History Main / NeutronBomb

--DeadKennedys, "KillThePoor"

-->''"Efficiency and progress is ours once more,''\\

* A similar device is used in the ''DoctorWho'' story "Timelash".

The truth is very different. The Neutron Bomb is unique, and controversial, in that while other nuclear weapons indirectly generated radiation that could cause negative health effects, the Neutron Bomb was the first weapon to be specifically designed to use radiation to kill people. Although it differed from the inventor's original conception (a Samuel Cohen) the neutron bomb, as designed and built, was just a fancy tactical thermonuclear warhead. That's right; thermonuclear. It was a very small fusion bomb. However, while more conventional thermonuclear bombs have radiation casings which reflect neutrons back into the secondary and increase the explosive yield, a neutron bomb lacks this radiation casing; the neutrons are just allowed to escape. They don't contribute to increasing the explosive yield, so that's relatively small; a neutron bomb will have an explosive yield of a few kilotons at most, although that still exceeds most conventional bombs by several orders of magnitude and is quite devastating. However, it means a particularly intense and deadly pulse of highly-penetrating immediate neutron radiation. Why would someone be interested in such a thing? It turns out that main battle tanks are surprisingly resistant to the blast and heat effects from a nuclear explosion, especially from a small tactical device. Both sides would probably limit themselves to relatively small devices for tactical use, mainly because they'd want to avoid collateral damage to their own forces, who'd be present in close proximity. However, with the neutron radiation increased (the technical term for a neutron bomb is "enhanced-radiation warhead") they can penetrate MBT armor and kill the crews inside.

The truth is very different. Although it differed from the inventor's original conception (a Samuel Cohen) the neutron bomb, as designed and built, was just a fancy tactical thermonuclear warhead. That's right; thermonuclear. It was a very small fusion bomb. However, while more conventional thermonuclear bombs have radiation casings which reflect neutrons back into the secondary and increase the explosive yield, a neutron bomb lacks this radiation casing; the neutrons are just allowed to escape. They don't contribute to increasing the explosive yield, so that's relatively small; a neutron bomb will have an explosive yield of a few kilotons at most, although that still exceeds most conventional bombs by several orders of magnitude and is quite devastating. However, it means a particularly intense and deadly pulse of highly-penetrating immediate neutron radiation. Why would someone be interested in such a thing? It turns out that main battle tanks are surprisingly resistant to the blast and heat effects from a nuclear explosion, especially from a small tactical device. Both sides would probably limit themselves to relatively small devices for tactical use, mainly because they'd want to avoid collateral damage to their own forces, who'd be present in close proximity. However, with the neutron radiation increased (the technical term for a neutron bomb is "enhanced-radiation warhead") they can penetrate MBT armor and kill the crews inside.

The Soviet Union described the Neutron Bomb as "a capitalist weapon" because it was designed specifically to destroy people while preserving their property.

The Soviet Union described the Neutron Bomb as "the ultimate capitalist weapon" as it destroyed people while preserving the property.

* In the ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Chain of Command," Captain Picard is sent to investigate suspicions that the Cardassians are developing a metagenic weapon, which is a virus capable of destroying all life on a planet withing days, dissipates in less than a month leaving all the planet's technology intact.

--DeadKennedys, "Kill The Poor"

Now, Cohen's original vision was for a similar device; presumably it would be somewhat larger and emit more neutron radiation. The burst parameters (yield, height of burst, etc.) would be carefully managed to minimize damage on the surface; however, the neutron bomb would emit enough of a pulse of radiation that it would kill everything on the ground in a substantial radius from the hypocenter. Cohen intended this to be a humanitarian weapon; civilians could retreat into underground shelters and be protected and when they emerged, although they'd find a lot of dead plants and animals, they wouldn't have to cope with as much in the way of devastation. The soldiers, though, wouldn't have that option, and would be killed; so, this was supposed to be a discriminate, humanitarian weapon. There are some doubts about its effectiveness, though; it would have to be detonated at high altitude to minimize explosive damage effects, but at such a high altitude the atmosphere might absorb most of the neutrons before they could reach the surface and do their work. Cohen made some claims to the contrary, but he's a little, well...credibility-wise, he could use some work in some respects. In addition, Soviet tanks were up-armoured to counter the potential threat of such a weapon before any neutron bomb was ever tested, let alone fielded.

* Used in "Kill The Poor" by DeadKennedys, where the rich get together and do just as suggested by the song title.

http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Neutron_Bomb_2660.jpg

There was also the concern that given the nature of radiation poisoning there would have been a significant amount of 'walking ghost' cases who would remain functional for few days but whose eventual death was certain. Studies showed such troops would most likely react by [[TakingYouWithMe attacking ferociously, attempting to do as much damage to the enemy as possible before they succumbed to their fate]].

* In the {{Trigun}} anime, [[NietscheWannabe Knives]]' weapon is apparently one (or at least it's fictional version), making the whole population of a town disappear without trace but everything else is intact. [[TechnicalPacifist Vash]]'s one is the opposite, destroying everything when activated but living things - but Vash himself doesn't know it ([[CrapsackWorld not like people usually survive much there after the town is hit with it anyway]]).

* In the Dale Brown novel Chains Of Command, Russia's campaign to reconquer the Ukraine begins with a bombardment of neutron bombs against the main Ukrainian Air Force bases, killing three-quarters of the pilots, thousands of civilians, and destroying the bulk of the aircraft. In this case, the weapon was selected to take out an air base with one shot (impossible with conventional weapons) while leaving the cities a couple of miles away mostly unscathed (impossible with a full-scale nuclear bomb). The bases themselves were leveled.

-> ''"Efficiency and progress is ours once more,''\\

Ah, the neutron bomb; that miracle of modern science and engineering. It's a fabulous little weapon; on the tin it says that it kills people and leaves buildings standing. This is how it's depicted in media and perceived in popular culture, but the truth is a little different; that's for a little bit later.

Anyway, the neutron bomb, when detonated, has negligible if any explosive force but instead emits a pulse of deadly, somewhat non-specific radiation, that leaves things like buildings alone but kills everyone dead. That way, one can rid an area of some inconvenient group while still maintaining high property values. No issues with radioactive contamination/cleanup, either.

<<|AtomicHate|>>

''Now that we have the Neutron bomb,''\\

* In the DaleBrown novel ''Wings of Fire'' the Libyans use these to eliminate witnesses. Comes complete with HighOctaneNightmareFuel descriptions of their effects on people. Mainly blood where it shouldn't be leaking. [[TeamFortress2 SO MUCH BLOOD!]]

* The KurtVonnegut novel ''DeadeyeDick'' revisits "Midland City", the terminally dull town from ''BreakfastOfChampions'', and destroys it with a neutron bomb. (Vonnegut admits in his introduction that the way he wrote it [[ANuclearError isn't the way that a neutron bomb would actually work]], but is based instead on pipe-dreams of Cold War strategists.)

* The TropeNamer, of course, is "Kill The Poor" by DeadKennedys, where the rich get together and do just as suggested by the song title.