Wikipedia says 50Mt was the actual yield and that it would have been 100Mt had they not reduced it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Bomba On Sat, May 31, 2014 at 3:47 AM, RussellMc wrote: > On 31 May 2014 18:21, Sean Breheny wrote: > > > ... > > Consider, for example, that most of the energy in a multi-megaton > > thermonuclear bomb comes from fission of the large U 238 tamper which > > surrounds the secondary stage. > > > Interest only - The "Tsar Bomba" - largest H bomb ever, had a large amou= nt > of its tamper made from lead to reduce the yield to "just about manageabl= e > levels". > About 25 MT, would have been closer to 50 MT at full spec. It was a whol= ly > impractical device and would never have been able to be "weaponised" - th= at > was not the aim. Lots of notice was given as the idea was for it to be > "making a point" at a delicate moment in international politics - and > detonation was at Nova Zemla on upper edge of USSR territory - so US were > able to fly observation planes in the area. The story goes - maybe not > true, but a good one - that the US sampling plane was closer to the > detonation point than the rapidly fleeing release plane at the time of > detonation and that the US plane came back with scorched paint. What fun > they must have had !!! :-) > Good stuff that U238. > > > > Russell > -- > http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive > View/change your membership options at > http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist > --=20 http://www.piclist.com/techref/piclist PIC/SX FAQ & list archive View/change your membership options at http://mailman.mit.edu/mailman/listinfo/piclist .