, your laughing) which shrank a Nagasaki sized physics package to 14" diameter. maybe 200-300lbs - and a high kiloton device to maybe twice that weight.

eg. From the abandoned* Swedish weapons program 1945-68, c. mid 50s

* because they caught non-proliferation, not because it was technically beyond them.