8/25/2006

THOSE TOWEL HEADS MAY ACTUALLY HAVE THE BIG ONE

Last year I posted a long description of extracting plutonium from commercial reactors (power plants around the world) and at the time it was assumed that a country would need 50,000 P-2 centrifuges to get a real program going. There was no evidence at the time that Iran had anywhere near that many P-2s in their atomic program.

That was then this is now. Since then, intel agencies around the world have confirmed that there are as many as 500 "workshops," mostly in Europe but in other places as well, that can make, HAVE MADE AND ARE MAKING RIGHT NOW, the parts for the P-2 centrifuges. It is more than possible that Iran has the huge number of centrifuges needed to produce quantities the 90% plutonium needed for the bomb. Additionally, it is now proven that in spite of statements from nuclear power advocates that the supposedly "contaminated" plutonium generated by commercial power plants cannot be converted to bomb quality plutonium, it actually can easily be enriched to bomb quality stuff.

The semi-simplified study shows that:

* The difference in reactivity between the so-called "fissile" uneven numbered isotopes and the "non-fissile" even numbered ones is not extremely big for fast neutrons, contrary to the reactivity for thermal neutrons in a LWR. In a bomb, every plutonium isotope is fissile.
* The difference in spontaneous fission rate is comparatively small, since compression speeds need to be sufficiently high for the mass to go supercritical within fractions of seconds anyway. Although the explosive yield of a LWR plutonium bomb may be less predictable, it will certainly work. This has been experimentally tested by the US in 1962 and even earlier by the British (with Magnox-produced Pu from commercially burnt up fuel).

It should not be hard now to see how easy one may become misinformed by phrases like "Reactor grade plutonium contains too little fissile Pu-239 to make a bomb" or the more sophisticated "Reactor grade plutonium contains too much non-fissile Pu-240, which is not suitable because of its high spontaneous fission rate". Sometimes it is argued that reactor grade plutonium is less attractive to work with, due to Pu-238 and 241 decay radiation. True as it may be, this is an inconvenience rather than a serious obstacle. If one can manage radiation in a reprocessing plant, a bomb manufacturing plant should not be too hard either.
How many P2s does Iran have? Quite possibly the 50,000 or so needed to have a real program going because of the hundreds of workshops manufacturing various parts that can easily be assembled inside Iran. The reluctance of EU thugs to accept this is probably because most of the "workshops" are in Europe and they are making money. Only now Iran may actually be very close to having enough fissionable material to make one. I think it is safe to assume that the assholes actually are within a year of actually having a couple of plutonium bombs.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

When, not if, these savages get the bomb, they are going to use it, probably on Israel first, then US. There are already Hezbollah cells operating in the United States. Right now, there are just here checking things out and observing. These guys are much smarter and cooler than the Al Qaeda gang and have better equipment and weapons. Iran is going to have "plausible deniability" when this thing goes off in NYC or at some American base or interest in Europe. The world will cheer again just like on 9-11. Muslims can do whatever they want in Europe so don't expect anybody to look in the muslim ghettos in Paris too hard for military equipment or fissionable material. The French don't want to hurt any feelings, not to mention that they are terrified of the amount of muslims living in France and in the french military (I'm scared too. When Islam rules France, expect it when the Norte Dame is demolished because it offends the Ummah). The muslims in America have helped their terrorist brothers before (1993 WTC, 9-11) and they will do it again. They cannot be trusted, but we are too nice and afraid of being accused of racism, anti-PC to kick their asses out. There will be a nuclear explosion in the US, it is just a matter of time. Just read any of Amajihad's speeches, its all there. These people hate us and will do anything to hurt us. I just hope we crush them first, but it looks like we will wait for the first punch.