Newsgroups: sci.military
Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!att!cbnews!military
From: v126lm7l@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Patrick E Montgomery)
Subject: Question about Nuclear Weapons
Organization: University at Buffalo
Date: Tue, 23 Oct 90 19:09:43 GMT
Approved: military@att.att.com
Message-ID: <1990Oct23.190943.7623@cbnews.att.com>
Keywords: MRVs
Sender: military-request@att.att.com
Lines: 29



From: v126lm7l@ubvmsd.cc.buffalo.edu (Patrick E Montgomery)



   My question stems from the movie "the Abyiss" Sp?. In the movie a group of
navy SEALS uses special deep water diving gear to investigate the wreck of an
American ballistic missile  sub.  To destroy the evidence the SEALS take a 
warhead off of one of the mrvs and transport it to a diving rig.  My question
is as follows:  Are not nuclear weapons detinated buy compressing the core of
highly radioactive material until the mass is critical?  If so couldn't (at 
least theoretically) the pressure of the sea water on the warhead at deep depths
cause the warhead to ge critical?  It is important when the warhead falls of a 
underwater cliff and falls a unknown distance to the sea floor.  Also, can 
anyone recommend a book an nuclear warhead constuction/theory any that I have
seen are not at all technical. comments, ext post or email to above address.

                                              thanks.
                                              pat(v126lm7l)