On the pier of Nan'anzhou, the commander and supervisor of Kingo's right guard had a brief meeting with the commander and supervisor of Habayashi's right guard, and Zhu Zhaoxie, the governor-general of the new element engineering garrison and experimental force.
Witnessed by Zhu Zhaoxie, the Habayashi right guard explained the purpose of the mission to the Kingo left guard and informed him of the main items carried.
The most important thing is a total of six atomic fission energy bombs, referred to as "atomic bombs" and codenamed "Tea Eggs".
According to Zhu Jingyuan's classification in his previous life, these six atomic bombs were all implosion-type atomic bombs.
Similar to "Fat Man" and "Miss Qiu", the overall appearance is round, so the code name is tea egg.
Because Ming Dynasty had Zhu Jingyuan's guidance, among the two basic design options for atomic bombs, gun-type bombs and implosion bombs, Ming Dynasty directly chose the more complex but more efficient implosion bomb.
Without exploring the deep logic of atomic fission, we will simply explain it from the basic principles of fission.
Nuclear fuel has a critical mass.
When the mass of nuclear fuel gathered together exceeds the critical mass in the natural state, atomic fission will naturally occur inside.
Then an unusually huge amount of energy is released, which is the so-called nuclear explosion.
However, this critical mass is not unique. There are critical masses in the natural state and critical masses in special environments.
The design idea of the gun-type bullet is to utilize the critical mass in the natural state.
The nuclear fuel exceeding the critical mass is divided into two parts and placed at both ends of a barrel similar to a closed barrel.
The nuclear fuel at one end is made into a sphere with a round hole in the middle, and the nuclear fuel at the other end is made into a cylinder that fits the size of the round hole in the sphere.
Chemical explosives are installed at the rear of the cylindrical nuclear fuel, and these chemical explosives are detonated during launch.
The actual effect at that time was similar to that of artillery firing cannonballs.
Chemical explosives serve as propellants and generate huge gas pressure at the moment of combustion, pushing the nuclear fuel cylinder forward.
It slammed into the hole in the middle of the nuclear fuel ball on the opposite side.
In this way, the two pieces of nuclear fuel fit together, and the total mass exceeds the critical mass in the natural state.
So the simplest nuclear explosion of atomic fission occurred.
The principle is simple and crude, and very easy to implement.
It only needs to control the explosion of a part of the chemical fuel, which is highly similar to the process of firing ammunition from traditional guns.
It's like driving a rivet with a hammer.
Originally, America's first gun-type ammunition was the "Little Boy", which looked like a completely enclosed short and thick cylinder.
Because the situation at the time was extremely urgent, the United States had to work hard to prevent Red Lucia from directly participating in the Japanese battlefield.
Therefore, the "little boy" with a simple principle did not conduct explosion experiments and was directly used in actual combat.
The shortcomings of gun-type atomic bombs are also obvious.
The nuclear fuel is divided into two parts, or it can be said to be two big lumps.
The role of the propellant is simply to push the two lumps of fuel together, and the explosion relies almost entirely on nuclear fission triggered by natural criticality.
Therefore, to create a gun-type atomic bomb, the total mass of nuclear fuel used must exceed its natural critical mass.
Once fission occurs inside the fuel, the fuel sphere will be blown apart.
As the quality decreases, nuclear fission cannot continue to be maintained.
Therefore, most of the nuclear fuel of the gun-type atomic bomb will be wasted.
The critical mass of uranium in its natural state is 48 kilograms, and the American "Little Boy" contains 51 kilograms of uranium 235.
In the end, only about 1.5% of the mass, or 765 grams, fissioned.
A total of energy equivalent to fifteen thousand tons of standard explosives was released.
Most of the rest is leftover.
The design idea of the implosion atomic bomb is to divide the nuclear fuel into many parts and arrange them on the inner surface of the spherical shell.
Behind every piece of nuclear fuel is a piece of chemical explosive.
When detonating this kind of atomic bomb, all the chemical explosives will be exploded at the same time, and all the nuclear fuel will be pushed to the center of the sphere at the same time.
This can use the thrust provided by the propellant to increase pressure on the nuclear fuel gathered in the center of the sphere.
This prevents the energy of the nuclear explosion from spreading outward immediately, and can slightly increase the duration of the fission reaction as much as possible.
This is actually the principle behind conventional bomb explosions.
The fuel burns in a closed environment, and the huge pressure generated by the expansion of the gas breaks the cartridge case into pieces.
The internal combustion will continue until the cartridge case cracks.
Although this time is still very short in human perception, compared with the natural open state, burning has increased by "a long time".
A more critical effect is that this pressure can also compress the distance between the nucleus and the neutron, thereby increasing the probability of the neutron hitting the nucleus.
Based on these principles, the weight of nuclear fuel used in implosion bombs can be lower than the critical mass of nuclear fuel in its natural state.
The critical mass of plutonium in its natural state is sixteen kilograms, but America's "Fat Man" only contains 6.2 kilograms of plutonium-239.
Eventually, about 20 percent of the mass, or 1.24 kilograms of plutonium, fissured.
Ultimately, energy equivalent to 20,000 tons of standard explosives was released.
The advantages of implosion nuclear bombs are obvious, and the disadvantages or difficulties are also obvious.
The key is to make the time when the dispersed nuclear fuel is pushed by the explosive to the center of the sphere as close as possible.
According to American experience, the difference in explosion time of explosives cannot exceed seven milliseconds.
This requires sufficiently accurate computing power to know how to design, arrange and control the entire system.
The size and curvature of the spherical shell, the distance and chunking scheme of the nuclear fuel, the mass of the fuse and explosive and the energy released.
Secondly, it requires sufficient technical level to realize and ensure that all nuclear fuel can be polymerized within seven seconds.
Make the quality of the explosives and fuzes stable enough, make the shell of the sphere uniform and strong enough, and make the segmentation and installation of nuclear fuel precise enough.
The most basic requirement is that traditional chemical fuzes will not work. At the very least, there must be an electronic detonator.
The United States was worried about whether this design could really succeed, so it first tested one in the local desert.
Implosion atomic bombs have difficulties though.
But given the level of technology and craftsmanship after World War II, it was not too difficult for the big countries at that time.
And this design idea can continue to be optimized.
Continue to reduce the amount of explosives, and continue to reduce the size and weight of the atomic bomb, from a few thousand kilograms to dozens of kilograms, which can be carried directly by one person.
The implosion atomic bomb can be regarded as the basis for the miniaturization of nuclear weapons.
America's earliest "Fat Man" weighed more than 4,500 kilograms and had an explosion yield of 20,000 tons.
Miss Qiu only weighed 1,500 kilograms, but the explosion yield was 30,000 tons.
Because Ms. Qiu knew that the weight should be optimized in the right direction from the beginning of the design.
Daming also had Zhu Jingyuan's experience and similar project management methods.
Ming's new element project was directed towards the implosion atomic bomb from the very beginning.
The situation related to gun-type ammunition only appeared in the theoretical research stage and did not enter the actual design and production stage.
Now the weight of the new batch of "tea eggs" released by Ming Dynasty is directly controlled within two tons.
Ming Dynasty's existing light carrier-based attack aircraft can all carry it.
In other words, as soon as they were born, they already had strong practical significance.
Before 1953 in the previous life, the MK4 atomic bomb in service in the United States could only be regarded as an optimized version of the "Fat Man".
The throwing weight was as high as 4,900 kilograms, and it could only be carried by the B29 bomber at the time.
A total of about 550 MK4 atomic bombs were produced, and there were only thirty-five B29 bombers on strategic duty.
Before 1953, the United States' atomic bombs actually had relatively limited actual combat capabilities.
At that time, they could actually only be used against small and medium-sized countries like Japan.
For big countries like Red Lucia and Siris, these atomic weapons and vehicles are powerless.
Once used in a war, it will drag the situation into an irreversible situation.
Therefore, they did not dare to use it in the Korean Peninsula War.
The weight of the MK5 atomic bomb, which entered service in 1952, was reduced to less than 1,500 kilograms, and its actual combat capability was greatly enhanced.
Ming Dynasty's "tea eggs" are close to the level of the United States in the 1950s.
Of course, the most important issue is to ensure that they can truly explode normally.
The Habayashi Youwei personnel who escorted the "Tea Egg" and the Kingo Youwei personnel in charge of port management completed the briefing.
Then four special warehouses containing "tea eggs" will remain on the ship.
The two warehouses were carefully transferred and loaded onto the special transport train inside the terminal.
Each "tea egg" weighs only two tons, but is arranged in a specially designed container.
Habayashi Youwei left some personnel to continue to guard the docks and ships.
Another group of personnel accompanied Zhu Zhaoxie on the "tea egg train" and escorted two tea eggs to the inland test site for "egg boiling".
The train maintained a speed of sixty kilometers per hour and headed towards the interior of Tiannan Continent.
The scenery on both sides of the railway slowly transitions from the humid coastal forest area to the sparse wilderness, and finally enters the desolate Gobi Desert.
Daming's most important uranium mine in Tiannan Continent is right next to this railway.
The mined ore is also transported from this railway to the port, and then shipped to Xintianfu for use.
After the train passed through the mining area, it traveled more than eight kilometers in the desert.
Finally, they arrived nearly a thousand kilometers inland from Nan'an Port, very close to the center of the entire Tiannan Continent.
In this vastest desert, there is a lonely building.
This is not the official residence of Habayashi Zuowei, but a cutting-edge experimental command center.
Before the train arrived, Habayashi Zuoei had received advance notice, and relevant personnel had made preparations for the test explosion.
When the train arrived, the test command center was already filled with a chilling atmosphere.
Soldiers in full uniform were on duty at various key positions, and relevant craftsmen responsible for testing were also waiting at their posts.
Witnessed by Zhu Zhaoxie, the right guard of Habayashi who escorted the "Tea Egg" completed the handover with the left guard of Habayashi stationed at the command center.
The craftsmen opened the container that shipped the "tea eggs" and inspected the goods themselves very carefully.
After confirming that all conditions were normal, the base continued to remain on alert.
Habayashi Zuoe parked one tea egg at the experimental center and loaded the other on a special off-road truck.
A group of guards escorted a group of craftsmen and followed the truck in other buses to the ground testing site two hundred kilometers northwest of the command center.
Zhu Zhaoxie also went with the test team. He had to personally participate in all test tasks so that he could report to Zhu Jingyuan.
The first atomic bomb will be detonated on a specialized test bed.
The test bed is a specially built iron tower with a height of 108 meters, which is the "stove" for cooking "tea eggs".
After arriving at the test site, the team rested for a day while confirming the wind direction and climate information for the previous few days at the site, as well as assessing the coming days.
Check the tea eggs and the personnel and equipment on site again, and then hoist the "tea eggs" to the "stove".
It has been more than half a day since the tea egg was hoisted, all the control lines were connected, and the observation and recording equipment was debugged.
After Zhu Zhaoxie finished all the work, he personally sent a telegram in the afternoon to explain the situation to the Ming Emperor.
After Ming Emperor Zhu Jingyuan received the news, he simply replied:
"Now that the stove is ready, let's put it in the pot early tomorrow morning. Remember to simmer slowly and don't be in a hurry."
After the morning meeting the next day, Zhu Jingyuan went directly to his grandfather Zhu Zhongliang's residence.
Zhu Zhongliang is eighty years old this year. In future generations, he will be considered a real old man. In this era, he is already considered a longevity star.
As the former Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zhongliang had proper training and maintenance since he was a child.
His body is much better than that of ordinary people, much better than George III, and his mental state has always been very good, and his desire to survive is very strong.
With the continuous advancement of medical treatments at night, conditions that were difficult to treat in the past can now be solved.
Zhu Zhongliang's body is still strong now, although he can no longer run around like he did when he was sixty or seventy years old.
But it's still completely fine for activities in and around the yard by myself, or for short trips in the car.
When Zhu Jingyuan saw Zhu Zhongliang, the old man was walking in the yard.
Zhu Jingyuan subconsciously wanted to help him, and the old man subconsciously wanted to shake him off, wanting to show that he could walk on his own.
However, this thought passed away in a flash, and Zhu Jingyuan held his arm:
"Is there any good news that you came here to see grandpa so early?"
Zhu Jingyuan smiled and said:
"The tea eggs are ready."
Zhu Zhongliang's eyes widened immediately:
"real!"
Zhu Jingyuan nodded lightly:
"I've got them fired up, and whether it's successful or not, there will be news today."
Zhu Zhongliang took a long breath, shook his head and muttered:
"The day you have finally waited for has finally arrived. Have you told your father?"
Zhu Jingyuan said:
"I have to tell you first, and then go find dad..."
Zhu Zhongliang subconsciously wanted to let Zhu Jingyuan pass, but he changed his words:
"I called him and asked him to come directly to my place. The three of us will wait for the news together here..."
At the same time, the testing ground of Tiannan Continent was thousands of miles away.
After Zhu Zhaoxie received Zhu Jingyuan's reply, he began to perform the experimental task early the next morning.
Confirm the status of the "Tea Egg" again, reconfirm the status of the connection line, and reconfirm the status of the observation equipment.
and the condition of the experimental subjects used to withstand the explosion.
Around the test bed, houses of various structures were specially built at different distances and directions.
There are various types of vehicles, various military and civilian machinery and equipment, as well as various types of large and small animals.
Arranged together with them are various recording and observation equipment, as well as video and photo equipment that works continuously or remotely.
Ming Dynasty already had early live television technology, which could transmit live video to the rear through lines.
At nine o'clock in the morning, the final deployment and inspection were completed, and the clearing phase began.
All personnel on site were ordered to evacuate.
Inside the forward bunker sixteen kilometers outside the test site, craftsmen kept a close eye on this observation and recording equipment.
There is also a group of specialized military photographers who will prepare to take pictures of the experimental site, including photos and videos, which will be archived.
At 11 o'clock in the morning, the helicopter inspected the experimental site and confirmed that there were no remaining personnel within ten kilometers.
Everything is ready, just waiting for the final command to detonate.
This order also needs to be issued by the Ming Emperor, and no one else has the right to take responsibility.
At 12 o'clock at noon, Zhu Zhaoxie, together with the Yulin left guard commander and the military governor, hurriedly sent another final request for instructions to the capital.
Zhu Jingyuan was having lunch with his grandfather and father. After receiving the message, he responded directly to the message.
Zhu Jingyuan's reply order was once again confirmed by the governor-general Zhu Zhaoxie, the commander of the Yulin left guard on the scene, and the military governor.
At one o'clock in the afternoon, in an extremely tense atmosphere, the commander pressed the detonation button.
