Terms of History of Nuclear Weapons Flashcards

The secret project that brought together expert scientists to build a super-weapon, culminating in the creation of the first atomic bomb.

An atom-splitting chain reaction that is central to the working of a nuclear weapon.

A type of nuclear weapon, even more powerful than a conventional nuclear weapon, that relies on the power of a contained fission explosion to trigger the fusing of hydrogen articles, a process that yields even greater amounts of destructive energy than a fission reaction alone. Also known as a fusion bomb.

Missile that in under an hour can travel thousands of miles through outer space and release multiple nuclear warheads, each carrying a payload of several hundred kilotons and independently guided to explode within several hundred feet of a separate target.

Missile that can produce much the same effect as an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from a platform deep beneath the ocean’s surface.

Missile, capable of being launched from land, air, or sea, that can travel below radar detection and guide itself around obstacles to deliver the warhead it carries.

The immediate explosive effect of a nuclear weapon. Can be powerful enough to level all buildings in a several-mile radius and to produce destructive winds of between 100 and 200 miles per hour.

The secondary effect of a nuclear explosion, in which the heat waves from the explosion can cause third-degree burns up to five miles from the detonation site.

The tertiary effect of a nuclear explosion. Because nuclear weapons cause dirt and air particles to become radioactive, an explosion can expose people hundreds of miles from the blast site to fatal cancers over time. This exposure to radiation is the fallout effect, and affects a much wider range than the blast or thermal effects.

A situation, feared by many scientists in the 1980s, in which the smoke and soot resulting from numerous nuclear explosions blocked out the sunlight from the earth’s surface for extended periods of time.

The group of states believed to possess nuclear weapons.

Using the threat of retaliation to protect oneself from an attack. Nuclear states use the threat of nuclear retaliation to deter other states from attacking them.

The level of damage that a state is absolutely unwilling to sustain.

The ability and will to inflict unacceptable damage on an adversary – even after the adversary hits first with its best nuclear attack. Also known as assured destruction.

A situation in which two adversaries each possess assured destruction capability, meaning that a nuclear conflict would likely inflict unacceptable damage on both countries.