Castle Union
Castle Union | |
---|---|
Information | |
Country | United States |
Test series | Operation Castle |
Test site | Bikini Atoll |
Date | April 26, 1954 |
Test type | Atmospheric |
Yield | 6.9 megatons of TNT |
Test chronology | |
Castle Union was the code name given to one of the tests in the
An "Alarm Clock" device is a "dry"
fusion device.It differed from the Castle Romeo "Runt" device, tested shortly before, in using highly enriched lithium (approximately 95% lithium-6; natural lithium is a mixture of lithium-6 and lithium-7 isotopes). The "Runt" device had 7.5% lithium-6 in the fusion fuel.
The test took place on April 26, 1954 at
Like the Ivy Mike, Castle Bravo, and Castle Romeo tests, a large percentage of the yield was produced by fast fission of the natural uranium tamper, which contributed to the extensive fallout caused by these tests.
As the highly enriched lithium was both expensive and scarce at the time, it limited the number of these weapons that could be produced. The "Runt" design tested in Castle Romeo and Castle Yankee was preferred for deployment.
External links
- Wikimapia
- The short film Operation Castle Commanders Report (1954) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
- The short film Military Effects Studies Operation Castle (1954) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
- The short film Nuclear Test Film - Operation Castle (1954) is available for free viewing and download at the Internet Archive.
- Operation Castle
References
- Chuck Hansen, U. S. Nuclear Weapons: The Secret History (Arlington: AeroFax, 1988)