Can cobalt be used in a bomb?
Mechanism. A cobalt bomb could be made by placing a quantity of ordinary cobalt metal (59Co) inside a nuclear bomb. When the bomb explodes, the neutrons produced by the explosion would transmute the cobalt to the radioactive isotope cobalt-60 (60Co), which would be vaporized by the explosion.
Can cesium be used for bombs?
A dirty bomb packed with cesium would not kill large numbers of people. Instead, it would be a weapon of “mass disruption” — leaving areas uninhabitable for months or even decades and increasing long-term cancer risks for people who come in contact with it, atomic experts say.
Is cesium used in dirty bombs?
The most likely radioactive element in a dirty bomb is cesium-137, according to Phil Anderson, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
How did Kodak exposed the atomic bomb?
Julian H. Webb, a physicist in Kodak’s research department, took it upon himself to dig deeper and test the destroyed film. What he uncovered was shocking. The fogging of Kodak’s film and the Trinity test in New Mexico were eerily connected, revealing some chilling secrets about the nuclear age.
How explosive is cobalt?
Assume a cobalt bomb deposits intense fallout causing a dose rate of 10 Sv per hour. At this dose rate, any unsheltered person exposed to the fallout would receive a lethal dose in about 30 minutes (assuming a median lethal dose of 5 Sv).
How poisonous is cesium?
High levels of radioactive cesium in or near your body can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding, coma, and even death. This may occur after nuclear accidents or detonation of atomic bombs.
Which weapon is referred as poor man’s nuclear bomb?
INTRODUCTION. In 1988, the speaker of the Iranian parliament, Hashemi Rafsanjani, described chemical and biological weapons as “the poor man’s atomic bomb”. This phrase is as accurate as it is alarming.
How long does nuclear fallout last?
For the survivors of a nuclear war, this lingering radiation hazard could represent a grave threat for as long as 1 to 5 years after the attack. Predictions of the amount and levels of the radioactive fallout are difficult because of several factors.
How far does radiation travel from nuclear bomb?
At a distance of 20-25 miles downwind, a lethal radiation dose (600 rads) would be accumulated by a person who did not find shelter within 25 minutes after the time the fallout began. At a distance of 40-45 miles, a person would have at most 3 hours after the fallout began to find shelter.
Can a cobalt bomb destroy the earth?
If one assumes that all of the material is converted to Co-60 at 100 percent efficiency and if it is spread evenly across the Earth’s surface, it is possible for a single bomb to kill every person on Earth.