Hell in a Suitcase

By Aussiegirl

Tech Central has another take on the suitcase nuke which makes much the same points as the one in the WSJ. One of the big problems with any "small" atomic weapon is shelf-life - who knew that nukes have sell-by dates? But it is comforting to know they will go bad very quickly if not expertly maintained.

TCS: Tech Central Station - Hell in a Suitcase: "The shelf-life issue is important. If there is a nuclear munition or more than one 'out there,' its condition could be in question. A nuclear weapon involves the melding of a variety of materials in close proximity -- metals, plastics, ceramics, exotic high explosives and, of course plutonium and uranium. Things happen inside a nuclear weapon even when it is just sitting.

The plutonium core gives off quite a bit of heat. This will warm the other parts of the weapon up to as much as 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Uranium 'rusts' in much the same manner as steel when exposed to the air. And even though warheads are sealed in airtight metal containers, the materials inside -- the explosives and plastic, for instance -- give off trace amounts of oxygen, hydrogen and water vapor that can eventually cause oxidation and corrosion, both of which are abetted by the weapon's intrinsic heat. The high explosives in the detonating 'lenses' of a weapon also have been known to deteriorate.

So, unless the purloined (or purchased) warhead was regularly monitored and, if necessary, refurbished by experts it might become dangerously unstable or perhaps not work at all. It's conceivable that the conventional explosives might detonate incompletely and that the nuclear core might be scattered rather than being 'assembled' to cause a nuclear explosion. Thus a 'dirty bomb' incident, spreading radioactive material, would be the result.

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