Introduction

Interest in the history of the emergence and significance of nuclear weapons for mankind is determined by the significance of a number of factors, among which, perhaps, the first row is occupied by the problems of ensuring a balance of power in the world arena and the relevance of building a nuclear deterrence system. military threat for the state. The presence of nuclear weapons always has a certain influence, direct or indirect, on the socio-economic situation and the political balance of power in the “owner countries” of such weapons. This, among other things, determines the relevance of the research problem we have chosen. The problem of the development and relevance of the use of nuclear weapons in order to ensure national security state has been quite relevant in domestic science for more than a decade, and this topic has not yet exhausted itself.

The object of this study is atomic weapons in modern world, the subject of research is the history of the creation of the atomic bomb and its technological device. The novelty of the work lies in the fact that the problem atomic weapons covered from the position of a number of areas: nuclear physics, national security, history, foreign policy and intelligence.

The purpose of this work is to study the history of the creation and the role of the atomic (nuclear) bomb in ensuring peace and order on our planet.

To achieve this goal, the following tasks were solved in the work:

the concept of "atomic bomb", "nuclear weapon", etc. is characterized;

the prerequisites for the emergence of atomic weapons are considered;

the reasons that prompted mankind to create atomic weapons and use them are revealed.

analyzed the structure and composition of the atomic bomb.

The set goal and objectives determined the structure and logic of the study, which consists of an introduction, two sections, a conclusion and a list of sources used.

ATOMIC BOMB: COMPOSITION, BATTLE CHARACTERISTICS AND PURPOSE OF CREATION

Before starting to study the structure of the atomic bomb, it is necessary to understand the terminology on this issue. So, in scientific circles, there are special terms that reflect the characteristics of atomic weapons. Among them, we highlight the following:

Atomic bomb- the original name of an aviation nuclear bomb, the action of which is based on an explosive chain nuclear reaction division. With the advent of the so-called hydrogen bomb, based on a thermonuclear fusion reaction, a common term for them was established - a nuclear bomb.

Nuclear bomb - aerial bomb with a nuclear charge, has great destructive power. The first two nuclear bombs with a TNT equivalent of about 20 kt each were dropped by American aircraft on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, respectively, on August 6 and 9, 1945, and caused enormous casualties and destruction. Modern nuclear bombs have a TNT equivalent of tens to millions of tons.

Nuclear or atomic weapons are explosive weapons based on the use of nuclear energy released during a chain nuclear fission reaction of heavy nuclei or a thermonuclear fusion reaction of light nuclei.

Related to weapons mass destruction(WMD) along with biological and chemical.

Nuclear weapons - a set of nuclear weapons, means of their delivery to the target and controls. Refers to weapons of mass destruction; has tremendous destructive power. For the above reason, the US and the USSR invested heavily in the development of nuclear weapons. According to the power of the charges and the range of action, nuclear weapons are divided into tactical, operational-tactical and strategic. The use of nuclear weapons in war is disastrous for all mankind.

A nuclear explosion is the process of instantaneous release of a large amount of intranuclear energy in a limited volume.

The action of atomic weapons is based on the fission reaction of heavy nuclei (uranium-235, plutonium-239 and, in individual cases, uranium-233).

Uranium-235 is used in nuclear weapons because, unlike the more common isotope uranium-238, it can carry out a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction.

Plutonium-239 is also referred to as "weapon-grade plutonium" because it is intended to create nuclear weapons and the content of the 239Pu isotope must be at least 93.5%.

To reflect the structure and composition of the atomic bomb, as a prototype, we analyze the plutonium bomb "Fat Man" (Fig. 1) dropped on August 9, 1945 on the Japanese city of Nagasaki.

atomic nuclear bomb explosion

Figure 1 - Atomic bomb "Fat Man"

The layout of this bomb (typical for plutonium single-phase munitions) is approximately the following:

Neutron initiator - a beryllium ball with a diameter of about 2 cm, covered with a thin layer of yttrium-polonium alloy or polonium-210 metal - the primary source of neutrons to sharply reduce the critical mass and accelerate the onset of the reaction. It fires at the moment of transferring the combat core to a supercritical state (during compression, a mixture of polonium and beryllium occurs with the release of a large number of neutrons). Currently, in addition to of this type initiation, thermonuclear initiation (TI) is more common. Thermonuclear initiator (TI). It is located in the center of the charge (similar to NI) where a small amount of thermonuclear material is located, the center of which is heated by a converging shock wave and, in the process of a thermonuclear reaction, against the background of the temperatures that have arisen, a significant amount of neutrons is produced, sufficient for the neutron initiation of a chain reaction (Fig. 2).

Plutonium. Use the purest plutonium-239 isotope, although to increase stability physical properties(density) and improve the compressibility of the charge plutonium is doped with a small amount of gallium.

A shell (usually made of uranium) that serves as a neutron reflector.

Compression sheath made of aluminium. Provides greater uniformity of compression by a shock wave, while at the same time protecting the internal parts of the charge from direct contact with explosives and hot products of its decomposition.

Explosive with complex system detonation, ensuring synchronous detonation of the entire explosive. Synchronicity is necessary to create a strictly spherical compressive (directed inside the ball) shock wave. A non-spherical wave leads to the ejection of the material of the ball through inhomogeneity and the impossibility of creating a critical mass. The creation of such a system for the location of explosives and detonation was at one time one of the most difficult tasks. A combined scheme (lens system) of "fast" and "slow" explosives is used.

Body made of duralumin stamped elements - two spherical covers and a belt connected by bolts.

Figure 2 - The principle of operation of the plutonium bomb

Center nuclear explosion- the point at which the flash occurs or the center of the fireball is located, and the epicenter is the projection of the center of the explosion onto the earth or water surface.

Nuclear weapons are the most powerful and dangerous view weapons of mass destruction, threatening all mankind with unprecedented destruction and destruction of millions of people.

If an explosion occurs on the ground or fairly close to its surface, then part of the energy of the explosion is transferred to the Earth's surface in the form of seismic vibrations. A phenomenon occurs, which in its features resembles an earthquake. As a result of such an explosion, seismic waves are formed, which propagate through the thickness of the earth over very long distances. The destructive effect of the wave is limited to a radius of several hundred meters.

As a result of the extremely high temperature of the explosion, a bright flash of light occurs, the intensity of which is hundreds of times greater than the intensity of the sun's rays falling on Earth. A flash releases a huge amount of heat and light. Light radiation causes spontaneous combustion of flammable materials and burns the skin of people within a radius of many kilometers.

A nuclear explosion produces radiation. It lasts about a minute and has such a high penetrating power that powerful and reliable shelters are required to protect against it at close distances.

A nuclear explosion is capable of instantly destroying or incapacitating unprotected people, openly standing equipment, structures and various materiel. Main damaging factors nuclear explosion (PFYaV) are:

shock wave;

light radiation;

penetrating radiation;

radioactive contamination of the area;

electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

During a nuclear explosion in the atmosphere, the distribution of the released energy between the PNFs is approximately the following: about 50% for the shock wave, 35% for the share of light radiation, 10% for radioactive contamination, and 5% for penetrating radiation and EMP.

Radioactive contamination of people, military equipment, terrain and various objects during a nuclear explosion is caused by fission fragments of the charge substance (Pu-239, U-235) and the unreacted part of the charge falling out of the explosion cloud, as well as radioactive isotopes formed in the soil and other materials under the influence of neutrons - induced activity. Over time, the activity of fission fragments rapidly decreases, especially in the first hours after the explosion. So, for example, the total activity of fission fragments in the explosion of a nuclear weapon with a power of 20 kT in one day will be several thousand times less than one minute after the explosion.

atomic weapons - a device that receives huge explosive power from the reactions of NUCLEAR FISSION and NUCLEAR fusion.

About atomic weapons

Nuclear weapons are the most powerful weapon today, which is in service with five countries: Russia, the USA, Great Britain, France and China. There are also a number of states that are more or less successful in the development of atomic weapons, but their research is either not completed, or these countries do not have necessary funds delivery of weapons to the target. India, Pakistan, North Korea, Iraq, Iran have nuclear weapons development on different levels Germany, Germany, Israel, South Africa and Japan theoretically have the necessary capacities to create nuclear weapons in a relatively short time.

It is difficult to overestimate the role of nuclear weapons. On the one hand, it is a powerful deterrent, on the other hand, it is the most effective tool strengthening peace and preventing military conflicts between powers that possess these weapons. It has been 52 years since the first use of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Global community came close to realizing that nuclear war will inevitably lead to a global ecological catastrophe, which will make the further existence of mankind impossible. Over the years, legal mechanisms have been put in place to defuse tensions and ease the confrontation between the nuclear powers. For example, many agreements were signed to reduce nuclear capability powers, the Convention on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons was signed, according to which the possessor countries pledged not to transfer the technology for the production of these weapons to other countries, and the countries that do not have nuclear weapons pledged not to take steps to develop it; Finally, most recently, the superpowers agreed on a total ban on nuclear testing. It is obvious that nuclear weapons are the most important instrument that has become the regulatory symbol of an entire era in the history of international relations and in the history of mankind.

atomic weapons

NUCLEAR WEAPON, a device that derives tremendous explosive power from the reactions of ATOMIC NUCLEAR FISSION and NUCLEAR fusion. The first nuclear weapons were used by the United States against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945. These atomic bombs consisted of two stable doctritic masses of URANIUM and PLUTONIUM, which, when strongly collided, caused an excess of CRITICAL MASS, thereby provoking an uncontrolled CHAIN ​​REACTION of atomic fission. In such explosions, a huge amount of energy and destructive radiation is released: the explosive power can be equal to the power of 200,000 tons of trinitrotoluene. The much more powerful hydrogen bomb (thermonuclear bomb), first tested in 1952, consists of an atomic bomb that, when detonated, creates a temperature high enough to cause nuclear fusion in a nearby solid layer, usually lithium deterrite. Explosive power can be equal to the power of several million tons (megatons) of trinitrotoluene. The area of ​​damage caused by such bombs reaches large sizes: 15 megaton bomb will detonate all burning materials within 20 km. The third type of nuclear weapon, neutron bomb, is a small hydrogen bomb, also called a high-radiation weapon. It causes a weak explosion, which, however, is accompanied by an intense release of high-speed NEUTRONS. The weakness of the explosion means that the buildings are not damaged much. Neutrons, on the other hand, cause severe radiation sickness in people within a certain radius of the explosion site, and kill all those affected within a week.

First, the explosion of an atomic bomb (A) forms fire ball(1) with a temperature and millions of degrees Celsius and emits radiation (?) After a few minutes (B) the ball increases in volume and creates! a shock wave with high pressure(3). The fireball rises (C), sucking up dust and debris, and forms a mushroom cloud (D), As it expands in volume, the fireball creates a powerful convection current (4), emitting hot radiation (5) and forming a cloud (6), When it explodes 15 megaton bomb blast destruction is complete (7) within an 8 km radius, severe (8) within a 15 km radius and noticeable (I) within a 30 km radius Even at a distance of 20 km (10) all flammable substances explode within two days fallout continues with a radioactive dose of 300 roentgens after a bomb detonation 300 km away The attached photograph shows how a large nuclear weapon explosion on the ground creates a huge mushroom cloud of radioactive dust and debris that can reach a height of several kilometers. Dangerous dust in the air is then freely carried by the prevailing winds in any direction. Devastation covers a vast area.

Modern atomic bombs and projectiles

Radius of action

Depending on the power of the atomic charge, atomic bombs are divided into calibers: small, medium and large . To obtain energy equal to the energy of an explosion of a small-caliber atomic bomb, several thousand tons of TNT must be blown up. The TNT equivalent of a medium-caliber atomic bomb is tens of thousands, and bombs large caliber- hundreds of thousands of tons of TNT. Thermonuclear (hydrogen) weapons can have even greater power, their TNT equivalent can reach millions and even tens of millions of tons. Atomic bombs, the TNT equivalent of which is 1-50 thousand tons, are classified as tactical atomic bombs and are intended for solving operational-tactical problems. Tactical weapons also include: artillery shells with an atomic charge with a capacity of 10-15 thousand tons and atomic charges (with a capacity of about 5-20 thousand tons) for anti-aircraft guided projectiles and projectiles used to arm fighters. Atomic and hydrogen bombs with a capacity of over 50 thousand tons are classified as strategic weapons.

It should be noted that such a classification of atomic weapons is only conditional, since in reality the consequences of the use of tactical atomic weapons can be no less than those experienced by the population of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and even greater. It is now obvious that the explosion of only one hydrogen bomb is capable of causing such severe consequences over vast territories that tens of thousands of shells and bombs used in past world wars did not carry with them. And a few hydrogen bombs are enough to turn huge territories into a desert zone.

Nuclear weapons are divided into 2 main types: atomic and hydrogen (thermonuclear). In atomic weapons, the release of energy occurs due to the fission reaction of the nuclei of atoms of the heavy elements of uranium or plutonium. In hydrogen weapons, energy is released as a result of the formation (or fusion) of nuclei of helium atoms from hydrogen atoms.

thermonuclear weapons

Modern thermonuclear weapons are strategic weapons, which can be used by aviation to destroy the most important industrial and military facilities behind enemy lines, major cities as civilization centers. The most well-known type of thermonuclear weapons are thermonuclear (hydrogen) bombs, which can be delivered to the target by aircraft. Thermonuclear warheads can also be used to launch missiles for various purposes, including intercontinental ballistic missiles. For the first time, such a missile was tested in the USSR back in 1957, and is currently in service with Missile Troops Strategic Purpose consist of several types of missiles based on mobile launchers, in mine launchers, on submarines.

Atomic bomb

The operation of thermonuclear weapons is based on the use of a thermonuclear reaction with hydrogen or its compounds. In these reactions occurring at super high temperatures ah and pressure, energy is released due to the formation of helium nuclei from hydrogen nuclei, or from hydrogen and lithium nuclei. For the formation of helium, mainly heavy hydrogen is used - deuterium, the nuclei of which have an unusual structure - one proton and one neutron. When deuterium is heated to temperatures of several tens of millions of degrees, its atoms lose their electron shells in the first collisions with other atoms. As a result, the medium turns out to consist only of protons and electrons moving independently of them. Speed thermal motion particles reaches such values ​​that deuterium nuclei can approach each other and, thanks to the action of powerful nuclear forces combine with each other to form helium nuclei. The result of this process is the release of energy.

The basic scheme of the hydrogen bomb is as follows. Deuterium and tritium in the liquid state are placed in a tank with a heat-impermeable shell, which serves to keep the deuterium and tritium in a strongly cooled state for a long time (to maintain it from the liquid state of aggregation). The heat-impervious shell can contain 3 layers consisting of a hard alloy, solid carbon dioxide and liquid nitrogen. An atomic charge is placed near a reservoir of hydrogen isotopes. When an atomic charge is detonated, hydrogen isotopes are heated to high temperatures, conditions are created for a thermonuclear reaction to occur and an explosion of a hydrogen bomb. However, in the process of creating hydrogen bombs, it was found that it was impractical to use hydrogen isotopes, since in this case the bomb acquires too big weight(more than 60 tons), because of which it was impossible to even think about using such charges on strategic bombers, and even more so in ballistic missiles any range. The second problem faced by the developers of the hydrogen bomb was the radioactivity of tritium, which made it impossible to store it for a long time.

In study 2, the above problems were solved. Liquid hydrogen isotopes have been replaced by solid chemical compound deuterium with lithium-6. This made it possible to significantly reduce the size and weight of the hydrogen bomb. In addition, lithium hydride was used instead of tritium, which made it possible to place thermonuclear charges on fighter bombers and ballistic missiles.

The creation of the hydrogen bomb was not the end of the development of thermonuclear weapons, more and more of its samples appeared, a hydrogen-uranium bomb was created, as well as some of its varieties - super-powerful and, conversely, small-caliber bombs. The last step improvement of thermonuclear weapons was the creation of the so-called "clean" hydrogen bomb.

H-bomb

The first developments of this modification of a thermonuclear bomb appeared back in 1957, in the wake of US propaganda statements about the creation of some kind of “humane” thermonuclear weapon that does not cause as much harm to future generations as an ordinary thermonuclear bomb. There was some truth in the claims to "humanity". Although the destructive power of the bomb was not less, at the same time it could be detonated so as not to spread strontium-90, which under normal hydrogen explosion we poison the earth's atmosphere for a long time. Everything that is within the range of such a bomb will be destroyed, but the danger to living organisms that are removed from the explosion, as well as to future generations, will decrease. However, these allegations were refuted by scientists, who recalled that during the explosions of atomic or hydrogen bombs, a large amount of radioactive dust is formed, which rises with a powerful air stream to a height of up to 30 km, and then gradually settles to the ground on large area by infecting her. Studies by scientists show that it will take 4 to 7 years for half of this dust to fall to the ground.

Video

The history of human development has always been accompanied by war as a way to resolve conflicts by violence. Civilization has suffered more than fifteen thousand small and large armed conflicts, losses human lives are in the millions. Only in the nineties of the last century there were more than a hundred military clashes, with the participation of ninety countries of the world.

At the same time, scientific discoveries technical progress made it possible to create weapons of destruction of ever greater power and sophistication of use. In the twentieth century nuclear weapons have become the peak of massive destructive impact and an instrument of politics.

Atomic bomb device

Modern nuclear bombs as a means of defeating the enemy are created on the basis of advanced technical solutions, the essence of which is not widely publicized. But the main elements inherent in this type of weapon can be considered on the example of the device of a nuclear bomb with the code name "Fat Man", dropped in 1945 on one of the cities of Japan.

The power of the explosion was 22.0 kt in TNT equivalent.

It had the following design features:

• the length of the product was 3250.0 mm, while the diameter of the bulk part was 1520.0 mm. Total weight over 4.5 tons;
• the body is represented by an elliptical shape. To avoid premature destruction due to anti-aircraft ammunition and undesirable effects of a different kind, 9.5 mm armored steel was used for its manufacture;
• the body is divided into four internal parts: the nose, two halves of the ellipsoid (the main one is the compartment for the nuclear filling), the tail.
• the nose compartment is equipped with rechargeable batteries;
• the main compartment, like a bow, to prevent the ingress of harmful media, moisture, creating comfortable conditions for the operation of the boron sensor, they are evacuated;
• the ellipsoid housed a plutonium core, covered by a uranium tamper (shell). It played the role of an inertial limiter over the course of a nuclear reaction, ensuring maximum activity of weapons-grade plutonium by reflecting neutrons to the side of the active zone of the charge.

Inside the nucleus was placed the primary source of neutrons, called the initiator or "hedgehog". Represented by beryllium spherical shape with a diameter 20.0 mm with an outer coating based on polonium - 210.

It should be noted that the expert community has determined such a design of a nuclear weapon to be ineffective and unreliable in use. Neutron initiation of the unguided type was not used further. .

Operating principle

The process of fission of the nuclei of uranium 235 (233) and plutonium 239 (this is what the nuclear bomb consists of) with a huge release of energy while limiting the volume is called a nuclear explosion. atomic structure radioactive metals has an unstable form - they are constantly divided into other elements.

The process is accompanied by the detachment of neurons, some of which, falling on neighboring atoms, initiate a further reaction, accompanied by the release of energy.

The principle is as follows: reducing the decay time leads to a greater intensity of the process, and the concentration of neurons on the bombardment of nuclei leads to a chain reaction. When two elements are combined to a critical mass, a supercritical one will be created, leading to an explosion.

At home, it is impossible to provoke an active reaction - you need high speeds convergence of elements - not less than 2.5 km/s. Achieving this speed in a bomb is possible by using combining types of explosives (fast and slow), balancing the density of the supercritical mass, producing an atomic explosion.

Nuclear explosions are attributed to the results of human activity on the planet or its orbit. natural processes of this kind are possible only on some stars in outer space.

Atomic bombs are rightfully considered the most powerful and destructive weapon mass destruction. Tactical use solves the problem of destroying strategic, ground-based, as well as deep-based military facilities, defeating a significant accumulation of enemy equipment and manpower.

It can be applied globally only in pursuit of the goal of complete destruction of the population and infrastructure in large areas.

To achieve certain goals, fulfill tasks of a tactical and strategic nature, detonations of nuclear weapons can be carried out:

• at critical and low altitudes (above and below 30.0 km);
• in direct contact with the earth's crust (water);
• underground (or underwater explosion).

A nuclear explosion is characterized by the instantaneous release of enormous energy.

Leading to the defeat of objects and a person as follows:

• shock wave. With an explosion above or on earth's crust(water) is called an air wave, underground (water) - a seismic blast wave. An air wave is formed after a critical compression of air masses and propagates in a circle until attenuation at a speed exceeding sound. It leads to both direct defeat of manpower, and indirect (interaction with fragments of destroyed objects). The action of excess pressure makes the technique non-functional by moving and hitting the ground;
• Light emission. Source - the light part formed by the evaporation of a product with air masses, in case of ground application - soil vapors. Exposure occurs in the ultraviolet and infrared spectra. Its absorption by objects and people provokes charring, melting and burning. The degree of damage depends on the removal of the epicenter;
• penetrating radiation- this is neutrons and gamma rays moving from the place of the rupture. Impact on biological tissues leads to ionization of cell molecules, leading to radiation sickness of the body. Damage to property is associated with molecular fission reactions in the damaging elements of ammunition.
• radioactive infection. In a ground explosion, soil vapors, dust, and other things rise. A cloud appears, moving in the direction of the movement of air masses. Sources of damage are fission products of the active part of a nuclear weapon, isotopes, not destroyed parts of the charge. When a radioactive cloud moves, a continuous radiation contamination of the area occurs;
• electromagnetic impulse. The explosion accompanies the appearance of electromagnetic fields (from 1.0 to 1000 m) in the form of an impulse. They lead to failure electrical appliances, controls and communications.

The combination of factors of a nuclear explosion inflicts damage to the enemy’s manpower, equipment and infrastructure at different levels, and the fatality of the consequences is associated only with the distance from its epicenter.

History of the creation of nuclear weapons

The creation of weapons using a nuclear reaction was accompanied by a number of scientific discoveries, theoretical and practical research, including:

• 1905- the theory of relativity was created, stating that a small amount of matter corresponds to a significant release of energy according to the formula E \u003d mc2, where "c" represents the speed of light (author A. Einstein);
• 1938- German scientists conducted an experiment on the division of an atom into parts by attacking uranium with neutrons, which ended successfully (O. Hann and F. Strassmann), and a physicist from the UK gave an explanation for the fact of energy release (R. Frisch);
• 1939- scientists from France that when carrying out a chain of reactions of uranium molecules, energy capable of producing an explosion will be released great strength(Joliot-Curie).

The latter became the starting point for the invention of atomic weapons. Germany, Great Britain, the USA, Japan were engaged in parallel development. The main problem was the extraction of uranium in the required volumes for experiments in this area.

The problem was solved faster in the United States by purchasing raw materials from Belgium in 1940.

Within the framework of the project, called Manhattan, from the thirty-ninth to the forty-fifth year, a uranium purification plant was built, a center for the study of nuclear processes was created, and the best specialists— physicists from all over Western Europe.

Great Britain, which led its own developments, was forced, after the German bombing, to voluntarily transfer the developments on its project to the US military.

The Americans are believed to be the first to invent the atomic bomb. Tests of the first nuclear charge were carried out in the state of New Mexico in July 1945. The flash from the explosion darkened the sky, and the sandy landscape turned to glass. After a short period of time, nuclear charges were created, called "Baby" and "Fat Man".

Nuclear weapons in the USSR - dates and events

The formation of the USSR as a nuclear power was preceded by a long work of individual scientists and state institutions. Key periods and significant dates events are as follows:

• 1920 consider the beginning of the work of Soviet scientists on the fission of the atom;
• From the thirties the direction of nuclear physics becomes a priority;
• October 1940- an initiative group of physicists came up with a proposal to use nuclear development for military purposes;
• Summer 1941 in connection with the war, the institutes of atomic energy were transferred to the rear;
• Autumn 1941 year, Soviet intelligence informed the country's leadership about the beginning nuclear programs in Britain and America;
• September 1942- studies of the atom began to be done in full, work on uranium continued;
• February 1943- a special research laboratory was created under the leadership of I. Kurchatov, and the general leadership was entrusted to V. Molotov;

The project was led by V. Molotov.

• August 1945- in connection with the conduct of nuclear bombing in Japan, the high importance of developments for the USSR, a Special Committee was created under the leadership of L. Beria;
• April 1946- KB-11 was created, which began to develop samples of Soviet nuclear weapons in two versions (using plutonium and uranium);
• mid 1948- work on uranium was stopped due to low efficiency at high costs;
• August 1949- when the atomic bomb was invented in the USSR, the first Soviet nuclear bomb was tested.

The reduction in the development time of the product was facilitated by the high-quality work of intelligence agencies that managed to obtain information on American nuclear development. Among those who first created the atomic bomb in the USSR was a team of scientists led by Academician A. Sakharov. They developed more promising technical solutions than those used by the Americans.

In 2015-2017, Russia made a breakthrough in improving nuclear weapons and their means of delivery, thereby declaring a state capable of repelling any aggression.

First atomic bomb tests

After testing an experimental nuclear bomb in the state of New Mexico in the summer of 1945, the bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki followed on the sixth and ninth of August, respectively.

this year completed the development of the atomic bomb

In 1949, under conditions of increased secrecy, Soviet designers KB - 11 and the scientists completed the development of an atomic bomb, which was called RDS-1 (jet engine "C"). On August 29, the first Soviet nuclear device was tested at the Semipalatinsk test site. The atomic bomb of Russia - RDS-1 was a product of a "drop-shaped" shape, weighing 4.6 tons, with a volume part diameter of 1.5 m, and a length of 3.7 meters.

The active part included a plutonium block, which made it possible to achieve an explosion power of 20.0 kilotons, commensurate with TNT. The test site covered a radius of twenty kilometers. Features of the test detonation conditions have not been made public to date.

On September 3 of the same year, American aviation intelligence established the presence in air masses Kamchatka traces of isotopes, indicating the testing of a nuclear charge. On the twenty-third, the first person in the United States publicly announced that the USSR had succeeded in testing the atomic bomb.

The Soviet Union refuted the Americans' statements with a TASS report, which spoke of large-scale construction on the territory of the USSR and large volumes of construction, including explosive, work, which attracted the attention of foreigners. The official statement that the USSR had atomic weapons was made only in 1950. Therefore, disputes still do not subside in the world, who first invented the atomic bomb.

The question of the creators of the first Soviet nuclear bomb is quite controversial and requires a more detailed study, but who really father of the Soviet atomic bomb, there are several entrenched opinions. Most physicists and historians believe that the main contribution to the creation of Soviet nuclear weapons was made by Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov. However, some express the opinion that without Yuli Borisovich Khariton, the founder of Arzamas-16 and the creator of the industrial basis for obtaining enriched fissile isotopes, the first test of this type of weapon in the Soviet Union would have dragged on for several more years.

Let us consider the historical sequence of research and development work to create a practical sample of an atomic bomb, leaving aside the theoretical studies of fissile materials and the conditions for the occurrence of a chain reaction, without which a nuclear explosion is impossible.

For the first time, a series of applications for obtaining copyright certificates for the invention (patents) of the atomic bomb was filed in 1940 by employees of the Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology F. Lange, V. Spinel and V. Maslov. The authors considered issues and proposed solutions for the enrichment of uranium and its use as an explosive. The proposed bomb had a classic detonation scheme (gun type), which was later, with some modifications, used to initiate a nuclear explosion in American uranium-based nuclear bombs.

Great Patriotic War slowed down theoretical and experimental research in the field of nuclear physics, and the largest centers (Kharkov Institute of Physics and Technology and the Radium Institute - Leningrad) ceased their activities and were partially evacuated.

Beginning in September 1941, the intelligence agencies of the NKVD and the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Red Army began to receive an increasing amount of information about the special interest shown in the military circles of Great Britain in the development of explosives based on fissile isotopes. In May 1942, the Main Intelligence Directorate, summarizing the materials received, reported to the State Defense Committee (GKO) on the military purpose of ongoing nuclear research.

Around the same time, Lieutenant Technician Georgy Nikolayevich Flerov, who in 1940 was one of the discoverers of spontaneous fission of uranium nuclei, wrote a letter personally to I.V. Stalin. In his message, the future academician, one of the creators of Soviet nuclear weapons, draws attention to the fact that publications on works related to fission have disappeared from the scientific press of Germany, Great Britain and the United States. atomic nucleus. According to the scientist, this may indicate the reorientation of "pure" science in the practical military field.

In October-November 1942, the foreign intelligence service of the NKVD reported to L.P. Beria, all available information about work in the field of nuclear research, obtained by illegal intelligence officers in England and the USA, on the basis of which the People's Commissar writes a memorandum to the head of state.

At the end of September 1942, I.V. Stalin signs the decree State Committee defense on the resumption and intensification of "works on uranium", and in February 1943, after studying the materials submitted by L.P. Beria, a decision is made to transfer all research on the creation of nuclear weapons (atomic bombs) into a "practical channel". General management and coordination of all types of work were entrusted to the Deputy Chairman of the GKO V.M. Molotov, the scientific management of the project was entrusted to I.V. Kurchatov. The management of work on the search for deposits and the extraction of uranium ore was entrusted to A.P. Zavenyagin, M.G. was responsible for the creation of enterprises for the enrichment of uranium and the production of heavy water. Pervukhin, and the People's Commissar of Nonferrous Metallurgy P.F. Lomako "trusted" by 1944 to accumulate 0.5 tons of metallic (enriched to the required standards) uranium.

At this, the first stage (the deadlines for which were disrupted), providing for the creation of an atomic bomb in the USSR, was completed.

After the United States dropped atomic bombs on Japanese cities, the leadership of the USSR saw with their own eyes the backlog scientific research And practical work to create nuclear weapons from their competitors. To intensify and create an atomic bomb as soon as possible, on August 20, 1945, a special decree of the GKO was issued on the creation of Special Committee No. 1, whose functions included organizing and coordinating all types of work to create a nuclear bomb. L.P. is appointed the head of this emergency body with unlimited powers. Beria, the scientific leadership is entrusted to I.V. Kurchatov. The direct management of all research, design and production enterprises was to be carried out by the People's Commissar for Armaments B.L. Vannikov.

Due to the fact that scientific, theoretical and experimental studies were completed, intelligence data on the organization of industrial production of uranium and plutonium were obtained, the scouts obtained schemes for American atomic bombs, the greatest difficulty was the transfer of all types of work to an industrial basis. To create enterprises for the production of plutonium, the city of Chelyabinsk - 40 was built from scratch (scientific supervisor I.V. Kurchatov). In the village of Sarov (future Arzamas - 16), an assembly and production plant was built in industrial scale the atomic bombs themselves (supervisor - chief designer Yu.B. Khariton).

Thanks to the optimization of all types of work and strict control over them by L.P. Beria, who, however, did not interfere with the creative development of the ideas embedded in the projects, in July 1946, technical specifications for the creation of the first two Soviet atomic bombs were developed:

• "RDS - 1" - a bomb with a plutonium charge, the explosion of which was carried out according to the implosive type;
• "RDS - 2" - a bomb with a cannon detonation of a uranium charge.

I.V. Kurchatov.

Paternity rights

Tests of the first atomic bomb created in the USSR "RDS - 1" (the abbreviation in different sources stands for - "jet engine C" or "Russia makes itself") took place in the last days of August 1949 in Semipalatinsk under the direct supervision of Yu.B. Khariton. The power of the nuclear charge was 22 kilotons. However, from the point of view of modern copyright law, it is impossible to attribute paternity to this product to any of the Russian (Soviet) citizens. Earlier, when developing the first practical model suitable for military use, the Government of the USSR and the leadership of Special Project No. 1 decided to copy as much as possible the domestic implosion bomb with a plutonium charge from the American Fat Man prototype dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki. Thus, the “fatherhood” of the first nuclear bomb of the USSR rather belongs to General Leslie Groves, the military leader of the Manhattan project, and Robert Oppenheimer, known throughout the world as the “father of the atomic bomb” and who provided scientific leadership on the project. "Manhattan". The main difference between the Soviet model and the American one is the use of domestic electronics in the detonation system and a change in the aerodynamic shape of the bomb body.

The first "purely" Soviet atomic bomb can be considered the product "RDS - 2". Despite the fact that it was originally planned to copy the American uranium prototype "Kid", the Soviet uranium atomic bomb "RDS - 2" was created in an implosive version, which had no analogues at that time. L.P. participated in its creation. Beria - general project management, I.V. Kurchatov is the scientific supervisor of all types of work and Yu.B. Khariton is the scientific adviser and chief designer responsible for the manufacture of a practical sample of the bomb and its testing.

Speaking about who is the father of the first Soviet atomic bomb, one should not lose sight of the fact that both RDS - 1 and RDS - 2 were blown up at the test site. The first atomic bomb dropped from the Tu - 4 bomber was the RDS - 3 product. Its design repeated the RDS-2 implosion bomb, but had a combined uranium-plutonium charge, thanks to which it was possible to increase its power, with the same dimensions, up to 40 kilotons. Therefore, in many publications, academician Igor Kurchatov is considered the “scientific” father of the first atomic bomb actually dropped from an aircraft, since his colleague in the scientific workshop, Yuli Khariton, was categorically against making any changes. The fact that in the entire history of the USSR L.P. Beria and I.V. Kurchatov were the only ones who in 1949 were awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the USSR - "... for the implementation of the Soviet nuclear project, building the atomic bomb.

It attracted experts from many countries. Scientists and engineers from the USA, the USSR, England, Germany and Japan worked on these developments. Particularly active work was carried out in this area by the Americans, who had the best technological base and raw materials, and also managed to attract the strongest intellectual resources at that time to research.

The United States government has set a task for physicists - to create a new type of weapon in the shortest possible time that could be delivered to the most remote point on the planet.

Los Alamos, located in the deserted desert of New Mexico, became the center of American nuclear research. Many scientists, designers, engineers and the military worked on the top-secret military project, and the experienced theoretical physicist Robert Oppenheimer, who is most often called the "father" of atomic weapons, was in charge of all the work. Under his leadership, the best specialists from all over the world developed the controlled technology without interrupting the search process for even a minute.

By the autumn of 1944, measures to create the first nuclear power plant in history in general terms came to an end. By this time, a special aviation regiment had already been formed in the United States, which had to carry out the tasks of delivering deadly weapons to the places of their use. The pilots of the regiment passed special training, making training flights at different altitudes and in conditions close to combat.

First atomic bombings

In mid-1945, US designers managed to assemble two nuclear devices ready to use. The first objects to strike were also chosen. At that time Japan was the strategic adversary of the USA.

The American leadership decided to inflict the first atomic strikes on two Japanese cities in order to frighten not only Japan, but also other countries, including the USSR, with this action.

On August 6th and 9th, 1945, American bombers dropped the first ever atomic bombs on the unsuspecting inhabitants of Japanese cities, which were Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a result, more than one hundred thousand people died from thermal radiation and shock waves. Such were the consequences of the use of unprecedented weapons. The world has entered a new phase of its development.

However, the US monopoly on military use atom was not too long. The Soviet Union also searched hard for ways to put into practice the principles underlying nuclear weapons. Igor Kurchatov headed the work of a team of Soviet scientists and inventors. In August 1949, tests of the Soviet atomic bomb were successfully carried out, which received the working name RDS-1. The fragile military balance in the world was restored.