Oct 252011
U.S.’s most powerful nuclear bomb being dismantled
It’s an antique with little to no utility in the modern world, but it’s still sad to see the line end with a whimper. At the very least, the last B53 should have been detonated somewhere just to remind people what a nuke can do.
10 Responses to “No More B53’s”
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Ironically, detonating one of these things might have helped Obama to win another term in the White House.
Don’t let him hear that.
How ironic for pinheaded teabaggers that he did. LOL
Zing! Only took you *how* long to dream that up?
Nice idea, but finding a “safe” place to blow off 9 megatons is a bit difficult these days.
Against an asteroid perhaps, as a deflection test. The Orion pulse charges might actually be better for that sort of thing though.
US goverment must allow UCRL to test a GNOMON device during Redwing-at its full yield….
P.S. For a people that not familiar with this ….Yield of the GNOMON device was 1,000 megatons or 1 begaton ( as at this time this term was in usage for a gigaton).GNOMON was only a primary for a device named SUNDIAL that yielded 10,000 megatons.After Morgenstern and by summer 1955 (with advent of XW-27) this is was only major TN program at Livermore.There was a GNOMON group at Lab at >1 year timeframe,after this GNOMON has been reduced to the level of a study program. SUNDIAL was simply a billion-ton Alarm Clock turned to the radiation implosion device, and GNOMON has been derived from the its heart.Unfortunately data on these devices has been deleted from the Chuck Hansen’s documents. But very probably that GNOMON was a 4-stage device. LASL also worked on the 1,000-megaton device named TAV.
> Yield of the GNOMON device was 1,000 megatons
What’s the documentation on this?
Well ,i’m a nuclear astrophysicist.I’m now interested in these devices.The main point ,that Hansen’s second Swords only a compilation.
Documents :
1.MINUTES FORTY-FIRST MEETING OF THE GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE U.S. AEC JULY 12, 13, 14, AND 15, 1954 ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO AND LOS ALAMOS, NEW MEXICO (DELETED)
Hansen has seen only a first version -Document Pages: 0067
Accession Number: NV0073403
Document Number(s): AECGAC41
Originating Research Org.: ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION-GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTE
OpenNet Entry Date: 1994 Aug 26
More good version on the OPEN NET-
Document Type Other: MEETING MINUTES
Publication Date: 1954 Jul 15
Declassification Status: Sanitized
Document Pages: 0073
Accession Number: NV0411974
Document Number(s): AEC-GAC 41
Originating Research Org.: AEC-GENERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
OpenNet Entry Date: 2006 Feb 13
Part of content :
Livermore TN plans 32
SUNDIAL and GNOMON 33.
Possible Gnomon tests.34.
From the first version the GNOMON deleted even from the content.From the first version p.33 completely deleted(this is SIGMA 1 information).
Only on page 55 GAC members discussed Livermore program.
Quotes were :
Dr.Fisk said that he felt that Committee could endorse small weapon program.He was concerned ,however ,about Dr.Eward Teller’s 10,000 MT gadget and wondered what fraction of the Laboratory’s effort was being expended on deleted .Mr.Whitman had been shocked by thought of 10,000 MT;it would contaminate the earth.
In new version a bit better :
“Turning to another topic, Dr.Teller said he wished to comment on the possibility of much bigger bangs.
Description of these devices again deleted….Dr.Teller said the gadget would not present any appreciable problem aside from the GNOMON.If latter begins to look good Livermore might want to test it.”
2.Memorandum for File dated October 26, 1954 from J. K. Mansfield, subject: Trip to Los Alamos
and Livermore.JCAE file.Formely classified Top Secret.Hansen ‘s collection Box.20.folder 3.
Livermore.
Sundial.
Livermore is continuing its calculations upon a very high yield weapon in the begaton category. The thought is to make one-billion -ton ALARM CLOCK which would be deleted…-characteristic of the two stage weapon -becomes unimportant.Any devices of this nature would of course be huge ,and very probably only be ship -transported.Although this is still very much in the preliminary stage ,Livermore thinks it may be possible to test the primary of a such weapon (called a GNOMON after SUNDIAL) in the next Pacific tests.”
Los Alamos.
Very high yield weapons.
Altough Lasl is not now engaged in any inquires into this,Carson Mark said he saw no reason why the two stage approach could not be extrpolated to a point where weapons might give yields in the begaton range. The limiting factor,of course ,would be cost and delivery .In principle,at least ,however,it appears perfectly feasible to design a two stage weapon which might be size of submarine and then exploded with resultant tidal waves.Deleted”.
3.STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER THOMAS E. MURRAY AT HEARINGS BEFORE THE JOINT COMMITTEE ON ATOMIC ENERGY – FEB. 23, 1956.
“For today there is a requirement for a 100 MT weapon within prescribed limits of space and weight.One of our laboratories reports that it appears feasible to attain this yield within these limitations.In a different context, a report by our Livermore laboratory even talks of a begaton weapon,that is 1,000 megatons.”
4.AEC NUCLEAR POWER FOR ROCKETS – REPORT TO THE GENERAL MANAGER BY THE DIRECTOR OF MILITARY APPLICATION (NUCLEAR ROCKET PROPULSION).
Appendix C.-Letter from Dr.Herbert York to Col.Starbird dated 2 september 1955.
2. Dr. deleted (but this is John Foster) is a physicist,was previously head of Gnomon group and Bulk Measurements group at Livermore.Gnomon was reduced to the level of a study program with advent of XW-27 responsibility and,along with Bulk Measurements program ,combined with other large weapons programs.
5. The most important document-TECHNICAL ESTIMATES RELATING TO FUTURE WEAPONS ,8 JUNE,1955.There ,in fact most important document,that so far has been released.Its kills everything that has been written on US program by pseudoscientists.
This document is a DMA technical report.Document is SECRET-RD and in 1987 has been determined to be NOT DECLASSIFIABLE.
But in the 1995 a super-sanitized version of this report has been released.
Class A.Lasl believs that starting with…Deleted.
class B.Lasl believs..Deleted.
Classes C-F.
Clean weapons/dirty weapons.Both LASL and UCRL are studying the problem of..Deleted.relating to ultra-high yield devices.
GNOMON. Description deleted. No test plans for this device exist at present.
TAV.Description deleted.No tests of this device are currently planned.
SUNDIAL.All deleted.
This is very unlikely that this is possible to obtain a better version of this report.