TellerUlam

TellerUlam is a theoretical model describing the mechanism of thermonuclear weapons. It is named after its principal developers, Edward Teller and Stanislaw Ulam, who conceived the concept in the early 1950s. The model is not publicly documented in detail due to its classified nature, but its basic principle is widely understood to involve a two-stage process.

The first stage typically involves a fission primary. This smaller nuclear device detonates, creating an intense burst of X-rays. These X-rays are then channeled and used to compress and heat a secondary stage. The secondary stage contains fusion fuel, such as lithium deuteride, which is then ignited by the extreme temperatures and pressures generated by the primary. This fusion reaction releases a much larger amount of energy than the fission primary alone.

The TellerUlam design allows for significantly higher yields compared to single-stage fission weapons. It is believed to be the basis for most modern thermonuclear weapons. The precise details of how the X-rays are contained, directed, and how they compress the secondary stage remain a subject of speculation and are key to the classified aspects of the design. The efficiency and yield of a weapon are heavily dependent on the precise geometry and materials used in the secondary stage and the radiation channel.