Scientists conduct subcritical nuclear experiment in Nevada

Associated Press | September 19, 2003

[blam]

"Look at the first “ Littleboy “ test. It was first tested in Japan. We knew it would work from subcritical tests. But did not need to waste the small amount of Uranium we had at the time to prove it first in the US. The Uranium that was used in the subcritical tests. Was then made into the first U bomb and shipped to Japan."

On Monday morning July 16, 1945, the world was changed forever when the first atomic bomb was tested in an isolated area of the New Mexico desert. Conducted in the final month of World War II by the top-secret Manhattan Engineer District, this test was code named Trinity.

[Southack]

Absolutely, but we had two designs. One design was the gun type, and the other design was the implosion type. Trinity tested one, but the other was deemed 100% ready without a test, and so it was first "tested" live in Japan.

[StriperSniper]

cc: Lil' Kim DPRK

[19th LA Inf]

As I understand it, the Littleboy firing mechanism was a more or less conventional cannon which fired a U-235 plug into a U-235 doughnut at the muzzle. I think the cannon design was given to Naval Ordnance engineers who at first were trying to devise a trap of some kind to "catch" the plug if the shot fizzled. They had to be assured by Oppie's boys that they didn't need to worry about that at all.

[quietolong]

What Southack said.
The Trinity test was the Fatman type.


Some good books to read on it:

“Genius “ The Life and Science of Richard Feynman
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0679747044/ref=lib_dp_TFCV/103-2440853-1363069?v=glance&s=books&vi=reader#reader-link

“Dark sun” Making of the H bomb
And
Making of the Atomic bomb
Richard Rhodes

Info on this thread
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/622675/posts?page=52#52

[AdamSelene235]

It means: Our current computer models aren't sufficient, New atomic weapon designs are being studied, And full scale atomic weapons useage is being contemplated.

Excellent. I always thought the computer simulation was a load of happy horsesh*t.

[SunkenCiv]

>> What the heck is this all about?

> Testing a radiological ("dirty") bomb?

Yeah, that's it.

[SunkenCiv]

Quite agree. There's almost no one in the United States who has participated in the design of an atomic warhead, because it has been quite a while. Dozens of countries are working on such programs, mostly in secret (as secretly as they can manage), because they can see Pakistan solicited as an ally of the US, and see North Korea, an enemy, doing what it wants (for now). Something like this will not make them fill their pants, but take a good long look at what they're doing.