g.sarkar wrote:There is just one thing that bothers me, the low number of tests. If the news is correct, Indian scientists cancelled one or more test, saying that they were no longer needed. Why so few tests, while everyone of the Nukleer powers tested many many more. I remember even some Russian scientists saying that India will need more test to prove the boosted device. Could someone comment on this?
Please read more before asking this kind of uninformed questions, but this question seems to be ritual that repeats every 10 months or so. So let me do the honors for the 'Nth' time:
1. Pls do a litte more study or Googling.
To start with pls see Dr Chidambram's presentation:
THE MAY 1998 POKHRAN TESTS: Scientific Aspects, by R. Chidambaram.
http://www.saag.org/papers5/paper451.html
See the graph showing the co-relation between increasing in computing power and the numbers of nuclear tests.
2. Nuke testing was the only option available when the physics and computing was unable to converge in terms of understanding all mechanics that go into fission, boosting and radiation driven fusion implosion. Hence more prevalent when its recipe was black-art.
As can be see in the Venn-diagram of Dr Chidambram (above article) that only USA and Indian nuclear weapon program is totally independent, not predicated on nuclear proliferation (from a prior Nuclear state) that is the base and hall mark of all other nuclear states (viz. Russia, UK, French, Israel, China, Pakistan & North Korea). And the Indian design is of 1995 circa, built at a time when fundamental science had matured by many order compared to 1860, 1970, or 80 or even 1990. Not to mention explosive growth in
1. Computer MEGAFLOP and precision (floating single and double) {the Cray-MP/XMP Carter embargoed against India is less powerful than my home PC 5 years ago. Hope one can see how barrier to know how has been lowered, to ordinary mullah’s, terrorists and Non-democratic rough nations}
2. Finite element modeling tools and optimization software
3. High energy experimental physics data in open
4. Accurate & well controlled High energy experimental lab setup to acquire and validate physical parameter/constants.
Thus Indian TN weapons were designed from first principle and thoroughly grounded in experimentally validated physical parameters.
The Pokhran-II tests were so close to predicted performance that even with preliminary sensor data from close in sensors the scientists decided not to explode the 6th Low Yield experimental device on the second round.
3. Fission physics and Fission weapon is so well known that it is no more an area of fundamental investigation/validation by P5 and of late all P5 tests were not focused on fission stage, all of them have focused on refining their low yield Fusion secondary that has been most changing to model in software in the 80’s and early 90’s phase of nuke development & testing. (tertiary validation/testing has been rarely done).
4. Fission optimization, testing and verification is now done using passive U238 core, using modern electronic instrumentation to validate the software code. This is where military engineers need to inspect (as observers) to gain confidence on experimental and theoretical validation of mil weapon.
5. The French will arm their Sub launched M51 ICBM with a new Thermo-nuke TNO, and this TNO will for the time be put to service without a full scale testing. One may ask why?and why will be the French military agree to such untested deterrent weapon, or why will French enemies will be deterred by an untested TNO?
Aviation Week & Space Technology
M51 Gives France More Flexible Deterrent To Meet Changing Threats
By Michael A. Taverna
10/22/2006 10:48:45 PM
http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/c ... 2306p1.xml
The M51 also reflects France's decision to rely henceforth on simulation, rather than atmospheric testing, to verify the reliability and safety of the country's nuclear arms. The missile will be fitted initially with miniaturized TN75 warheads that equip the M45--and benefit from the last round of atmospheric tests of that warhead in 1995. But it will eventually carry an all-new warhead, dubbed TNO, that will be developed using a giant simulator facility, the Megajoule Laser, which is under construction near Bordeaux in the heart of the country's nuclear complex (AW&ST July 17, p. 122).
Rumor has it that 3 years ago GOI was going to do another round this time full yield nuke test to cut short the western teasing /psy-op of “Oh Indian weapons tested didn’t work and questioning the yield/efficacy of Shakti-1 ThermoNuke weaponâ€
