Nuclear weapons

 By 

     Raghav V. Budur


A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission  or from a combination of fission and fusion reactions .


How does a nuclear weapon work in simple terms?


At the center of every atom is a nucleus. Breaking that nucleus apart—or combining two nuclei together—can release large amounts of energy. Nuclear weapons use that energy to create an explosion. Modern nuclear weapons work by combining chemical explosives, nuclear fission, and nuclear fusion.


Fission and Fusion


During fission, the nuclei of certain heavy atoms split into smaller, lighter nuclei, releasing excess energy in the process. A neutron is shot at the nucleus and is absorbed, causing instability and fission. In some elements—such as certain isotopes of uranium and plutonium—the fission process also releases excess neutrons, which can trigger a chain reaction if they’re absorbed by nearby atoms.

Fusion works in reverse: when exposed to extremely high temperatures and pressures, some lightweight nuclei can fuse together to form heavier nuclei, releasing energy in the process.


Now why  are uranium and plutonium  often mentioned when nuclear weapons are talked about?


Only certain isotopes of certain elements can undergo fission . Plutonium-239 and uranium-235 are the most common isotopes used in nuclear weapons . ( an isotope is a variation of the same element with different numbers of neutrons in the nucleus) 


Acquiring uranium and plutonium


Uranium is found throughout the world and can be mined from mineral deposits . However, only a small fraction (less than one percent) of naturally occurring uranium is uranium-235. Producing usable uranium requires a process of “enrichment,” in which different uranium isotopes are separated and concentrated. This is extremely costly, difficult, and time-consuming, and is one of the central barriers to constructing a nuclear bomb 

Plutonium can also be used, but only occurs naturally in trace amounts. It can, however, be produced as a fission byproduct in nuclear reactors, then separated by a process called “reprocessing.” Plutonium separation is easier than uranium enrichment—it involves separating different elements, not different isotopes of the same element—but it’s a highly radioactive process that requires heavily shielded facilities with remote-handling equipment.


Some facts

• 92% of the nuclear weapons are controlled just by the US and Russia
• South Africa used to be in possession of 6 nuclear weapons, which they later dismantled. Making South Africa the only country to Acquire them and get rid of them voluntarily.
• Ukraine after they declared independence from the Soviet Union , found themselves with possession of over 3000 nuclear weapons. However they decided to hand them all over to Russia in return that their borders would be respected.
• Similar stuff happened to Belarus and Kazakhstan (what happened with Ukraine )and these to countries acceded to the Nuclear  Non Proliferation Treaty.


Thank you!


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