With all this debate over Pokhran 2, I decided to do some research on what exactly was done, what succeeded, what failed.
My references (dont laugh):
Nuclear weapon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Smiling Buddha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pokhran-II - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nuclear weapon yield - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Teller?Ulam design - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Boosted fission weapon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pakistan - Chagai-I
Important terms:
Atomic Bomb:In fission weapons, a mass of fissile material (enriched uranium or plutonium) is assembled into a supercritical mass—the amount of material needed to start an exponentially growing nuclear chain reaction—either by shooting one piece of sub-critical material into another (the "gun" method), or by compressing a sub-critical sphere of material using chemical explosives to many times its original density (the "implosion" method). The latter approach is considered more sophisticated than the former, and only the latter approach can be used if plutonium is the fissile material.
Possible yield: 1KN - 500 KN
Countries: US, UK, France, Russia, China, India, Pak
* Israel unconfirmed
Hydrogen Bomb (Thermonuclear Bomb):They rely on fusion reactions between isotopes of hydrogen (deuterium and tritium). However, all such weapons derive a significant portion – and sometimes a majority – of their energy from fission (including fission induced by neutrons from fusion reactions).
Possible yield: No limit
Countries: US, UK, France, Russia, China
* India tested the 2 stage thermonuclear device for which the yield is being questioned.
India Tests:
Smiling Buddha (1974):
Yield: 8KT
This one did not test the actual fission weapon
Shakti (1998):
A total of five nuclear weapons were detonated at Pokhran during Operation Shakti. They are:
Shakti I
A two stage thermonuclear device with a boosted fission primary, its yield was downgraded from 200 KT(theoretical) to 45 KT for test purposes. The thermonuclear device tested at Pokhran was not an actual warhead. It was a device that was designed mainly to produce data to analyze the performance of India's Hydrogen bomb technology for future computer simulations and actual weaponisation. Dr. K. Santhanam, has disputed the claimed yield of this test, by stating that the Hydrogen Bomb was a fizzle. This has lead to an uproar in Indian nuclear and defense circles with arguments and counterarguments in favor of a re-test series.
Shakti II
A pure fission device using the Plutonium implosion design with a yield of 15 KT. The device tested was an actual nuclear warhead that can be delivered by bombers or fighters and also mounted on a missile. The warhead was an improved, lightweight and miniaturized version of the device tested in 1974. Scientists at BARC had been working to improve the 1974 design for many years. Data from the 1974 test was used to carry out computer simulations using the indigenous Param supercomputer to improve the design. The 1998 test was intended to prove the validity of the improved designs.
Shakti III
An experimental boosted fission device that used reactor grade Plutonium for its primary with a yield of 0.3 KT. This test device was used to test only the primary stage. It did not contain any tritium required to boost the fission. This test was designed to study the possibility of using reactor grade plutonium in warheads and also to prove India's expertise in controlling and damping a nuclear explosion in order to achieve a low (sub-kiloton) yield.
Shakti IV
A 0.5 KT experimental device. The test's only purpose was to collect data about the explosion process and to study the performance of various bomb components.
Shakti V
A 0.2 KT experimental device that used U-233, an isotope of uranium not found in nature and produced in India's fast breeder reactors that consume Thorium. This device too was used to collect data.
So Guys, chill, we do have a confirmed deployable fission weapon. From the allegations, looks like our thermonuclear test failed. Still we must have gained valuable insights.
Things noteworthy:
1. The mother of all bombs was tested by Russia (50 MT), followed by US (15 MT), China(3.3 MT), UK (3 MT) , France (2.6 MT)
2. The bomb dropped on Japan (Little bomb0 was an atom bomb (18KT). If that caused so much destruction, you can imagine what the hydrogen bomb would do.
Comparision to Pak:
1. Pakistan conducted a successful fissile device test (40 KT).
2. They have not conducted any Thermonuclear tests.
I would say we are better off than them but not by much. Latest rumors are that Pakistan is progressing towards thermonuclear device design. But considering what the big 5 have (hydrogen bomb + miniaturization), it seems kind of silly trying to prove ourselves any better.
I feel reassured.