Nuclear weapon design

2-stage nuclear fission/fusion weapon

smallest amount of fissile material needed for a sustained nuclear chain reaction

uranium in which the proportion of uranium-235 has been increased through the process of isotope separation

explosion that occurs as a result of rapid release of energy from a nuclear reaction (fission or fusion)

material capable of sustaining a nuclear fission chain reaction

Material that reflects neutrons

process by which nuclear WMDs are designed and produced

energy released in nuclear weapons explosions

type of nuclear bomb that uses a small amount of fusion fuel to increase the rate, and thus yield, of a fission reaction

highly specialized shaped charge

core of an implosion weapon

"Off we go into the wild blue yonder"

Hypothetical nuclear weapon

fission-based nuclear weapon

technology and systems used to place nuclear weaponry at the point of detonation

weapon type

sustained nuclear fission achieved solely by prompt neutron emission

Fogbank (stylized as FOGBANK) is a code name given to a secret material used in the W76, W78 and W88 nuclear warheads that are part of the United States nuclear arsenal. The process to create Fogbank was lost by 2000, when it was needed for the refurbishment of old warheads. Fogbank was then reverse engineered by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), over a span of five years, and at the cost of tens of millions of dollars.

neutron source used in some nuclear weapons

Detonator fired by electric current

nuclear material