or H-bomb or thermonuclear bomb
Weapon whose enormous explosive power is generated by the nuclear fusion of hydrogen isotope s.
The high temperatures required for the fusion reaction are produced by detonating an atomic bomb (which draws its energy from nuclear fission ). The bomb's explosion produces a blast that can destroy structures within a radius of several miles, an intense white light that can cause blindness, and heat fierce enough to set off firestorms. It also creates radioactive fallout that can poison living creatures and contaminate air, water, and soil. Hydrogen bombs, which may be thousands of times more powerful than atomic bombs, can be made small enough to fit in the warhead of a ballistic missile (see ICBM ) or even in an artillery shell (see neutron bomb ). nuclear weapon s employ both fusion and fission.