What is FOGBANK and its role in the US nuclear arsenal?

  • Thread starter cmb
  • Start date
In summary, the FOGBANK mentioned in the conversation could be a fictitious material used in nuclear arsenal to provide active benefits following the rupture of a fission explosion. It is possible that it is some sort of aerogel.
  • #1
cmb
1,128
128
TL;DR Summary
Is 'FOGBANK@ a real stuff or made up?
I was just wondering if anyone had considered what FOGBANK might be, the 'extra magic ingredient' in US nuclear arsenal?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FOGBANK

I can't make out if it is real stuff or just a 'fog bank' of misinformation for potential adversaries;.

Maybe the equivalent of 'red mercury'. The Soviets beat the US to inventing a fictitious material? (Ironic, if you think about it, USSR beat the US to 'not making' something! :lol: )

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_mercury

I mean, if there really is stuff called 'FOGBANK', from a scientific point of view what could it be? Something which provides some active benefit following the rupture of a fission explosion. If the compression of the fusion components is mainly by x-rays, maybe it is some material containing elements that have high x-ray emission spectra in an energy range of interest?

It's feasible I suppose. Sounds more like the outcome of a cold-war on misinformation to me?
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
  • #2
I could tell you. But then I'd have to kill you.
 
  • Haha
  • Love
Likes nsaspook and phinds
  • #3
... or I could trade you for some red mercury?

Don't worry, this is like hiding the truth in plain sight, no-one will believe it ... ;)
 
  • #4
In the first thermonuclear bonds, polystyrene was a "secret" ingredient. That doesn't mean anything mysterious or exotic about it.
 
  • #5
cmb said:
I was just wondering if anyone had considered what FOGBANK might be, the 'extra magic ingredient' in US nuclear arsenal?
Such questions require the answer, "No comment, " from those with knowledge.
 
  • Like
Likes Vanadium 50 and berkeman
  • #6
Pardon my attempt at being different here but I often feel that keeping this mysterious nature around concepts that most scientists with Phd know about is a little ironical, the true non-proliferation mechanism is the fact that getting the materials needed for a bomb is very complicated both logistically and arranging them technically not the basic aspects of nuclear engineering which I think are known to many even outside the field of bomb production.@cmb Well I don't know how far you understand the basic physics here but the secondary which is the fusion part of a thermonuclear weapon is located physically separate from the primary in most designs, so as the primary goes off the first thing it does it releases lots of Xrays mostly also gamma. Em radiation is faster than physical shock waves so now you have this released radiation which you need to use to rapidly heat up the secondary before the physical shock has turned the bomb into dust, all of this happens within the so called radiation waveguide which is the bomb casing inner side.
I think it's called waveguide because of the similarity to RF waveguide phenomena only here one guides a photon flux, even though it's hard to "guide" high energy photons, many due get scattered and reflected against the high Z (atomic number) heavy metal bomb casing walls.

As this happens this photon flux also impacts the secondary. The outer portion of the secondary is also made from a high Z material like U 238, often called a tamper. Something interesting happens here. As the photons hit the heavy tamper material they heat it up and eject it's atoms, aka ionize the tamper, as this is happening the tamper is both heating up and being ablated away (also called tamper ablation) this photon flux pressure as well as matter ejection recoil causes the tamper sphere to implode rapidly.
This compresses the inner fusion fuel to fusion conditions.

But to answer your core questions. Think about it this way. Both the primary and secondary of the bomb are within the bomb casing and they are rather heavy but they need to be held up so that they don't fall down and roll around like candies within a box inside the bomb. In order for the implosion to go as planned the secondary needs to be positioned correctly so that the photon flux can ablate the tamper evenly, if you screw the implosion you don't get the full yield of the bomb and many other problems arise. You need a material that is as transparent to the photon flux as possible so that as many photons from the primary reach the secondary as possible.Also you need the material to have considerable strength and not break apart during handling and storage of the bomb.
This I think is why it's called Fogbank.

It could be some sort of a specific aerogel , but before aerogel or any material x came about I think they used some plastics like @anorlunda said polystyrene etc.

PS. I don't think Soviet security forces created the idiotic red mercury joke, I think it was just a brilliant scam used by smart Russians to scam gullible and stupid westerners into buying worthless cold war era military surplus stuff like old outdated radios, by saying that the vacuum tubes inside those radios contain the "supersecret" voodoo God like substance :D
It's just an urban legend that some used to get rich quickly.
Believe it or not I once sold an old USSR radio which was quite popular around here, many potential customers on Ebay asked me can I open up the box and photograph the tubes, I asked why? They told me they are looking for a red substance in them...
:D
This right here ladies and gentleman are how hoaxes and conspiracies are born, all I had to do is say to them that indeed all the tubes are just overflowing with red liquid.
One guy was willing to pay me twice the asking price, I'm not joking this is true, I was amazed myself at how uneducated and lacking in critical thinking some folks can be.
 
Last edited:
  • #7
OK, so basically it is probably not some feature which 'modifies and improves' the X-ray ablation process, but quite the opposite is a robust structural component with good dimensional stability that 'minimises any modification' to that process.

Makes sense to me ... thanks.
 

1. What is FOGBANK?

FOGBANK is a highly classified material used in the production of nuclear weapons in the United States. It is a unique type of foam that is used as a key component in the thermonuclear warhead of the US nuclear arsenal.

2. How is FOGBANK made?

The exact process of making FOGBANK is highly classified, but it is known that it involves the use of a special type of foam that is mixed with other materials to create a solid, stable form. The process is complex and requires strict control to ensure the quality and consistency of the FOGBANK produced.

3. What is the role of FOGBANK in the US nuclear arsenal?

FOGBANK plays a critical role in the production of thermonuclear warheads, which are the most powerful type of nuclear weapons in the US arsenal. It is used as a key component in the secondary stage of the warhead, where it helps to amplify the explosive force of the primary stage.

4. Is FOGBANK dangerous?

FOGBANK itself is not dangerous, as it is a stable material and does not pose any radiation or chemical hazards. However, it is used in the production of nuclear weapons, which can be dangerous if not handled properly. Strict safety protocols are in place to ensure the safe handling and storage of FOGBANK.

5. Why is FOGBANK so secretive?

FOGBANK is highly secretive due to its role in the production of nuclear weapons. The US government closely guards the details of its production and composition to prevent other countries or organizations from obtaining this critical material and using it to develop their own nuclear weapons.

Similar threads

Replies
1
Views
698
  • Sci-Fi Writing and World Building
Replies
15
Views
3K
  • MATLAB, Maple, Mathematica, LaTeX
Replies
5
Views
3K
Back
Top