309:. In these documents the classical super was described as consisting of a gun-type uranium-235 primary with beryllium oxide tamper and a secondary consisting of a long cylinder with deuterium, doped with tritium near the primary. The design of the RDS-6t was similar to this classical super. The difference was that the light shell of beryllium oxide was replaced by a heavy shell. The assumption was that the deuterium tritium mixture could be easily heated and compressed, and the shock would start the thermonuclear reaction prematurely. A heavy shell opaque to radiation would prevent this unwanted preheating more than the light shell.
321:
the cross section for D + T reaction was much larger than that for D + D reaction. In April 1949 the group received D + T cross section data obtained from intelligence gathering without mentioning the source. The large advantage of lithium deuteride became evident and the deuterium design was abandoned. Both the 'first' and 'second' idea were used in the RDS-6s. The result was similar to the US 'Alarm Clock', but there is no indication that the
Soviets were aware of the concept of the 'Alarm Clock'. After the United States tested
350:
Despite the inability of the RDS-6s to be scaled into the megaton range, the detonation was still used by Soviet diplomats as leverage. The
Soviets claimed that they too had a hydrogen bomb, but unlike the United States' first thermonuclear device, theirs was deployable by air. The Soviet claim did
320:
proposed to replace the deuterium by lithium-6 deuteride ('second idea'). The proposal was based on the better efficiency due to the generation of tritium by the neutron capture of lithium and the uranium-238 fission by the 14 MeV neutrons from D + T fusion. At that time
Ginzburg did not know that
342:
A variant of the RDS-6s was developed later, code named RDS-27. The difference between the RDS-6s and the RDS-27 was that the RDS-27 did not use tritium. This improved the operational usefulness of the RDS-27 but reduced the yield from 400 kilotons to 250 kilotons. The RDS-27 was intended as a
338:
In
December 1953, all research on the RDS-6t was also stopped after it was proven that thermonuclear ignition was not possible in the RDS-6t. Both the RDS-6s and the RDS-6t were dead ends and research focused again on a two-stage thermonuclear weapon.
316:, working in FIAN, came up with a competing idea of alternating layers of deuterium and uranium-238 around a fissile core (Sakharov's 'first idea'). This second design was code named Sloika (RDS-6s) or 'Layer Cake' after the layering. In March 1949
256:) or the so-called layer cake design, model in the Soviet Union. A ten-fold increase in explosive power was achieved by a combination of fusion and fission, yet it was still 26 times less powerful than the
332:
The RDS-6s was tested on August 12, 1953 (Joe 4). The measured yield was 400 kilotons, 10% from fission of the uranium-235 core, 15-20% from fusion and 70 - 75% from fission of the uranium-238 layers.
290:
244:
165:
152:
335:
After the successful test
Sakharov proposed a more powerful version of the RDS-6s, code named RDS-6sD. Attempts to increase the yield of the RDS-6s however proved unfeasible.
329:
sent a memo to spare no effort on the development of the RDS-6s. In the final development report from June 1953 the yield was estimated at 300 +/- 100 kilotons.
947:
937:
885:
942:
306:
276:
The Soviet Union started studies of advanced nuclear bombs and a hydrogen bomb, code named RDS-6, in June 1948. The studies would be done by
967:
816:
355:
concept. The United States didn't develop a deployable version of the hydrogen bomb until five months after the RDS-6s test, in 1954.
957:
952:
858:
839:
797:
778:
755:
569:
879:
722:
375:
351:
not fool the
American scientists: their fallout analysis demonstrated to them that the Soviet device was similar to Teller's
265:
962:
403:
285:
387:
898:
371:
88:
58:
418:
98:
233:
668:
664:
203:
189:
611:
709:
358:
The first Soviet test of a "true" hydrogen bomb was on
November 22, 1955, under the directive of
854:
851:
The
Kremlin's Nuclear Sword: The Rise and Fall of Russia's Strategic Nuclear Forces, 1945-2000
835:
812:
793:
774:
751:
686:
363:
890:
734:
701:
378:. Like RDS-6, it was a "dry" weapon, using lithium-6 deuteride instead of liquid deuterium.
359:
294:
169:
156:
809:
Spying on the Bomb: American
Nuclear Intelligence from Nazi Germany to Iran and North Korea
326:
317:
313:
218:
211:
573:
552:
767:
222:
109:
931:
828:
713:
261:
874:
705:
738:
413:
344:
199:
302:
253:
206:
that occurred on August 12, 1953, that detonated with a force equivalent to 400
281:
62:
913:
900:
390:, whose estimated explosive force slightly exceeded the RDS-6s test's energy
229:
226:
260:
device tested by the US in 1952. A similar design was earlier theorized by
687:"American and Soviet H-bomb Development Programmes: Historical Background"
408:
322:
257:
671:
bombs (five and ten units respectively) in April through
October of 1954
207:
17:
790:
Stalin's Great Science: The Times and Adventures of Soviet Physicists
398:
367:
393:
277:
133:
126:
748:
Stalin and the Bomb: the Soviet Union and Atomic Energy, 1939-56
667:
in January 1954 and retired four months later, followed by the
453:
451:
494:
492:
490:
347:
ICBM. The RDS-27 was tested November 6, 1955 (Joe 18).
612:"Database of nuclear tests, USSR: part 1, 1949-1963"
523:
521:
519:
116:
104:
94:
84:
76:
68:
54:
46:
41:
32:
827:
766:
163:, from the Soviet codename for their atomic bombs
194:'special jet engine'; American codename:
288:. The first hydrogen bomb design was the Truba (
305:had provided the USSR with documents of the US
8:
750:. New Haven London: Yale University Press.
301:, pipe/cylinder) (RDS-6t)). In March 1948
830:Dark Sun: The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb
598:
586:
539:
510:
481:
469:
457:
498:
853:. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books.
773:. New York: Columbia University Press.
652:
564:
562:
435:
624:
527:
442:
264:, but never tested by the US, as the "
29:
7:
948:Cold War history of the Soviet Union
636:
553:"The Soviet Nuclear Weapons Program"
27:1953 Soviet atmospheric nuclear test
875:Soviet and Nuclear Weapons History
834:. New York: Simon & Schuster.
792:. London: Imperial College Press.
769:The Columbia Guide to the Cold War
25:
938:Nuclear bombs of the Soviet Union
727:Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
217:RDS-6 utilized a scheme in which
388:2013 Chelyabinsk meteor airburst
252:, named after a type of layered
788:Kozhevnikov, Alexei B. (2004).
706:10.1070/PU1996v039n10ABEH000174
943:Soviet nuclear weapons testing
880:Soviet/Russian Nuclear Arsenal
811:. W. W. Norton & Company.
739:10.1080/00963402.1991.11459998
1:
685:Goncharov, German A. (1996).
659:Five deliverable versions of
284:, the name of the town) and
807:Richelson, Jeffrey (2007).
570:"To Comrade A.P Zaveniagin"
984:
968:August 1953 events in Asia
723:"Moral Leader of a Nation"
404:Soviet atomic bomb project
312:In September-October 1948
298:
249:
236:", a design known as the
173:
160:
121:
958:1953 in military history
953:1953 in the Soviet Union
826:Rhodes, Richard (1995).
746:Holloway, David (1995).
721:Holloway, David (1991).
280:(usually referred to as
372:Semipalatinsk Test Site
59:Semipalatinsk Test Site
849:Zaloga, Steve (2002).
765:Kort, Michael (1998).
419:Boosted fission weapon
914:50.43778°N 77.81417°E
884:Video footage of the
204:thermonuclear weapon
202:attempted test of a
910: /
639:, pp. 187–188.
627:, pp. 254–255.
576:on August 11, 2017.
963:Explosions in 1953
919:50.43778; 77.81417
886:Joe-4 Nuclear Test
663:were built as the
472:, p. 100-101.
325:in November 1952,
700:(10): 1033–1044.
364:Nikita Khrushchev
307:'Classical Super'
193:
143:
142:
16:(Redirected from
975:
925:
924:
922:
921:
920:
915:
911:
908:
907:
906:
903:
891:Nikolai Bulganin
864:
845:
833:
822:
803:
784:
772:
761:
742:
717:
691:
672:
657:
640:
634:
628:
622:
616:
615:
608:
602:
596:
590:
584:
578:
577:
572:. Archived from
566:
557:
556:
549:
543:
537:
531:
525:
514:
508:
502:
496:
485:
479:
473:
467:
461:
455:
446:
440:
360:Nikolai Bulganin
343:warhead for the
300:
293:
251:
247:
198:) was the first
188:
186:
168:
162:
155:
108:Total yield 400
89:Atmospheric test
30:
21:
983:
982:
978:
977:
976:
974:
973:
972:
928:
927:
918:
916:
912:
909:
904:
901:
899:
897:
896:
871:
861:
848:
842:
825:
819:
806:
800:
787:
781:
764:
758:
745:
720:
694:Physics-Uspekhi
689:
684:
681:
676:
675:
669:EC 17 and EC 24
658:
654:
649:
644:
643:
635:
631:
623:
619:
610:
609:
605:
601:, p. 1042.
597:
593:
589:, p. 1041.
585:
581:
568:
567:
560:
551:
550:
546:
542:, p. 1039.
538:
534:
526:
517:
513:, p. 1038.
509:
505:
497:
488:
484:, p. 1037.
480:
476:
468:
464:
460:, p. 1040.
456:
449:
441:
437:
432:
427:
384:
362:(influenced by
327:Lavrentiy Beria
318:Vitaly Ginzburg
314:Andrei Sakharov
289:
274:
243:
164:
151:
139:
138:
130:
117:Test chronology
112:(1,700 TJ)
110:kilotons of TNT
105:Max. yield
99:Boosted fission
77:Number of tests
34:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
981:
979:
971:
970:
965:
960:
955:
950:
945:
940:
930:
929:
894:
893:
888:
882:
877:
870:
869:External links
867:
866:
865:
859:
846:
840:
823:
818:978-0393329827
817:
804:
798:
785:
779:
762:
756:
743:
718:
680:
677:
674:
673:
651:
650:
648:
645:
642:
641:
629:
617:
603:
599:Goncharov 1996
591:
587:Goncharov 1996
579:
558:
544:
540:Goncharov 1996
532:
515:
511:Goncharov 1996
503:
486:
482:Goncharov 1996
474:
470:Richelson 2007
462:
458:Goncharov 1996
447:
434:
433:
431:
428:
426:
423:
422:
421:
416:
411:
406:
401:
396:
391:
383:
380:
370:. All were at
366:), code-named
273:
270:
141:
140:
131:
123:
122:
119:
118:
114:
113:
106:
102:
101:
96:
92:
91:
86:
82:
81:
78:
74:
73:
70:
66:
65:
56:
52:
51:
48:
44:
43:
39:
38:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
980:
969:
966:
964:
961:
959:
956:
954:
951:
949:
946:
944:
941:
939:
936:
935:
933:
926:
923:
892:
889:
887:
883:
881:
878:
876:
873:
872:
868:
862:
860:1-58834-007-4
856:
852:
847:
843:
841:0-684-80400-X
837:
832:
831:
824:
820:
814:
810:
805:
801:
799:1-86094-420-5
795:
791:
786:
782:
780:0-231-10772-2
776:
771:
770:
763:
759:
757:0-300-06664-3
753:
749:
744:
740:
736:
732:
728:
724:
719:
715:
711:
707:
703:
699:
695:
688:
683:
682:
678:
670:
666:
662:
656:
653:
646:
638:
633:
630:
626:
621:
618:
613:
607:
604:
600:
595:
592:
588:
583:
580:
575:
571:
565:
563:
559:
554:
548:
545:
541:
536:
533:
529:
524:
522:
520:
516:
512:
507:
504:
501:, p. 37.
500:
499:Holloway 1991
495:
493:
491:
487:
483:
478:
475:
471:
466:
463:
459:
454:
452:
448:
444:
439:
436:
429:
424:
420:
417:
415:
412:
410:
407:
405:
402:
400:
397:
395:
392:
389:
386:
385:
381:
379:
377:
373:
369:
365:
361:
356:
354:
348:
346:
340:
336:
333:
330:
328:
324:
319:
315:
310:
308:
304:
296:
292:
287:
283:
279:
271:
269:
267:
263:
262:Edward Teller
259:
255:
246:
241:
240:
235:
231:
228:
224:
220:
215:
213:
209:
205:
201:
197:
191:
184:
180:
176:
171:
167:
158:
154:
149:
148:
137: →
136:
135:
129:
128:
124:←
120:
115:
111:
107:
103:
100:
97:
93:
90:
87:
83:
79:
75:
71:
67:
64:
60:
57:
53:
49:
45:
40:
37:
31:
19:
895:
850:
829:
808:
789:
768:
747:
733:(6): 37–38.
730:
726:
697:
693:
679:Bibliography
660:
655:
632:
620:
606:
594:
582:
574:the original
547:
535:
506:
477:
465:
438:
414:Castle Bravo
357:
352:
349:
341:
337:
334:
331:
311:
275:
238:
237:
216:
195:
182:
178:
174:
146:
145:
144:
132:
125:
50:Soviet Union
35:
917: /
665:TX-16/EC-16
625:Rhodes 1995
528:Zaloga 2002
443:Rhodes 1995
353:Alarm Clock
303:Klaus Fuchs
272:Description
266:Alarm Clock
254:puff pastry
95:Device type
72:August 1953
42:Information
932:Categories
905:77°48′51″E
902:50°26′16″N
425:References
376:Kazakh SSR
282:Arzamas-16
185:пециальный
177:еактивный
63:Kazakh SSR
714:250861572
647:Footnotes
637:Kort 1998
430:Citations
291:‹See Tfd›
248:Russian:
245:‹See Tfd›
230:deuteride
227:lithium-6
181:вигатель
166:‹See Tfd›
153:‹See Tfd›
85:Test type
55:Test site
409:Ivy Mike
382:See also
323:Ivy Mike
258:Ivy Mike
232:) were "
208:kilotons
295:Russian
234:layered
219:fission
192:
170:Russian
157:Russian
47:Country
857:
838:
815:
796:
777:
754:
712:
399:RDS-37
368:RDS-37
250:Слойка
239:Sloika
225:fuel (
223:fusion
200:Soviet
161:РДС-6с
147:RDS-6s
69:Period
36:RDS-6s
18:Sloika
710:S2CID
690:(PDF)
394:Joe 1
299:Труба
278:KB-11
196:Joe 4
134:RDS-4
127:RDS-3
33:Joe-4
855:ISBN
836:ISBN
813:ISBN
794:ISBN
775:ISBN
752:ISBN
661:Mike
286:FIAN
221:and
190:lit.
735:doi
702:doi
345:R-7
268:".
212:TNT
210:of
934::
731:47
729:.
725:.
708:.
698:39
696:.
692:.
561:^
518:^
489:^
450:^
374:,
297::
214:.
187:,
172::
159::
61:,
863:.
844:.
821:.
802:.
783:.
760:.
741:.
737::
716:.
704::
614:.
555:.
530:.
445:.
242:(
183:С
179:Д
175:Р
150:(
80:1
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.