TALK of free market economy! It has brought under its ambit a. ‘strange new item: plutonium, and from a totally unexpected source: Russia, which abhorred free market until a few years ago. Plutonium comes in two kinds. Reactor grade, straight from a nuclear power plant, and weapons grade, from a laboratory ready to be packed into a deadly bomb. Another economic law is also in operation demand and supply. Many countries want plutonium (and its esoteric cousin, enriched uranium) but only Russia can supply it, through its newly established underground network. This has a lethal effect on its price, and about four kg of plutonium of doubtful quality costs as much as $250 million. The price is pretty stiff, but then the luxury of owning a nuclear bomb cannot be had cheap. Can it?
Now that plutonium is available many want to make the bomb. Not only countries but even groups of wicked men called militants and rich men with unusual tastes want to have a go at rigging up the explosive toy. For sheer novelty (and its unaffordable price for all but a handful), there is nothing so tantalizing as the bomb. The crux of the question, however, is: how to make a nuclear bomb? Or, more importantly, can one make a bomb? Say, in his backyard? Well, one can but there are risks involved. Anyway, for the bravest here is how.
Nuclear bombs can be assembled with two different raw materials. The oldest way is to use enriched uranium, the stuff reactors produce as waste. That is of crude standard but once you know how to refine it (the process is actually called enriching), you get good stuff.
The advantage in this route is that you need only about a kilo; more than that would create problems. Divide the enriched uranium into two equal halves; roll them as you would atta into chappati. But cut into rectangular pieces. Now bend the two parts into separate semi cylindrical hollow shapes. ‘The core of the bomb is now ready.
Arrange the bits into a tube like structure but make sure to leave a safe distance between the two packs the inside and outside of the two parts with very high explosive. The trick is to pack it very tight. At a pinch, Samtex or RDX (used in last year’s Bombay blasts) would do. If you are more enterprising try to get HDX, the bloody minded cousin of RDX. ‘The bomb as such is ready. It has to be detonated, and with computer precision. Like photographers switch on flash bulbs as they snap pictures. Not one point of detonation, but several ‘of them. ‘The explosion should be directed inwards so as to crush the two parts of enriched uranium to implode, or collapse within. Again, with pinpoint simultaneity, sprinkle hundreds of neutrons all over the exploding mass. This part is very crucial as the neutrons help you get a louder bang and death dealing heat.
A word of caution though. It is not wise to be present very close while the thing gets hot. Use a remote control, something like the contraption supplied with a TV, but only a thousand times more sophisticated.
For more safety tips, refer to the last few paras.
Now, for the other bomb, with plutonium. This is a child’s play, So to speak. Take about six or eight kilo of the material, press it hard into a spheroid, it will be the size of a tennis ball, Wrap it in several kilograms of high explosive (same as in the other bomb) and stick the detonators all around. Apply a coat of neutrons both on the plutonium and on the outside of the bomb. Procure the cone of a Scud missile to encase the bomb.
With a remote control, you can hold the nation, the state or at least your neighborhood to ransom, in the real sense of the term.
Now a few helpful words to keep you out of harm’s way. Uranium and plutonium are crybabies. They keep on shedding neutrons, nasty tiny things that can cause you sore throat and worse. Among the worse things is cancer of the lung even if you breathe a few of them. Mixed in the water supply system, it can kill the users. These two are like mothers-in-law. It is not difficult to acquire them, but impossible to get rid of them. Uranium will take about 5,000 years to reduce its volume to half, and a bit of calculation will tell you that it would take more than a million years for it to decay into harmless lead. Now the crucial question. How to procure these ingredients for the very witch’s brew? Easy. Your street comer smuggler should be. Helpful. Or, ask Benazir Begum. she of Pakistan has the expertise., As a last resort, why not contact Dawood Ibrahim or any of his associates, who seem to have emerged as major players in this eodionihe things Then there is the trouble with the: law. My lawyer friend tells me that there is no specific provision against the possession of a nuclear bomb. But he says it is like aman committing suicide (before the Supreme Court ruling last year). Intention is an offence, but the act itself may not be. After all, who will like to rub a nuclear bomb owner on the wrong side?
Article extracted from this publication >> December 23, 1994
