DavidCd
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- 1
Okay, you all are my last hope, as my last brain cell just dripped out of my ear from searching and calculating.
I am needing a scenario for a novel, one where I'd like to get the physics for the detonation portion at least mostly accurate. I wish to employ a pure fusion weapon -- yes, I know, they don't exist -- however, I've read about how the energy release differs from a typical fission warhead or fission-fusion hybrid, in that the majority of energy released from a pure fusion weapon would be a majority of neutrons, which would lead to many more deaths than a typical (see above) warhead.
My question is...what lethality are we talking about? I can only find small numbers, yet no formulas for calculating the range, which I'd assume involves inverse squaring of some number because of the dissipation of neutrons over a distance.
http://www.ieer.org/reports/fusion/chap4.html has some info.
So, the question in a more straightforward fashion.
I need the weapon to be able to kill 1 million people. Assume a population density of 20000 people/sq mile.
I understand that 4.5Gy is lethal to 50% of those exposed. >8Gy is generally always lethal.
If 80% of a pure fusion weapon yield is neutron radiation, how big does the weapon need to be?
Thanks in advance. :)
I am needing a scenario for a novel, one where I'd like to get the physics for the detonation portion at least mostly accurate. I wish to employ a pure fusion weapon -- yes, I know, they don't exist -- however, I've read about how the energy release differs from a typical fission warhead or fission-fusion hybrid, in that the majority of energy released from a pure fusion weapon would be a majority of neutrons, which would lead to many more deaths than a typical (see above) warhead.
My question is...what lethality are we talking about? I can only find small numbers, yet no formulas for calculating the range, which I'd assume involves inverse squaring of some number because of the dissipation of neutrons over a distance.
http://www.ieer.org/reports/fusion/chap4.html has some info.
So, the question in a more straightforward fashion.
I need the weapon to be able to kill 1 million people. Assume a population density of 20000 people/sq mile.
I understand that 4.5Gy is lethal to 50% of those exposed. >8Gy is generally always lethal.
If 80% of a pure fusion weapon yield is neutron radiation, how big does the weapon need to be?
Thanks in advance. :)