stussy_demon Report This Comment Date: January 25, 2005 06:08PM
Test:Romeo; Date:March 26, 1954;
Operation:Castle; Site:Barge in the Bravo crater, Bikini atoll;
Detonation:Barge Shot; Yield:11 Mgt; Type:Fission/Fusion;
Originally Romeo test was the 6th in the Operation Castle schedule. However,
extremely successful Bravo test changed the schedule, and Romeo has been moved
to second position. The device used in the Romeo test, Runt I, was a larger
version of the device used in Bravo test. It measured 224.9 inches in length,
and had a diameter of 61.4 vs. 179.5x53.9 in Bravo device. The difference was in
the fuel. Runt I used inexpensive, unenriched Lithium (7.5% Li6 isotope)
deuteride. Original yield projection was 4 mgt, with the range of 1.5Mgt-7Mgt.
As you can see no one was certain how this device would work. Mainly it was an
experiment to see if the cheap thermonuclear fuel would work.
After Bravo test the projected yield has been doubled, 8Mgt, and the maximum
yield increased to 15 Mgt. The explosion yielded 11 Mgt. Hence, it was almost 3
times higher than the original prediction.
Romeo was the first US nuclear test conducted on the barge. Considering that
multi-megaton explosions were practically costing an island per explosion, there
were no other choices. For the reference, the Romeo barge has been anchored in
the Bravo crater.
stussy_demon Report This Comment Date: January 25, 2005 06:11PM
"Extremely successful Bravo test"....I quote....
Bravo..."Unexpectedly, the high yield in conjunction with bad weather
conditions produced the worst radiological catastrophe in US nuclear testing
history. The whole Bikini atoll was contaminated and eventually the Green Zone
was increased to 850Mi diameter circle. A number of US personnel, Marshallese
and Japanese fishermen were exposed to dangerous levels of radiation."
Comments please...this is purely staged as a *debate* not a direct dig at
America.
Bob Report This Comment Date: January 25, 2005 06:27PM
a powerful image indeed, mankinds inventivness coupled with mankinds self
destructive tendancies. How anyone could have a clear conscience after using a
a-bomb on people is a mystery to me. I don't see why countries don't just get
together and get rid of these abominations and take one step back to humans
being 'intelligent beings'. Anyway Interesting story to go with the pic.
Anonymous Report This Comment Date: January 25, 2005 10:06PM
Yes, interesting details. Thanks stussy.
Bob- if you want to get a tiny taste of addiction of the nuclear genie, try
playing [
globalconflict.org] . It is essentially Risk, with tech advancement, all
the way to stealth bombers and nuclear missles. Conventional war is a matter of
force size and strength. Once people start building nukes at tech level 5, the
politics change since one nuke can wipe out your opponents entire army, so it is
a very useful "deterrant" to classical warfare. Obviously it has
other problems, such as radiation, global pollution, etc., etc. Once aquired,
they're hard to give up. Just ask Israel, US, Pakistan, India, France, Russia..
oh whatever. Everyone or no one, I say.
Bob Report This Comment Date: January 26, 2005 03:18PM
very true 16110 'everyone or no one'. If the power is only in one country hands
clearly it will give them great power of the rest of the world but then again
there are some people who shouldn't be let within 100 miles of these babies
