The Super H-Bomb

There are at least two theoretical approaches to a "super H bomb." One has existed since at least as early as when this film was made. The technology existed to make it then and, of course, exists now. The other is still theoretical only. The technology to make it might possibly be developed currently, but it is unlikely that anyone (or any country) would want to make such an 'investment.'

In the first case, just as described in "Dr. Strangelove," the approach called "staging" allows the design and construction of a single explosive device virtually as large as desired. If the builder is willing to detonate the device in place and so, has no need to transport it anywhere, then he needs only to add stages until the desired theoretical yield can be achieved.

In the second case, we have already produced small (micro) quantities of anti-matter and allowed it to annihilate with matter. We also have the ability to build electromagnetic vacuum bottles of liter magnitude. Typical tokamak chambers may be large enough to contain gram quantities of anti-matter and keep it isolated for long enough to build up a sufficient quantity. If existing tokamak chambers are not sufficient to do the job, we may already be able to build a larger chamber to hold a greater quantity of anti-matter. Like the multi-stage thermonuclear weapon described above, it will be too heavy to transport. But, once the quantity of anti-matter has been produced and stored, the challenge is not in detonating the weapon, but in not allowing it to detonate.

Since neither of the devices above can be transported, much less dropped on a target, they may not satisfy the definition of a "bomb." But, if built and successfully detonated they will do so much damage in that single detonation to kill pretty much everything. They are also likely to do so much damage to the atmosphere, lithosphere, and hydrosphere as to leave the Earth unlivable by any animal or vegetable life that we know.

So, it's not a question of science, but only of will. Since we won't live to verify that it worked, it kind of takes the fun out of building it.

The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.