Article

2004-10-28 Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Tehran's 'heavy water' plant to start work soon

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Posted by Mark Espinola 2004-10-28 5:17:50 AM|| || Front Page|| [11129 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Is it marked on the map?

Posted by trailing wife 2004-10-28 7:31:22 AM|| 2004-10-28 7:31:22 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 bout time for one of those bunker busters israel "bought" from the US too be put too use

Posted by smokeysinse 2004-10-28 8:01:10 AM|| 2004-10-28 8:01:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 There was quite an operation to destroy the Norweigan heavy water plant and blow up the ferry transporting the product in WWII, IIRC. All done at great risk to deny the Nazis heavy water.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2004-10-28 11:29:10 AM|| 2004-10-28 11:29:10 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 What is "heavy water?"

Posted by ex-lib 2004-10-28 1:01:20 PM|| 2004-10-28 1:01:20 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Heavy water is D2O or two deuterium atoms combined with an oxygen atom. Deuterium is nothing more than a hydrogen atom with an extra neutron in the nucleus, thus the name "heavy". Heavy water slows down the neutrons in a water nuclear reactor so the emitting of neutrons from uranium in the nuclear fuel will hit another uranium atom, splitting it, and eventually forming plutonium. Heavy water enables the reactor to use natural uranium, instead of enriched (high U235) uranium.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2004-10-28 1:28:27 PM|| 2004-10-28 1:28:27 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Thanks AP.

Posted by ex-lib 2004-10-28 1:40:54 PM|| 2004-10-28 1:40:54 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Rantburg U. Somebody needs to piss in the pot.

Hey kids!

Posted by Lucky 2004-10-28 3:03:00 PM|| 2004-10-28 3:03:00 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Lucky! How ya doin' man!

Posted by Seafarious 2004-10-28 3:05:14 PM|| 2004-10-28 3:05:14 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 I've been Jonesing for some Lucky wisdom, pal!

Posted by Frank G 2004-10-28 3:05:58 PM|| 2004-10-28 3:05:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 Thx Sea, Frank. As well as could be expected. Brain surgery chemo, radiation and funky meds. I can use my left hand again, some, but it twits about, hard to hit the shift key. I've got a walker and I can gt in and out of the car, Woo hoo! Wheel chairs, give those folks some crdit.

I've missed ya all,I saw angels, no bull, Someday I'll tell you all about it. Global prayers MAN!

I'm going to hang out for awhile if my head stays cool.

Posted by Lucky 2004-10-28 3:23:07 PM|| 2004-10-28 3:23:07 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 welcome back!

Posted by Frank G 2004-10-28 3:25:35 PM|| 2004-10-28 3:25:35 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 Welcome back Lucky, prayers down range bro'.

Posted by Jarhead 2004-10-28 3:32:30 PM|| 2004-10-28 3:32:30 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 General Lucky - Awesome!

If any doctor, nurse, therapist, or lab tech gets uppity with you - just say the word, sir.
-All your kneecaps are belong to us, Inc.

Posted by .com 2004-10-28 3:37:19 PM|| 2004-10-28 3:37:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 K.

Posted by Lucky 2004-10-28 3:44:28 PM|| 2004-10-28 3:44:28 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Deuterium isn't a very effective moderator, however. Carbon works better, which is why both the UChicago boys and the Russkies used it. Plain water with a dissolved moderator (like Boron) is what the US uses, IIRC.

Posted by mojo 2004-10-28 3:47:52 PM|| 2004-10-28 3:47:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 AP, I'm afraid that you missed one key use of deuterium: it "can also be combined with tritium and used as a "booster" in nuclear fusion bombs of the implosion type." Source.

Posted by Tom 2004-10-28 7:59:19 PM|| 2004-10-28 7:59:19 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 D'oh! I plumb spaced that one! They make lithium deuteride and pack it around a stick of plutonium. When the primary fission bomb goes off the LiD gets packed between two critical masses of Pu and that creates the high temps needed for fusion. Then you have 3 or so reactions going to create the energy of fusion. Holy shi'ite! My head was not in this one. So the MMs are doing the following:
1. Gas centrifuges for U235 concentration
2. Bushehr Reactor const for Pu production. They get electricity AND Pu for an added bonus.
3. Heavy water production for booster fuel for fusion bomb.

The MMs are going for the Full Meal Deal. And the EU is sitting there parlaying with the MMs while the MMs are well on their way to be a major Nuke Power.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2004-10-28 10:04:22 PM|| 2004-10-28 10:04:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#18 while the MMs are well on their way to be a major Nuke lesson in bad faith/threats/consequent destruction by stronger parties tired of f*&king around

Posted by Frank G 2004-10-28 10:15:03 PM|| 2004-10-28 10:15:03 PM|| Front Page Top