Re: Fission Efficiency

[Jacques.Read@eh.doe.gov]

One kiloton of TNT is 4 E12 Joules, or the energy given off by 2.5E24 atoms of
Pu fissioning.   That's about 950 grams of Pu per kiloton, or roughly just about
a million times as much energy per unit weight as TNT.    The 14 KT of the
Nagaski bomb fissioned about 13 Kg pf Pu.  So 33% isn't a bad estimate.  Modern
fission "triggers" would be "boosted" and would give a little better yield,
especially if there was a lot of fusion neutrons in the explosion.  Even with
the biggest hydrogen bombs, however, there's always enough of the Pu left over
so that it can be easily picked up in the debris.



************************************************************************
The RADSAFE Frequently Asked Questions list, archives and subscription
information can be accessed at http://www.ehs.uiuc.edu/~rad/radsafe.html