RE: Thieves Steal Radioactive Object in Russia report from Pravda

["Bruce Bugg" <obbugg@dmvs.ga.gov>]

Title: RE: Thieves Steal Radioactive Object in Russia report from Pravda

I also wonder what that temperature would do to explosives. If they used a nitroglycerin based explosive like dynamite, the nitroglycerin might start to "sweat" out.  The whole thing could go "boom" at the first pothole. A paper-wrapped explosive could catch fire. I don't know enough about plastic explosives to know the temperature at which they would start to liquefy.

 

I've been to fires involving explosive-laden vehicles, and have seen cast TNT boosters survive inside a fire-engulfed compartment.

 

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Capt. Bruce Bugg
Special Projects Coordinator
Law Enforcement Division
Georgia Department of Motor Vehicle Safety
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-----Original Message-----
From: Franta, Jaroslav [mailto:frantaj@AECL.CA]
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2003 09:07
To: Radsafe (E-mail)
Subject: RE: Thieves Steal Radioactive Object in Russia report from Pravda

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