Differences between dirty bombs and fission bombs Dirty bomb Explosives combined with radioactive materials Detonation vaporizes or aerosolizes radioactive material and propels it into the air Not a nuclear detonationFission bomb Caused by an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction with highly enriched uranium or weapons-grade plutonium Sphere of fissile material (pit) surrounded by explosive lenses Initial explosion produces imploding shock wave that compresses pit inward, creating supercritical mass by increasing the density of fissile material. Neutrons from either modulated neutron initiator or external neutron generator start chain reaction in compressed pit Resulting fission chain reaction causes bomb to explode with tremendous force: nuclear detonation Source: Adapted from Levi MA, Kelly HC. "Weapons of mass disruption". Sci Am. 2002 Nov;287(5):76-81.
Differences between dirty bombs and fission bombs Dirty bomb Explosives combined with radioactive materials Detonation vaporizes or aerosolizes radioactive material and propels it into the air Not a nuclear detonationFission bomb Caused by an uncontrolled nuclear chain reaction with highly enriched uranium or weapons-grade plutonium Sphere of fissile material (pit) surrounded by explosive lenses Initial explosion produces imploding shock wave that compresses pit inward creating supercritical mass by increasing the density of fissile material Neutrons from either modulated neutron initiator or external neutron generator start chain reaction in compressed pit Resulting fission chain reaction causes bomb to explode with tremendous force nuclear detonation Source Adapted from Levi MA Kelly HC "Weapons of mass disruption" Sci Am 2002 Nov;287(5)76-81