From: jamesd@netcom.com (James A. Donald)
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 94 10:25:36 PDT
To: psmarie@cbis.com
Subject: Re: Nuclear Weapons Material
In-Reply-To: <9408301256.AA03173@focis.sda.cbis.COM>
Message-ID: <199408301723.KAA00736@netcom8.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Paul J. Ste. Marie writes
> What I had heard was the the delays were implemented by varying the
> chemical composition of the explosive lenses around the plutonium
> core to modify their detonation rate.  This prevents replacing the
> electronics to circumvent the security.

This must be deliberate misinformation.  It is relatively easy to
make two explosive lenses that are exactly alike.  It is extremely
difficult to make two explosive lenses that differ by a precisely
known and constant amount.

The security in a nuclear weapon could certainly be defeated by
physically ripping out any encryption electronics and replacing
them with electronics with known and simple behavior.
-- 
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We have the right to defend ourselves and our
property, because of the kind of animals that we              James A. Donald
are.  True law derives from this right, not from
the arbitrary power of the omnipotent state.                jamesd@netcom.com