In article .com,
RHF wrote:
DaviD,
.
This is "Why" the USA once again needs the Neutron Bomb to Save the
Planet from all that Bad 'Long Term' Radiation from standard Nuclear
Weapons.
.
With the Neutron Bomb the USA will only use a Big Blast of Short Term
Radiation.
.
The Neutron Bomb will allow the USA to de-populate and re-populate most
of the major cities of the World.
.
Yes the USA can Help Save the World from the Bad People who would
Destroy the Planet.
.
so that the meek can inherit the earth - amen ~ RHF

enter pedant mode

Neutron bombs can only be small yield devices.

A "normal" thermonuclear bomb works in three phases. First a
(Plutonium/Uranium) fission device is exploded. Second the radiation
from this explosion is used to ignite a fusion reaction in a structure of
light elements (Hydrogen/Lithium). This produces a flood of high energy
neutrons. Third, these high energy neutrons cause fission in the bomb
casing and other structures made of "Depleted" Uranium 238. U238 doesn't
produce the chain reaction possible with U235, Plutonium 239, (or U233).
But when hit with a high energy neutron, the nucleus will fission.

A neutron bomb is a small thermonuclear device that doesn't go through
the third stage of operation, (as they use other materials for the
radiation reflector). Their intended use was against tank formations
in an armored invasion of Europe by the Soviet Union, and their effective
range was about a kilometer.

The various outputs of nuclear bomb drop off at different distances.
And the size of the explosive determines the various effects. Neutron
radiation is a short range effect. If you make the bomb too big, the
blast effects will outweigh any prompt (neutron/x-ray/gamma) radiations.
This is largely because the blast energy comes from the prompt radiation
being absorbed by the material nearby the bomb. Build a bigger neutron
bomb, and you've built a bigger blast bomb.

end pedant mode

So if you try to build a neutron bomb big enough to kill only the people
in a city, there won't be a city left.

Mark Zenier
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)