Search found 145 matches

by TheRadicalModerate
Fri Nov 02, 2007 4:16 am
Forum: Implications
Topic: Polywell and Proliferation
Replies: 39
Views: 42699

Let me add that since you are working with solutions that have the potential to go critical due to water moderation you have minimum size requirements to maintain a dilute enough solution to prevent criticality problems. On the other thread, I thought you were describing a system where you'd have a...
by TheRadicalModerate
Fri Nov 02, 2007 4:12 am
Forum: Implications
Topic: Polywell and Proliferation
Replies: 39
Views: 42699

As neutron sources IEC devices are old hat. As far as a rogue group building an IEC device as a neutron source... if all you want is a bomb.... why go the route via IEC. Does this represent a shortcut compared to the traditional ten thousand centrifuges ? My guess is no. To do Pu-239 breeding, you ...
by TheRadicalModerate
Fri Nov 02, 2007 4:09 am
Forum: Implications
Topic: Polywell and Proliferation
Replies: 39
Views: 42699

Even chemical separation will be radiation intensive. There will be a lot of fission products to go with the Pu239. Radioactivity can be detected from a distance. Several objections: First, you'll get no isotope sniffing hits off of the fusion machine itself. If I were a savvy terrorist, I'd do a n...
by TheRadicalModerate
Thu Nov 01, 2007 10:07 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Dr. Bussard's Final Interview
Replies: 53
Views: 44338

I started another thread on the proliferation issue over in the implicationsforum.
by TheRadicalModerate
Thu Nov 01, 2007 9:54 pm
Forum: Implications
Topic: Polywell and Proliferation
Replies: 39
Views: 42699

Polywell and Proliferation

Hi All-- This topic emerged over on another thread here: . Seems like it really belongs over in this forum. Here's the issue: Today, there are two ways to make stuff for nuclear weapons: 1) You can enrich uranium to produce highly enriched U-235 (often abbreviated HEU). This is hard because you have...
by TheRadicalModerate
Thu Nov 01, 2007 4:47 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Dr. Bussard's Final Interview
Replies: 53
Views: 44338

Uh, so isn't this likely to become a big fat hairy deal for the (rational) non-proliferation policy crowd and the (hysterical) Radiation Is Scary and Therefore Bad crowd? Up until now, the lynchpin of Pu-239 control has been that you needed a reactor to get a beefy enough neutron source, and reactor...
by TheRadicalModerate
Wed Oct 31, 2007 4:32 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Dr. Bussard's Final Interview
Replies: 53
Views: 44338

Doesn't U-238 have a fairly lousy cross-section with fast neutrons?
by TheRadicalModerate
Tue Oct 16, 2007 6:11 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Dr. Bussard's Final Interview
Replies: 53
Views: 44338

Indrek-- I couldn't tell if your "cloak and dagger" comment was directed at me or somebody else. In case it was intended for me, I apologize for being excessively terse. I'm more interested in figuring out what the development strategy is than looking for conspiracies. Is the secrecy associated with...
by TheRadicalModerate
Tue Oct 16, 2007 4:27 pm
Forum: News
Topic: Dr. Bussard's Final Interview
Replies: 53
Views: 44338

Simon--

Could you explain why your sources are so leery of going on the record?
by TheRadicalModerate
Thu Oct 04, 2007 4:28 pm
Forum: Fund-Raising
Topic: Funding Status Requested
Replies: 5
Views: 7762

Funding Status Requested

What's the story with the announcement on the funding?

Do we know what the hold-up is?

Is it for-real?

Does the lack of a public announcement indicate that ONR is going to classify the work?