Elementary Nuclear Physics (for Shruti, Aditi and Aradhana)

Dear Shruti, (Narendrabhai Modi – the cultural nationalist)
Dear Aditi, (Brinda Karat – Post Modern Woman liberalist-communist) and
Dear Aradhana,(Rahul Gandhi – Babe of Indian Politics, Buddhist-Pacifist of Nehruvian Legacy)

The recent furore in the Indian Media over Pokaran-II must indeed be very intriguing to you all.

- Did Indian scientists indeed detonate a thermonuclear device?
- Is thermonuclear reaction the same as Nuclear Fusion?
- What is Cold Fusion?
- Are Indian Scientists merely a lot of politicking gymnasts or (Wo)Men of Substance?

Elementary Nuclear Physics of level not greater then STD X should solve all these problems, so I suggest to you - Shruti, Aditi, Aradhana – please read for your STD. X board exams sincerely whether or not Kapil Paaji offers you an exemption.

Basics –

Nuclear Fission - First, Read textbooks, then shoot an alpha particle(s) into enriched Uranium or Plutonium and let the process chain itself to radioactive annihilation.

Nuclear Fusion – (Source: Times of India, Pune edition, 28 August 2009 , Pg 11, inset under title- Thermonuclear device) – “It has a two-stage process: first, fission and the energy released from it is then harnessed to fuse two types of hydrogen atoms. The fusion process releases a huge amount of energy, causing more fusion”

Story -
Now, think back, if you can, Shruti, because you are the eldest, born on 16 May 1998, how do you reconcile the above two definitions with the recorded fact that Indian scientists did in fact detonate a thermonuclear device in Pokhran-II with a yield enough to ratify the process for Dr. Kalam to certify it?

The first clue is that fission as a process has a taste for radioactive alpha particles to sustain its food chain. So, the amount of fizzle (err, pardon my slip of tongue, quite un-British, old chappie) material, determines the output, which is also loosely called yield. How does the radiation spread? By heat and is limited or stopped by absorption in various materials, each according to their capacity to absorb. Human beings, if close enough, are incarcerated, if distant develop cancer.

But, when humans can get outside the statistically calculable space and time limits, they only develop modal thought irregularities communicable through generations with or without error. (Dear readers, Pardon me, my heart is in the coffin with Caesar, and I must pause till it comes back to me)

However, when one is exposed to radiation from fission at a “safe” distance from behind a screen of water, their bodily risky is greatly limited because hydrogen in water absorbs the radiative energy through its two types of hydrogen atoms in a process that is loosely called fusion.

The next clue, is about fusion, which as mentioned in the “basics” paragraph cause more fusion!!

Of what? Hydorgen Nucleii, bhai!!

Hence, if one needs to limit fusion reaction, without violating the law of conservation of energy, what does one do? Because, logically, fusion creates more fusion till nothing is left in the Universe and every damn thing fuses into the one Cosmic Whole!! Scary, ain’t it?

Well, the Indian politicians thought that one should blast the hydrogen bomb in the sea, where there is lot of water, so you can get more “yield” (Dr. Santhanam, are you reading?), but how does one limit the chain of fusion. Simple, detonate around the hydrogen bomb, some small sub kiloton, suitcase bombs, of fizzle material. The fusion is stopped by fission, and the fission by sea water. The process is limited, nay, controlled. Aam ke Aam, gutlion ke bhi daam!! (To hell with marine life , they can go to Australia for all we care!!)

But, did the Indian Scientists do that in Pokharan – II? No! they were politicians, you see, they needed to give a chill pill in the form of a Great Indian Tamasha to the populace, they needed to give some drawing room discussion to the Indian elite intellectuals, but mind you the TRUTH needed to be hidden for the book of revelation by some obscure prophet – Let Truth Prevail (in due course , of course)

The scientists simply planned a detonation of the same "recommended under sea configuration" suggested by the politicians in a desert! Built a mechanical shaft of known and tested strength and conveyed the energy of the consolidated reaction to a tensometer that tested the strength of the shaft and computed the yield, through a technique known as decomposition of attributable causes.
Give and take some error for the losses you had your sample test and a story to tell! The shaft had been tested at Midhani (Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited) and the United States were told to watch for a reaction at Chandipur-at –Sea , while the stuff was exploded on the Indo-Pak border at Pokhran.

Linearity of Young’s Modulus, accounts for a certain lack, in precision of calculation.

Ill effects of fission of Pokharan-II were limited through the desert, and the atmosphere supplied the little Hydrogen required to balance the books. Not even a crow died, the desert shall swallow the poison of radiation in time, the illicit opium traders can help with absorbing some of it and keep some cancerous tissue for posterity.

Samkara was satisfied and Buddha as ever kept smiling.

Tailpiece –

Accounting has always been a favourite Indian pastime ever since they invented the zero. When you add anything, the total should always be … ZERO!
Dr. Kalam, Dr. Santhanam,
If India needs to sign the CTBT, why doesn’t Dr. Kalam propose the name of Dr. Santhanam for the post of President of India, when the election comes up next time around? Better still, why not consult Dr. Raja Mohan, the strategic affairs expert from Nanyang University of Singapore.
George Fernandes and Yashwant Sinha can convince the opposition, if Advaniji has advanced in age and if Atalji is infirm for Shourie seems to have lost his marbles!
For the general public, please recollect that there was a Chinese Nuclear submarine reported in the hot waters of Indian Ocean and was tried in the Indian press on charges of International Spying at about the time of this drama, or was it later? My memory is vague!

Dr. Santhanam can do the math, Dr. Kalam can certify this article for publication as a standard text on elementary Nuclear Physics!

For a commercial negotiation on Ballistic Missile Defence, contact Shri. A.L. Sundaresan a.k.a Ambu Athan

Moral of the Blog –

1. The sham of Democracy has always been monetised in the modern world through the agency of media. Its casuality is TRUTH! (Advaitam)
2. The price of TRUTH is neither calculable nor conserved. One should rest assured with its material equivalence.(Vishistadvaitam)
3. Selling Knowledge is no sin as long as wisdom is retained.(Dvaitam)