Thermonuclear weapons, often referred to as Hydrogen bombs or H-bombs, are nuclear weapons in which their extreme explosive powers are obtained through the process of nuclear fusion – the process of forming a heavier nucleus from two lighter ones. (Nuclei of the hydrogen isotopes tritium or deuterium are fused.) This fusion requires incredibly high temperatures. They are nearly all achieved through the initial detonation of an atomic bomb.
Like atomic bombs, the explosion of an H-bomb produces a blast that can destroy structures within a radius of several miles, extreme heat that can spark firestorms and intense white light that can induce blindness. Radioactive fallout, or the release into the environment of highly unstable fragments or byproducts of fission such as cesium-137 and strontium-90, can poison living creatures and contaminate air, water and soil for hundreds of years.
These weapons can be thousands of times more powerful than atomic bombs and are measured in yield equal to megatons of TNT and yet they can be made small enough to fit in a ballistic missile warhead or an artillery shell that can be carried. In 1952, the U.S. was the first nation to successfully test a 10 MT fusion bomb. Although they can be much more destructive than atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs are also much more difficult to create.
Small thermonuclear weapons are called neutron bombs. Neutron bombs, also called enhanced radiation warheads, are weapons that can be used effectively against tank and infantry formations on a traditional battlefield yet won’t impact nearby towns or cities within a few miles. They work by producing minimal blast and heat but releasing high amounts of radiation.