[Nuclear Chemistry] Nuclear Weapons Today

The State of Nuclear Weapons in the World Today

Nukes are strong. Like really strong. They can blow a lot of stuff up in a very short amount of time. This is because of the advancement and progression of nuclear weapons in the world. Through effects of a multitude of factors and events in history nuclear weapons have become one of the biggest and most prominent threats to the world. This is why it is very important to understand exactly what they are, who uses them, why they are important, as well as how they work and why their potential destructive power is so high.

            The dictionary defines a nuclear weapon as "an explosive device whose destructive potential derives from the release of energy that accompanies the splitting or combining of an atomic nuclei." The last part of this definition is also the definition of both fusion and fission. Therefore, there are two ways that nuclear energy can be released from an atom; nuclear fission or nuclear fusion. As explained by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, "nuclear fission is when the nucleus of an atom is split into two smaller fragments by a neutron. This method usually involves isotopes of uranium or plutonium." Nuclear fusion is pretty much the opposite, two smaller atoms are brought together to form a larger one, this usually involves hydrogen or hydrogen isotopes. Two nuclear weapons that use fission and fusion are the atomic bomb and the hydrogen bomb. The atomic bomb releases its power through the process of fission. More specifically, when one free neutron hits the nucleus of an atom of radioactive material such as uranium or plutonium, it knocks more neutrons free. Energy is released when these neutrons are released and these newly freed neutrons strike other uranium and plutonium and releases more and more energy which continues the chain reaction. The hydrogen bomb on the other hand release energy through the process of fusion. Because hydrogen bombs use nuclear fusion instead of fission they have more destructive power than atomic bombs. Inside of a hydrogen bomb isotopes of hydrogen are fused together in extremely high temperatures to form isotopes of helium, this process is also often referred to as a thermonuclear explosion. The first hydrogen bomb was dropped by the U.S on a small island to test its destructive capability.  Its destructive power was equal to several megatons of TNT, had a fireball that was almost 5 kilometers in diameter, and created a mushroom cloud.

           Although the effects of the nuclear reaction occurring inside a hydrogen bomb looks impressive, it is actually very simple.

According to the Atomic Archive, the neutrons that flood the inside of a hydrogen bomb react with the lithium to produce tritium and helium. Since this reaction produces tritium there is no need to include it in the hydrogen bomb itself.

Although the atomic bomb has lower potential destructive power, the way it releases its power is more complicated than the hydrogen bomb. The radioactivity of the uranium that is already in the bomb with release a neutron. This neutron will bombard another atom of ²³⁵U which will then produce an unstable isotope of uranium, namely uranium-236. Since this isotope is unstable it will undergo fission which releases more neutron which restarts the process and produces a chain reaction that happens extremely quickly. Since the uranium can split a dozen different ways there are many different equations showing different possible splits. The following equation shows one possible split int strontium-95, xenon-139, and 2 neutrons (plus some energy obviously). 

Currently nuclear weapons are the most destructive force on the planet. However, even though this is the case only nine countries have them, according to The Independent. Out of the nine only five have legally recognized their nuclear weapons, and North Korea claims to have already carried out it's first hydrogen bomb test. These countries include, Russia, United States, China, France, United Kingdom, Pakistan, India, Israel, and North Korea. The Independent reports, "In total, there are believed to be 16,300 nuclear warheads spread throughout these 9 countries."

Basic and applied research in nuclear weapons:
In the case of nuclear weapons, there aren't many opportunities for an individual to engage in basic research. This is because there isn't much reason for discovering the destructive capabilities of weapons of mass destruction if you aren't going to sell it. However, there are many jobs available for nuclear engineers that would like to work on nuclear weapons. Most of these jobs are at the government because not many companies in the private sector are working on nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons engineers also do pretty well, with the average salary being around $90 thousand a year, and the maximum being $141 thousand a year.

Sources:
http://www.cnduk.org/campaigns/global-abolition/effects-of-nuclear-weapons/item/444-how-do-nuclear-weapons-work
http://www.dictionary.com/browse/nuclear-weapon?s=t
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/the-nine-countries-that-have-nuclear-weapons-a6798756.html
http://www.atomicarchive.com/Fusion/Fusion2.shtml
https://www.boundless.com/chemistry/textbooks/boundless-chemistry-textbook/nuclear-chemistry-19/nuclear-fission-137/the-atomic-bomb-544-3501/
https://www.indeed.com/q-Nuclear-Weapons-Effects-Engineer-jobs.html#jobPostingsAnchor

Youtube video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0dUIq8gHgc