Keywords: W-87 warhead diagram.svg Teller-Ulam design On the top is a spherical secondary while at the bottom is a spherical primary The outer casing blue/purple is that of a MIRV warhead reentry vehicle very schematic which would protect the warhead from the heat of the atmosphere after its launch into space The physics package of the primary and secondary is surrounded by a uranium-238 reflector casing gray inside of which is filled with polystyrene foam tan which aids in the transfer of radiation from the primary to compress the secondary The primary bottom is a tamper of some sort gray followed by precisely arranged high explosives yellow followed by a plutonium core blue filled with tritium gas green The spherical secondary is a uranium-235 or uranium-238 tamper blue followed by lithium deuteride fusion fuel red followed by a uranium-235 or plutonium sparkplug blue This is not drawn with any precision or scale and are meant only to illustrate a general concept Based primarily on http //www fas org/sgp/eprint/morlan2 gif published in U S News and World Report in 1995 and reprinted in the 1999 Cox Report More images available online at Howard Morland's http //www fas org/sgp/eprint/morland html The Holocaust Bomb A Question of Time own Fastfission HowardMorland File W-87 warhead diagram png Teller-Ulam design Cross sections of nuclear weapons |