From: nobody@REPLAY.COM (Anonymous)
Date: Tue, 7 Oct 1997 03:34:03 +0800
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: The Important Question / Re: russia_1.html
Message-ID: <199710061921.VAA10516@basement.replay.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Paul Pomes wrote:
> 
> Even a fizzle with a yield in the hundreds of tons equivalent is respectable.
> Plutonium decay products have a high neutron cross-section and steal the
> fast neutrons necessary for the chain reaction to build.  Sufficient amounts
> can kill off the last three or more re-doublings which is where most of the
> explosive power comes from.  On the other hand finely dispersed Pu and
> other fission products plus the irradiated material that becomes radioactive
> will make a few square miles dangerous to inhabit for several years.

Bill Frantz wrote:
> Plutonium has a half life on the order
> of 250,000 years, so very little decay products would build up in 6 years.
> The tritium used in thermonuclear weapons has a much shorter half life, and
> would need to be replaced about that often.

But the _important_ question is: "Where do connect the 'yellow' wire?"