I guess that 40W is the thermal output of the 1,500 Ci source (electrical output would be something like 2-3 W). What's interesting is that this is enough to generate a "300-400 degrees Celsius" surface temperature, even without any insulation.... if this were an RGPu (sub-)critical mass, with a heat output 2-3 times as high (~110W minimum, with no subcritical fission amplification), then its temperature would be way over the alpha-phase transition point (115 °C) and very likely also over the melting point too (639°C) - particularly once installed in a bomb core, with layers of material acting as insulation.
Oh well, so much for the horror stories of RGPu terrorist bombs....
Jaro
-----Original Message-----
From: modsafety@GTNET.GOV.UK [mailto:modsafety@GTNET.GOV.UK]
Sent: Wednesday May 28, 2003 3:02 AM
To: RADSAFE
Cc: DSEFPOL-all other staff
Subject: Thieves Steal Radioactive Object in Russia report from Pravda
Thieves Steal Radioactive Object in Russia report from Pravda
A very dangerous radioactive cylinder was stolen and then thrown into the
Baltic Sea
http://english.pravda.ru/accidents/21/97/384/9772_radioactive.html
On March 28, a radiation source, RIT-90, was taken out of the Baltic Sea in
the Leningrad region. The source contained 1,500 curies of
radioactive strontium-90. The operation was successfully conducted by
specialists from the Russian Northwest region's storer of low-radioactive
wastes, Rodan.
Unknown ecological vandals plundered a desolate beacon and stole about 500
kilos of stainless steel, aluminum and lead. They then threw a hot
(300-400 degrees Celsius) radioactive cylinder into the sea, some 200 meters
from the beacon. The cylinder (which weighed five kilograms) melted through
about 70 centimeters of ice, reached the seafloor and plunged into the
frozen sand.
<snip>