Originally posted by Inspectah Deck
What are those?
How a Hydrogen bomb works-an initial atomic bomb (fission) is detonated, creating a tempurature high enough to activate the hydrogen bomb (fusion) which in itself sets off another fission reaction. This is terribly inefficient and a lot of potential energy is lost.
A pure fusion warhead would use a laser to superheat the payload to several million degrees, thus activating fusion immediatly and generating more energy.
An antimatter weapon would most likely use a very simple element like hydrogen and a very simple antimatter like antihydrogen (since that's the only true antimatter atom that they've been able to synthesize) held back by a magnetic field. The force of a warhead that operates like this would be measured in terratons or isotons-destruction on a countrywide or possibly continental scale. Furthermore, the necessity of a shielding mechanism for antimatter would make accidental detonations possible through something as trivial as an equipment malfuntion or a power failure. Antimatter anhihlates on contact with any matter.
So yeah, if they're really developing these (as rumored) we're screwed.