1900: A physics genius wandering around Europe

Chapter 707 A Genius Idea! Turning the Impossible into Possible! Shocking the Entire Audience! A Single Thought Decides the Life and Death of Millions!

Inside the meeting room of the "Mountain" department.

When the six men heard that "an atomic bomb will be built within a year," they were all extremely shocked.

"impossible!"

"Absolutely impossible!"

The Water Department factory can only produce 20 kg of uranium-235 per year.

Even if efficiency is improved later, the maximum weight will be 25kg.

However, an implosion atomic bomb requires at least 52 kg of uranium-235.

Moreover, considering the issue of spoilage, to be on the safe side, the final amount used will definitely not be 52kg, but at least 60kg.

Therefore, it is impossible to build an atomic bomb within a year under any circumstances.

"The dean's words are pure fantasy!"

Qian Wushi and the others looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

They were well aware of the dean's frustration and anger, and his desire to quickly develop an atomic bomb to protect himself and deter the world.

But this really won't work!
As the eldest disciple present, Xu Qitai carefully considered his words before speaking:

"Dean, we know you are very anxious."

"We are all very angry about Dr. Ma's arrest. We wish we could go and bomb the Sakura Clan right now."

"But you also often taught us that science should be based on facts and should not be subject to human will."

"It would be very difficult to build an atomic bomb within a year."

The others all nodded vigorously.

Upon hearing this, Li Qiwei simply smiled with satisfaction.

The children have finally grown up and learned to question authority.

He's like an ancient tyrant who gets old and starts to become muddleheaded, impulsively indulging in unrealistic fantasies.

His disciples were upright and loyal subjects who argued vehemently against the tyrannical emperor's decision.

However, Ridge Vyne was not foolish; he was the wisest man of his time!

However, he could use this opportunity to test everyone.

His sharp eyes swept over the group of people with varying expressions, then he calmly said:
"Qitai is absolutely right."

"Science must be based on facts."

"I'm not some tyrant who can't listen to advice."

"From a scientific point of view, explain why it won't work?"

"Of course, those who agree with my opinion can also give their reasons."

Wow!
Suddenly, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

Something's not quite right.

The dean's tone didn't seem to have lost its rationality; on the contrary, it conveyed a sense of composure and certainty of victory.

"Is it really possible to build an atomic bomb within a year?"

The group exchanged glances, seeing surprise and doubt in each other's eyes, but even more so, determination.

Soon, Qian Huzhou gritted his teeth and spoke first:

"Dean, I think the goal of building an atomic bomb within a year is a bit difficult."

"Unless we can immediately expand the Water Department three times and increase its efficiency three times."

"But Borneo cannot afford the required electricity consumption."

"This is already the limit."

The others nodded.

With more than 5 centrifuges operating simultaneously, the amount of electricity consumed per second is astronomical.

If it were tripled in size, it would be unimaginable.

They could build an atomic bomb in a year, but then they were stuck with a shortage of raw materials.

At this moment, Qian Wushi also calmed down, his expression becoming solemn.

Following Li Qiwei's perspective, after some thought, he calmly said:
"Given a fixed supply of raw materials, there is only one possibility for building an atomic bomb within a year."

"That is to reduce the critical mass to below 20 kg."

"In this way, one year's output will be enough to manufacture it."

"As can be seen from the neutron diffusion equation just now, the critical mass of uranium-235 is related to the uranium-235 concentration, material shape, and structural form."

"The critical mass of spherical uranium-235 with a concentration of 90% is 47 kg."

"What if it were replaced with 99% enriched uranium-235?"

Wow!
Master Qian's words were a wake-up call for everyone.

Upon careful analysis, it turns out the dean wasn't just daydreaming.

It turns out that old ginger is still spicy.

However, Master Qian then said:

"I just calculated that if the concentration is changed to 99%, the critical mass can be reduced by about 30 kg."

"In that case, a year and a half will be enough."

"However, the Water Division probably can't produce 99% pure uranium-235 right now, right?"

Qian Huzhou frowned and said:

"Production is certainly possible."

"But a 99% concentration requires much higher equipment standards."

"If production is forced, it could have a huge impact on output."

Everyone can understand.

If a 90% concentration can produce 20kg per year, a 99% concentration might only produce 1kg per year, which is actually slower.

This road won't work either!

At this point, Yu Yin continued:

"From the perspective of atomic bomb structure, in addition to the implosion type proposed by you, Dean, the Theoretical Department has also conceived another structure."

"It involves separating two uranium blocks of equal size, then using high-energy explosives to push one of them and detonate it."

"Because this method is very similar to the process of propelling ammunition in firearms, we call it the 'gun-style' method."

"But the critical mass of the gun-type is actually slightly higher than that of the implosion-type."

"Therefore, from a structural perspective, it is impossible to reduce the critical mass."

Wow!
Yu Yin's analysis completely extinguished the hopes that had just been rekindled in everyone's hearts.

It's not feasible in any aspect, including raw materials, detonation structure, and uranium-235 concentration.

Finally, everyone looked at Li Qiwei, their eyes conveying the same meaning.

"A year is really not enough."

Seeing this, Li Qiwei smiled slightly and said:

"Very well, it seems you really didn't expect this."

"Let me propose an idea."

All six were shocked!

The dean actually has a solution?
Li Qiwei stood up, walked to the front, and drew a diagram on the blackboard.

"The Fifth Division's approach is correct: to shorten the time, we must reduce the critical mass."

"But my approach is different from what you all think."

"I was thinking about something when the Fifth Division was analyzing how neutrons pass through uranium-235 material."

"If we can find a way to bounce the neutrons back when they reach the edge of the material, can the reaction continue?"

"In this way, even if the diameter of the nuclear material is smaller than the critical mass, a chain reaction can still occur because the collision probability of neutrons is increased."

"We don't need to change the structural design; we just need to wrap a neutron reflector around the uranium-235 material."

"Based on the latest nuclear physics research, a mixture of beryllium and graphite can be considered." "As for how much it can reduce the critical mass, experimental measurements are still needed."

"I personally think it can be reduced to below 20kg."

Li Qiwei was certainly very confident.

Because this is the result of improvements made in later generations.

Many design details of the atomic bomb are now considered open secrets, and related information can be downloaded from the internet.

Neutron reflectors are one of the key technologies in this field.

Its purpose is to reduce the critical mass of nuclear materials.

Moreover, the effect is very obvious. With the design of the neutron reflector, the critical mass of uranium-235 can be reduced to as low as 10 kg, which is almost comparable to that of plutonium-239.

Therefore, Rigdwell was confident that he could build an atomic bomb within a year!
However, doing so carries certain risks.

That is, with the addition of a neutron reflector, the calculations for an atomic bomb will become extremely complex.

I doubt even Yu Yin would dare to guarantee that it would explode 100%.

However, Li Qiwei couldn't care less about that at the moment.

He's going to be involved in the calculations himself!

Based on his experience from later generations, he believed that the goddess of fate was definitely on his side!
After hearing the design of the neutron reflector, Qian Wushi and the others all stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief.

"My God!"

"This idea is absolutely brilliant!"

"The dean fundamentally changed the calculation conditions for critical mass."

"By controlling the thickness of the neutron reflector, it is even possible to quantitatively control the critical mass."

None of the people present were fools.

They quickly realized that this was a perfectly feasible method, and a very clever and amazing one at that.

As for how much it can be reduced, we still need to conduct experiments using nuclear reactors.

After all, the reflection coefficient of a neutron reflector can only be obtained experimentally, not theoretically.

But seeing the dean's confident expression, everyone was filled with hope.

"The dean's intuition has never failed!"

Although they were initially opposed, if they could actually build an atomic bomb in a year, everyone would be overjoyed.

That means Ma Yucheng and even the future of Borneo will be secure!
Deng Huaining gently shook his head.

He clearly felt the gap between himself and the dean.

He had read several papers on neutron reflection, but ultimately felt they weren't very innovative and lost interest.

He felt a deep sense of emotion:
"However, even the most ordinary knowledge can be transformed into something magical in the hands of the dean."

"Turning the impossible into the possible!"

"The dean has integrated the entire natural science system, forming a magnificent picture."

"Any single piece of knowledge may seem fragmented and useless to others."

"But in the dean's eyes, it was just a piece of the puzzle in the painting."

"This level of understanding is like that of an omniscient and omnipotent god of science!"

At this moment, everyone's admiration for Li Qiwei reached its peak.

They felt that without the director, the development of the atomic bomb might have taken more than 10 years.

The dean solved all the key problems by himself!
-
For the next period of time, Li Qiwei, along with Qian Wushi, Yu Yin, and many researchers from the Mountain Division, devoted themselves to tackling the design of the neutron reflector.

The addition of a reflective layer alters the entire detonation process, making the calculation extremely complex.

To be on the safe side, Li Qiwei also recruited dozens of professional science and engineering talents to manually verify the results using abacuses.

This action shocked everyone!
The members of the Mountain Division were well aware that they were doing something big, but the fact that they even used an abacus was truly beyond their imagination.

Compared to computers, abacuses have almost no advantages.

However, in Li Qiwei's view, the greatest advantage of the abacus is that it eliminates interference from mechanical and electronic components.

Computers of that era were not as advanced as those of later generations in handling floating-point numbers, and were prone to errors.

However, no one dared to question it; they simply focused on doing their own jobs quietly.

After establishing the mathematical model, Deng Huaining conducted experiments using a controlled nuclear reactor to obtain key parameters.

However, it failed from the very beginning.

The presence of a neutron reflector affects the reaction process in a nuclear reactor.

However, with Li Qiwei's optimization, the difficulties were quickly overcome.

Finally, after a month of hard work, all experiments were completed and the required parameters were obtained.

When Master Qian led everyone to input the parameters into the model, the result drove everyone crazy!
"15kg!"

"With the addition of a neutron reflector, the critical mass of uranium-235 has been reduced to 15 kg!"

Li Qiwei smiled slightly, quite satisfied.

With current manufacturing capabilities, it is not possible to create a better reflective layer, so the ultimate 10kg cannot be achieved.

However, this number is more than enough.

"Dean, you are simply my god!"

"Building an atomic bomb in a year is not a dream, but a reality!"

boom!
The entire six-person team went completely mad!
At that moment, it seemed as if the dean's public declaration echoed in their ears:

"Let me transform my wisdom into strength and fight against barbarity to the very end!"

The dean keeps his word!

His wisdom is astonishing!
His power is astonishing!
Given the conditions in Borneo, one atomic bomb could be made in a year, and one bomb could destroy a city.

In just ten years, we could even completely destroy the Sakura Clan!
This is the power of the number one scientist!

One man against an entire nation!
A contemporary myth!

When wisdom reaches its peak, one can control the world!

Scientists are not puppets to be manipulated at will; they are a group of people standing at the top!

"Science will prevail!"

Listening to the cheers around him, Li Qiwei's eyes were deep, as if they could pierce through time and space.

He is now considering a crucial issue.

How exactly should the first atomic bomb be used?

There are several options available.

First, find a deserted place, such as a desert or sea area, to conduct the test explosion, and invite representatives from all over the world to visit.

The atomic bomb's divine power intimidated other nations, and incidentally forced the Sakura Clan to release their people and pay compensation.

Second, conduct a test explosion near the Sakura tribe's coast, using the resulting tsunami to teach the Sakura tribe an unforgettable lesson, thus forcing them to release the people.

Third, detonate it directly in the major cities of the Sakura Clan to achieve the goal of eternal suppression!
If the Sakura Clan dares to resist, then another one will be sent the following year!
If they still resist, then give them a third one!
Life goes on and on, until the Sakura Clan completely kneels down!
Fourth, completely destroy the Sakura Clan with a single blow!
Although the power of an atomic bomb is limited, it is not enough to completely destroy the Sakura Clan, whose territory covers an area of ​​40 square kilometers.

But Ridgeway can leverage "momentum," the "momentum of heaven and earth"!
In real history, before the United States dropped the atomic bomb, the Soviet Union had also secretly conceived an even more shocking plan!

Stalin wanted to wipe the Sakura race off the face of the earth completely.

The method was also very bold: to send planes carrying a huge amount of high-energy explosives directly into Mount Fuji to detonate the volcano!
Mount Fuji is the largest active volcano in Sakura-zu territory, and it is only 80 kilometers away from Tokyo.

Once it erupts, its power is enough to leave no vegetation within a radius of 500 kilometers!
However, the plan was later cancelled.

In later generations, an American research institution conducted a simulation:
"Detonate a hydrogen bomb with the equivalent of 5000 megatons of TNT 1 kilometer below the crater of Mount Fuji."

"The results show that this explosion will cause at least 1000 million deaths among the Sakura tribe, as well as incalculable environmental impacts."

In short, the country was on the verge of destruction.

To detonate Mount Fuji with explosives, you would need at least a million tons of TNT equivalent.

If it were changed to a 2-ton atomic bomb, there would only be a slight possibility, because the level of volcanic activity must also be taken into account.

However, even just destroying Mount Fuji would be of great significance!
It's equivalent to disrupting the Sakura Clan's spiritual totem!

At this moment, Li Qiwei seemed to have truly transformed into a demon or a god.

With a single thought, he could suppress a nation, decide the life and death of millions, and influence the fate of hundreds of millions!
(End of this chapter)