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Plutonium is fissionable, but not as easily fissionable as Uranium. While Uranium can be detonated by a simple 2-part gun-type device, Plutonium must be detonated by a more complex 32-part implosion chamber along with a stronger conventional explosive, a greater striking velocity and a simultaneous triggering mechanism for the conventional explosive packs. Along with all of these requirements comes the additional task of introducing a fine mixture of Beryllium and Polonium to this metal while all of these actions are occurring.
Supercritical mass for Plutonium is defined as 35.2 lbs (16 kgs). This amount needed for a supercritical mass can be reduced to a smaller quantity of 22 lbs (10 kgs) by surrounding the Plutonium with a U-238 casing.
To illustrate the vast difference between a Uranium gun-type detonator and a Plutonium implosion detonator, here is a quick rundown.
[1] Uranium Detonator
Comprised of 2 parts. Larger mass is spherical and concave. Smaller mass is precisely the size and shape of the `missing' section of the larger mass. Upon detonation of conventional explosive, the smaller mass is violently injected and welded to the larger mass. Supercritical mass is reached, chain reaction follows in one millionth of a second.
[2] Plutonium Detonator
Comprised of 32 individual 45-degree pie-shaped sections of Plutonium surrounding a Beryllium/Polonium mixture. These 32 sections together form a sphere. All of these sections must have the precisely equal mass (and shape) of the others. The shape of the detonator resembles a soccerball. Upon detonation of conventional explosives, all 32 sections must merge with the B/P mixture within 1 ten-millionths of a second.
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[Uranium Detonator] | [Plutonium Detonator]
______________________________________|___________ __________________________
_____ |
| :| | . [2] .
| :| | . ~ \_/ ~ .
| [2]:| | .. . ..
| :| | [2]| . |[2]
| .:| | . ~~~ . . . ~~~ .
`...::' | . . . . .
_ ~~~ _ | . . ~ . .
. `| |':.. | [2]\. . . . [1] . . . ./[2]
. | | `:::. | ./ . ~~~ . \.
| | `::: | . . : . .
. | | :::: | . . . . .
| [1] | ::|:: | . ___ . ___ .
. `. .' ,::||: | [2]| . |[2]
~~~ ::|||: | .' _ `.
.. [2] .::|||:' | . / \ .
::... ..::||||:' | ~ -[2]- ~
:::::::::::::||||::' |
``::::||||||||:'' |
``:::::'' |
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[1] = Collision Point | [1] = Collision Point
[2] - Uranium Section(s) | [2] = Plutonium Section(s)
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