Klappentext

This book examines the alarming resurgence of nuclear threats over the past quarter-century, following decades of arms control progress between the United States and the Soviet Union/Russian Federation.

It traces the devastating legacy of nuclear weapons from their catastrophic debut in 1945, when atomic bombings claimed over 150,000 immediate lives in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and thousands more from radiation effects in subsequent years. Barletta provides crucial historical context for understanding today's precarious nuclear landscape, where proliferation concerns and modernization programs have reversed much of the post-Cold War progress. Through rigorous analysis and compelling narrative, readers gain insight into how and why the international community has retreated from earlier commitments to nuclear de-escalation.

By articulating the dangers of nuclear proliferation and the growth of existing nuclear arsenals, this volume encourages action from aspiring graduate and undergraduate scientists, engineers, and general readers to animate the public discourse aimed at stepping away from the precipice of destruction.

Inhalt

Topic I: Life on the Nuclear Precipice 1. Why Are Nuclear Weapons Different from Other Weapons? 2. The Nuclear Precipice in the Arts Topic II: The History of Nuclear Weapons Development 3. Prelude to the Manhattan Project 4. The Manhattan Project and the End of WW2 5. Developments after World War 2 6. Nuclear Designs, Testing, and Safety Topic III: Physics of Nuclear Weapons Effects 7. Fireball, Blast and Thermal Effects 8. Prompt Radiation and Fallout 9. Nuclear Effects in Space Topic IV: Weapons Production, Nuclear Warfare, and the Cold War 10. SNM Production and the Nuclear Weapons Complex 11. Nuclear Warfare Concepts: Atomic Weapons 12. Production and Deployment of Thermonuclear Weapons 13. Resilience and Declaratory Policy Topic V: Arms Control, Treaties, and Disarmament 14. Arms Control Activities: 1950-1980 15. Arms Control Treaties and Disarmament (1980-Present) Topic VI: Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Safeguards and Forensics 16. The NPT and Nuclear Terrorism 17. Why Countries Proliferate - France, Israel, and South Africa 18. The Indo-Pakistani Arms Race and Other Proliferators 19. International and Domestic Safeguards 20. Nuclear Forensics Topic VII: Current Status of Nuclear Weapons 21. Upgrades of Nuclear Capabilities 22. Supporting Weapons Upgrades, SNM Production and Other Technologies 23. The Future of Nuclear Deterrence in a Multi-Polar World Topic VIII: Emerging Directions 24. Environmental Impacts of Developing Nuclear Weapons 25. Arms Control in the Future 26. New Delivery and Defense Systems 27. Summary Assignments