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How does a hydrogen pump work?

Since North Korea threatened to test a hydrogen bomb on the Pacific Ocean in response to President Donald Trump's request for new sanctions on individuals, companies and banks that conduct business with the country, all They wanted to know more about this type of bombs. As we are aware that you are a Science Daily Online, just like us, we tell you more about them!

This is how a Hydrogen Pump works

First, what are hydrogen bombs?

These are thermonuclear bombs, much more powerful than atomic or "fission" bombs. The difference between thermonuclear or hydrogen bombs and fission pumps originates at the atomic level.

Second, what power do bombs have? hydrogen?

To understand the scope of these hydrogen bombs, will we turn to a known reference, that of one of the most devastating weapons that That the world has seen and we will use them as a comparative point: Fission bombs, used to devastate Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II, work by dividing the nucleus of an atom. When the neutrons, or particles neutral, the atom nucleus is divided, some hit the nuclei of the nearby atoms, splitting them too.The result is a very explosive chain reaction that can devastate entire cities.The bombs that were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki exploded with the performance of 15 kilotons and 20 kilotons of TNT, respectively.

In contrast, the first test of a thermonuclear weapon, or hydrogen bomb, which was carried out in the United States in November 1952 produced a chain explosion that hovered the 10,000 kilotons of TNT.Thermonuclear bombs start with the same fission reaction as the atomic bombs-but most of the uranium or plutonium in the atomic bombs isn't really used-. In a thermonuclear pump, an additional step means that a higher percentage of the explosive power of the pump is available.

How does a hydrogen pump work?

But, how does the whole process of a hydrogen pump happen?

First, an ignition explosion compresses a sphere of plutonium-239, this material will then undergo fission (or disintegration).Within this well of plutonium-239 is found a chamber of hydrogen gas.The high temperatures and pressures created by the fission of plutonium 239 cause hydrogen atoms to fuse.This fusion process releases neutrons, which feed back to plutonium 239, dividing more atoms and increasing the chain reaction of fission.Giving even more scope to the already devastating reaction.

This is how the biggest difference between atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs is clear: while the former only rely on the fission for their reaction; the latter use fission and fusion for a much more devastating result.

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Images: AlexAntropov86; geralt

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