Hydrogen bomb explosion
Picture copied from:
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/photocredit/achievers/tel0-054
A rocky start:
Edward Teller would be Known as the "father
of the H-momb", which he called the "Super". The road to build
the H-bomb was not simple or direct. Teller had been researching the
idea of a fusion bomb since shortly after initially discussing the
fission bomb. While at Los Alamos working on the Manhattan Project
Teller fought to spend more time and energy on the fusion bomb project,
he met resistance. After the end of W.W.II he would face even greater
opposition from the political arena and also from the scientific
community. The ultimate key to progress was fear that the Russians
would be the only ones with the bomb. Shortly after evidence was
discovered that the
soviets were testing bombs. President Truman directed the Atomic Energy
Commission to continue work on all forms of atomic weapons. This
decision had many more opponents than proponents.
The project builds steam:
The opposition to the H-bomb project would continue to make work on the project difficult. But Teller did return to Los Alamos to continue research. He had difficulty in recruiting scientists to work with him but was able to built an effective team. The basic problem of the team at that point was how to generate enough heat to start a thermonuclear reaction. Deuterium an isotope of hydrogen which was economical to get, it being found in almost limitless supplies in sea water, would need a temperature of 400 million degrees. Which is much larger that the 50 million produced by a nuclear explosion. Another isotope of hydrogen tritium could provide the answer. When mixed with deuterium the combination would need only 80 million degrees to begin fusion. The initial fusion of tritium would create higher temperatures leading to the fusion of deuterium. Tritium however is not found in nature and is very expensive to produce. Those opposed to the project would also still dog Teller. Unlike the fission bomb, which was created during a time of war and whose science had value as a potential source of energy, the fusion bomb was being build for no other reason than to build a bigger bomb. Other concerns were the creation of large quantities of radioactive carbon-14 which could pollute the atmosphere making it unfit for human habitation.
Minor set back:
Calculations of results for the original designs of the "Super" which were run on early computers failed to produce a sustainable fusion reaction. Teller became depressed and began a downward spiral until. Ferdinand Brickwedde a cryogenic physicist would bring a possible solution to Teller's attention for one of the problems. In order to reduce the size of the bomb the deuterium needed to be in liquid form, this would reduce the volume of the deuterium by 800 times. To do this the deuterium would need t be kept at -252 degrees centigrade. Ferdinand solved this problem by cooling the deuterium-tritium mixture with liquid hydrogen.
Success:
The design including the cooling of the isotope mixture and and compression by radiation would be the design tested during the Greenhouse George test. A failure could mean the end of the program even though Teller already had improvements to be made. One of these was to allow the initial atomic explosion to create the tritium from lithium which would fuse with the deuterium explosively the moment it ws created. On May 8, 1951 the Greenhouse George test was successful on Eniwetok, a small atoll in the Marshall Islands. "Teller messaged Los Alamos: "It's a boy!" Teller had become the "father of the H-bomb."
The aftermath:
In November of 1951 Teller would leave Los Alamos due to displeasure in the future work to be done on the H-bomb and the timetable that would be used. He returned to the University of Chicago. In March 1952 the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was created. Teller was a major supporter of its foundation and would work there and promote the lab for many years.
The project builds steam:
The opposition to the H-bomb project would continue to make work on the project difficult. But Teller did return to Los Alamos to continue research. He had difficulty in recruiting scientists to work with him but was able to built an effective team. The basic problem of the team at that point was how to generate enough heat to start a thermonuclear reaction. Deuterium an isotope of hydrogen which was economical to get, it being found in almost limitless supplies in sea water, would need a temperature of 400 million degrees. Which is much larger that the 50 million produced by a nuclear explosion. Another isotope of hydrogen tritium could provide the answer. When mixed with deuterium the combination would need only 80 million degrees to begin fusion. The initial fusion of tritium would create higher temperatures leading to the fusion of deuterium. Tritium however is not found in nature and is very expensive to produce. Those opposed to the project would also still dog Teller. Unlike the fission bomb, which was created during a time of war and whose science had value as a potential source of energy, the fusion bomb was being build for no other reason than to build a bigger bomb. Other concerns were the creation of large quantities of radioactive carbon-14 which could pollute the atmosphere making it unfit for human habitation.
Minor set back:
Calculations of results for the original designs of the "Super" which were run on early computers failed to produce a sustainable fusion reaction. Teller became depressed and began a downward spiral until. Ferdinand Brickwedde a cryogenic physicist would bring a possible solution to Teller's attention for one of the problems. In order to reduce the size of the bomb the deuterium needed to be in liquid form, this would reduce the volume of the deuterium by 800 times. To do this the deuterium would need t be kept at -252 degrees centigrade. Ferdinand solved this problem by cooling the deuterium-tritium mixture with liquid hydrogen.
Success:
The design including the cooling of the isotope mixture and and compression by radiation would be the design tested during the Greenhouse George test. A failure could mean the end of the program even though Teller already had improvements to be made. One of these was to allow the initial atomic explosion to create the tritium from lithium which would fuse with the deuterium explosively the moment it ws created. On May 8, 1951 the Greenhouse George test was successful on Eniwetok, a small atoll in the Marshall Islands. "Teller messaged Los Alamos: "It's a boy!" Teller had become the "father of the H-bomb."
The aftermath:
In November of 1951 Teller would leave Los Alamos due to displeasure in the future work to be done on the H-bomb and the timetable that would be used. He returned to the University of Chicago. In March 1952 the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory was created. Teller was a major supporter of its foundation and would work there and promote the lab for many years.