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Article: Explosive secrets.(it has been widely known that plutonium and enriched uranium can be used to make nuclear weapons, but it also possible to make such a weapon using neptunium and americium )(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
- Article date:
- March 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Costly efforts have been made to stem the possible spread of plutonium and highly enriched uranium--the two materials most often mentioned in fear-of-God stories about the danger that Russia's nukes will get loose, or that Saddam Hussein or some lookalike rogue will beg, borrow, or steal fissile material to construct his own Unique and irresponsibly managed nuclear arsenal.
So it is ironic that for more than 50 years the nuclear weapons community has failed to mention to the public that those who care about nonproliferation should also be concerned about the neptunium and americium found in nuclear waste streams, because they, too, can be used to make nuclear ...