China tests non-nuclear hydrogen bomb, science paper shows (www.scmp.com)
from yogthos@lemmy.ml to technology@lemmy.ml on 20 Apr 18:58
https://lemmy.ml/post/28904937

archive.ph/y51Rr

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PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de on 20 Apr 22:33 next collapse

This is incredibly misleading. A “hydrogen bomb” generally refers to a thermonuclear fusion weapon. This is not that. It’s just a “regular” chemical explosive.

The article makes it sound like this is a modified version of what’s known as a hydrogen bomb, but without a fission-based detonator. It is not. It’s a chemical bomb that yields flammable products so you get a fireball.

Also explosions aren’t better because they last long lol, the whole point of an explosion is to be fast. By these metrics a log of wood is an even better bomb

yogthos@lemmy.ml on 20 Apr 23:10 collapse

Given that the title literally non-nuclear in the title, there’s absolutely nothing misleading about it.

PotatoesFall@discuss.tchncs.de on 20 Apr 23:20 collapse

I dunno to me it’s really weird that “hydrogen bomb” is used throughout without explicitly explaining the difference.

yogthos@lemmy.ml on 21 Apr 00:32 collapse

I mean that’s why you read the article? 🤷

domdanial@reddthat.com on 21 Apr 01:23 collapse

So it’s a type of thermobaric weapon. It’s composed of magnesium hydride, which holds hydrogen more effectively than pressurized gas tanks, and it releases that hydrogen when detonated by a primer charge. It then ignites all that released hydrogen mixed with air to make a very impressive fireball.

A better name than “non-nuclear hydrogen bomb” exists, but would probably be longer and more specific. Hydride thermobaric bomb maybe.