RE: What is Weapons Grade - RGPu NOT bomb tested

["Michael C. Baker" <mcbaker@lanl.gov>]

Another reference you may want to take a look at is,

J. Carson Mark, "Explosive Properties of Reactor-Grade Plutonium," Science 
& Global Security, Vol. 4, pp. 111-128, 1993

His conclusions include the following:

1.  Reactor-grade plutonium with any level of irradiation is a potentially 
explosive material.

2.  The difficulties of developing an effective design of the most 
straightforward type are not appreciably greater with reactor-grade 
plutonium than those that have to be met for the use of weapons-grade 
plutonium.

J. Carson Mark was the director of the Theoretical Division at Los Alamos 
National Laboratory (1947-1972)

Mike

__________________________
Michael C. Baker

Environmental Technology Group
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Mail Stop J594
Los Alamos, NM 87545

mcbaker@lanl.gov

(505) 667-7334 (phone)
(505) 665-8346 (fax)
(505) 996-3519 (pager)
__________________________


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