Fizzle (nuclear test)

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In nuclear weapons, a fizzle occurs when the testing of a nuclear bomb fails to meet its expected yield. The reason(s) for the failure can be linked to improper bomb design, poor construction, or lack of expertise.^[1]^[2] All countries that have had a nuclear weapons testing program have experienced fizzles.^[3] A fizzle can spread radioactive material throughout the surrounding area, involve a partial fission reaction of the radiological material, or both.^[4]

1 Nuclear tests considered to be fizzles
2 Terrorist concerns
3 See also
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Nuclear tests considered to be fizzles

Tower for the Upshot Knothole – Ruth test. The explosion failed to erase evidence of the test which would have declassified the site.

Buster Able – Considered to be the first known failure of any nuclear device.^[5]
Upshot Knothole – Ruth – The test failed to declassify the site (erase evidence) as it left the bottom third of the 300-foot (91 m) shot tower still standing.^[6] The Ray test conducted the following month was allegedly shot on a shorter 100-foot (30 m) tower to ensure that the tower would be completely destroyed.^[6]
Grapple 1 – Dropped by the British over Malden Island on May 15, 1957, this bomb had an expected yield of over 1 megaton, but only exploded with a force of a quarter of the anticipated yield.^[3] The British still considered the test as successful.
2006 North Korean nuclear test – Russia claimed to have measured 5-15 kt yield, whereas the United States, France, and South Korea measured less than 1 kt yield.^[7] This North Korean debut test was weaker than all other countries' initial tests by a factor of 20,^[8] and considered possibly the worst initial test in history.^[9]

[edit] Terrorist concerns

One month after the September 11, 2001 attacks, a CIA informant known as "Dragonfire" reported that al-Qaeda had smuggled a low-yield nuclear weapon into New York City.^[10] Although the report was found to be false, concerns that a "fizzle bomb" capable of yielding a fraction of the known 10 kiloton weapons could cause “horrific” consequences, and that it could kill thousands.^[2]^[11]