Tsetse (nuclear primary)
The Tsetse was a small American nuclear bomb developed in the 1950s that was used as the primary in several US thermonuclear bombs and as a small stand-alone weapon of its own.
The Tsetse had a boosted composite core which used 2.25 kg Pu-239, 1.4kg U-235 and 6g tritium.[1] The nominal yield was 10 kilotons. The design was shared with the UK where the anglicised version was known as Tony.[2] The difference between Tsetse and Tony was in the high explosives used. The UK considered the PBX 9404 too shock sensitive and replaced it by EDC-11. This reduced the nominal yield to 8.5 kilotons.[3]
The Tsetse primary was used in the US B43 nuclear bomb, W44 nuclear warhead, W50 nuclear warhead, B57 nuclear bomb, and W59 nuclear warhead, according to researcher Chuck Hansen.[4]
After deployment of the B43 two problems were identified in the primary. In 1961 Los Alamos scientists concluded that the primary was not one point safe under all conditions. A long series of tests was needed to develop a safe version. The second problem was related to tritium aging. To investigate a lifetime extension of the B43 an aged B43 was fired. The test resulted in half the yield. This was quite a shock as it affected not only the B43 but all similar weapons.[5][6] The solution was to more frequently replenish the tritium supply.[6] This problem was apparently shared by the Python primary designs.
Characteristics of these weapons are:
| Model | Max Yield (kt) | Diameter | Length | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B43 | 1,000 | 18 in (46 cm) | 150–164 in (3.8–4.2 m) | 2,060 lb (930 kg) |
| W44 | 10 | 13.75 in (34.9 cm) | 25.3 in (0.64 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| W50 | 400 | 15.4 in (39 cm) | 44 in (1.1 m) | 410 lb (190 kg) |
| B57 | 20 | 14.75 in (37.5 cm) | 118 in (3.0 m) | 490 lb (220 kg) |
| W59 | 1,000 | 16.3 in (41 cm) | 47.8 in (1.21 m) | 550 lb (250 kg) |
Based on this information it can be assumed that the Tsetse design itself corresponds to the size of the W44 warhead, 349-millimetre (13.75 in) diameter and 640-millimetre (25.3 in) long, with a weight of around 77 kilograms (170 lb).
See also
[edit]References
[edit]Notes
- ^ AWPC 1959.
- ^ Moore 2010, p. 126.
- ^ Moore 2010, p. 201.
- ^ Hansen 1995b, p. 461.
- ^ Miller, Brown & Alonso 1987.
- ^ a b Hansen 1995a, p. 389.
Bibliography
- AWPC (1959). AWPAC/8/5 (Report).
- Hansen, Chuck (1995a). The Swords of Armageddon. Vol. VI. Chukelea Publications.
- Hansen, Chuck (1995b). The Swords of Armageddon. Vol. VII. Chukelea Publications.
- Hansen, Chuck (2001). "Beware the old story". Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 57 (2): 52–55. doi:10.2968/057002015.
- Miller, G.H.; Brown, P.S.; Alonso, C.T. (1987). Report to Congress on stockpile reliability, weapon remanufacture, and the role of nuclear testing (Report). OSTI 6032983.
- Moore, R. (2010). Nuclear Illusion, Nuclear Reality: Britain, the United States and Nuclear Weapons, 1958-64. Springer. ISBN 9780230251403.
