Anybody have knowledge about neutron bombs?

[Alesia]

I'm in an argument on another forum about the game Fallout 3. Basically the consesus is if Washington D.C. were to be hit with 6 or more nuclear weapons the entire city should be obliterated, not the ruined buildings we see in the game. According to some game references though, the weapons used were high yeild neutron bombs with could leave infastructure relatively intact yes? It's my understanding a neutron bomb works by unleashing a particularly strong wave of gamma radiation and prolonged destructive fallout at the cost of a smaller blast radius and damage. Thoughts?

 

P.S. Any info will also come in handy for a novella I'm writing about nuclear holocaust.

[sparbucks]

Sorry no knowledge on this subject at all. Sounds a lot of fun though!

 

Peter

[PAnderson]

As far as I know, neutron bombs kill people and leave infrastructure relatively intact. But that is a relative term.

 

From Wikipedia:

Neutron bombs are purposely designed with explosive yields lower than other nuclear weapons.^{[citation needed]} Since neutrons are absorbed by air,^{[citation needed]}
even a high-yield neutron bomb is not able to radiate neutrons beyond its blast range and so would theoretically have no destructive advantage
over a normal hydrogen bomb. However, the intense pulse of high-energy neutrons that is generated is intended as the principal
killing mechanism, not the fallout, heat or blast. Although neutron bombs are commonly believed to "leave the infrastructure intact",
current designs have explosive yields in the kiloton range,^[20] the detonation of which would cause considerable destruction through blast and heat effects.

Neutron bombs could be used as strategic anti-ballistic missile weapons or as tactical weapons intended for use against armored forces.^{[citation needed]} The neutron bomb was originally conceived by the U.S. military as a weapon that could stop massed Soviet armored divisions from overrunning allied nations without destroying the infrastructure of the allied nation.^[21]

 

Paul

[Alesia]

In that case I would be right in my assumption that the capitol and Washington monument would infact remain intact albeit damaged.

[denstore]

If i remember Fallout 3 correctly, the infrastructure is hardly intact. Large areas are completely devastated, while others are standing,, but quite damaged. But remember that Fallout is an alternate reality, where radiation isn't a great problem, and where nuclear devices are used as infantry support. It seems that they have miniaturised the bombs, so who know what kind of yield we really are looking at.

Also, the height on which the bomb is detonated matter a lot. Both when it comes to radiation and physical destruction.

Best game of the last century. I might have enjoyed the sequel Fallout: New Vegas a bit more, but mostly because I needed a Fallout fix so badly.

[Alesia]

If i remember Fallout 3 correctly, the infrastructure is hardly intact. Large areas are completely devastated, while others are standing,, but quite damaged. But remember that Fallout is an alternate reality, where radiation isn't a great problem, and where nuclear devices are used as infantry support. It seems that they have miniaturised the bombs, so who know what kind of yield we really are looking at.

Also, the height on which the bomb is detonated matter a lot. Both when it comes to radiation and physical destruction.

Best game of the last century. I might have enjoyed the sequel Fallout: New Vegas a bit more, but mostly because I needed a Fallout fix so badly.

Don't say that around No Mutants Allowed forums, might get an angry mob on your doorstep with pitchforks and torches. :p

[denstore]

I suppose they still are playing their Fallout I, II and tactics games, and keep on talking about how much better the feel was in the older games?

My brother is like that, but I try to ignore him as much as possible.... :P

[StreetFightingMan]

I gotta dig that game out, it's been too long. So much fun, so much creativity in the storyline. I mean, where else can you drink irradiated water out of a urinal?

[Alesia]

I suppose they still are playing their Fallout I, II and tactics games, and keep on talking about how much better the feel was in the older games?

My brother is like that, but I try to ignore him as much as possible.... :P

Pretty much. I like FO:3 and NV to be honest, especially New Vegas which lends itself to my habit of writing fanfiction.