Matt+King+-+Book+Review+-+Dark+Sun


 * Book Review: Dark Sun - The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb**
 * Matt King**

Richard Rhode’s book, //Dark Sun – The Making of the Hydrogen Bomb//, gives the reader the complete story about the creation of the atomic bomb, hydrogen bomb, and the presence of Russian spies in America at that time. //Dark Sun// goes into extreme detail, reporting on everyone who seems to have had any connection to these topics in the least. After reading this book, it would seem that it has all the information, at least what is not still deemed classified by the government, on the making of the bombs. As far as the audience for this book goes, it is not for the light-hearted. The book is so detailed and uses so many technical terms that it only appeals to those who want to learn every minor detail about such topics.

The book starts off by giving the reader the history of atomic science before World War II. We learn that the German scientists have discovered nuclear fission, a nuclear reaction where an atom splits, creating a large amount of energy. This discovery would become the basis for the making of the bombs and modern nuclear science. The possibility of using this process to make a bomb seems obvious to nearly everyone. The discovery of nuclear fission was the starting gun, and the nuclear arms race had begun.

The Soviet head of research for the bomb is Igor Kurchatov, a 29 year-old physicist. He was chosen because, “he was a natural leader, vigorous and self-confident” (Dark Sun, pg 29). The Russian nuclear program came directly from ours, through espionage. The Russians feared any technique for bombs that hadn’t been tested and proven by the Americans, even if it meant more promising results.

We learn that the ideas on exactly how to get the atomic bomb working evolve throughout the years during the war. For example, the first hypothesized method was to use a special isotope of uranium, U235. The isotope is very unstable, in comparison to the more common isotope, U238. The idea is to use fission to create a chain reaction. This process works through the following: “…a stray neutron in a mass of uranium finds a nucleus of U235, entering it and causing it to fission. The two resulting fission fragments fly apart, a fraction of a second later they eject two or three secondary neutrons. If these fast secondary neutrons encounter other U235 nuclei they will continue and enlarge the chain of fissions. But there is much more U238 than U235… making encounter with a U238 nucleus more likely, and U238 tends to capture fast neutrons” (Dark Sun, pg 36). Rhodes then basically tells us that U238 is sensitive to neutrons moving very fast, but it is invisible to slow neutrons. Therefore, the idea is to make “neutrons give up some of their energy by bouncing them off the nuclei of light atoms, such as hydrogen. It is hypothesized that the easiest way to mix hydrogen and uranium would be to mix it with water.

However, there is a problem with this first proposed method of creating the reaction. First, the elements in water, hydrogen and oxygen, also capture slow neutrons. This would not allow for a chain reaction, as too many slow neutrons would go to the atoms in water, and not enough to U235. However, the use of heavy hydrogen or, “deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen with a smaller appetite for neutrons than ordinary hydrogen, in the form of rare and expensive heavy water” could work. Another problem is that natural uranium does not contain a desired amount of U235, in comparison with U238.

Rhodes also enlightens the reader on the importance of Russian spies in the U.S., in relation to the development of Soviet nuclear arms. The entire basis of this program came directly from notes and blueprints stolen from members of the Manhattan Project. Some important spies were Klaus Fuchs, Harry Gold. The Russians literally airlift suitcases full of thousands of documents, out of an airport in Montana; Kurchatov himself directly requests for an increase in espionage, to help him develop the bomb. In fact, an American pilot actually opened the sealed suitcases, and allowed the Soviet pilot to take off, after seeing all the suspicious blueprints. The subject of the blueprints ranges from artificial rubber, factory blueprints, and plans for the bomb. What I found most shocking was the lack of security of the Manhattan Project. If one of our allies during the war could obtain our confidential information, how could we expect that the enemy hadn’t also gotten this information?

The book describes the final plan for the atomic bomb. Essentially, a hollow plutonium shell is surrounded by a certain arrangements of-high explosive ordinance. Upon detonation, the shell compacts into a solid mass of plutonium, which cause optimum reaction, and prevents premature reaction before the entire mass compacts, in comparison with the “gun method”. The gun method essential consists of propelling a mass of uranium down a barrel toward another mass, causing a reaction. The problem in this is that the masses fire off secondary neutrons, which causes the reaction to start slightly before the masses compact. Bombs of both types were mass produced, with the plutonium bomb creating a much larger blast. Both designs were used in the atomic bombings or Japan. This is what really bugs me about how we had used nuclear bombs on Japan. I still believe that the use of these bombs prevented a full-scale invasion, saving many lives, but, In my opinion, it is almost blatantly obvious that we were testing the effect of the two different designs on major cities, and, ultimately people, which really does not sit well with me. Another thing about the whole ordeal that annoys me is that we basically knew the other superpowers knew the potential to make atomic weapons; the Germans are the ones who discovered fission, we worked with the British on bombs, and we had to know something about what the Russians were doing. All of these countries, //except Japan;// we have no evidence that they knew anything about nuclear weapons. Why, then, not use it on the Germans? Was it because they surrendered earlier, and we wanted to use Japan as a testing ground, before the war ended?

The application of the bombs in Japan never sat well with many of the scientists who developed them, either. Oppenheimer and Fermi want the development of even more powerful weapons to stop. Oppenheimer states, “I feel we have blood on our hands”, to which Truman replies, “Never mind, it will all come out in the wash.” However, even Truman shows regret: another bomb core was ready for assembly and deployment, but Truman did not allow it, claiming he disliked the idea of, “…killing all those kids.” People like Teller, however, encourage even more development, such as thermonuclear weapons, which would be strong enough to obliterate all of New York City, nearly 1000 times an atomic bomb.

Eventually, Soviets produce bombs and put them through testing, the first of which being “Joe-1”. The U.S. begins to stockpile missiles, in response to the knowledge of the Soviet atomic program. The reasoning is that missiles, at that time at least, cannot be stopped one launched. The best means of deterring a nuclear attack is to stockpile arms that can be used offensively at a range. The Cold War is in effect, and the National Security Act in 1946 is signed, forming the Air Force, Department of Defense, and CIA. In the U.S. Gold and other spies are interrogated, but not tried. Any negotiations between the U.S. and Soviets ultimately fail, and it would seem that war is impending. In response to the blockade of Berlin, American planes airlift supplies. Our persistence eventually results in the blockade being lifted, and luckily, not in a retaliation. Both countries stockpile more and more armament, and, as a result, both have scientists and even citizen suffering from radiation sickness. In 1950, North Korea invades South Korea. The North is supported by the USSR and China, and we support the South. The war obviously adds a greater amount of tension, but nuclear arms still aren’t used. The Russians also supply Cuba with missiles, a direct threat to the United States. Both sides now have the means for all-out atomic war, but neither side is willing to initiate it, knowing the consequences of such actions; it seems that neither side is ready to put the lives of their entire country in danger for the first attack on the other, in a war that inevitably would destroy all those who are involved. The Cold War ultimately expended a great deal of money on both sides, which proved unnecessary. However, many breakthroughs occurred during the competition between the US and USSR. The Americans were the first to walk on the moon, mid-air refueling, the development of missiles, jet propulsion aircraft, and improvements on radar are all results of the Cold War.

Ultimately, Rhodes’s book is a complete chronicle of the development of atomic and thermonuclear weapons, the Cold War, and spies in the U.S. However, I feel that some information is lacking. For example, another author could expand upon this information into the current day, with the background of WMD’s today, the recent North Korea nuclear tests, and other recent developments. I found the book a bit hard to follow at times, as Rhodes does not give the history in chronological order, but instead by related ideas. This writing style is still effective, however, and, in the end, //Dark Sun// proves to be an extremely interesting, detailed, and reliable account, albeit a rather long and occasionally confusing one.