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WHAT IS A DIRTY BOMB?

There are two types of actual nuclear weapon – fission and thermonuclear devices.

Fission bombs are fuelled with fissile material such as uranium and plutonium.

When detonated, the atoms in the weapon’s core split and release huge amounts of energy, producing a nuclear explosion. 

Thermonuclear weapons use a fission bomb to ignite special fuel, consisting of light hydrogen isotopes.

These nuclei are forced together, undergoing nuclear fusion and releasing an even larger explosion. 

An easier option for a terrorist group would be to build a dirty bomb or, technically, a radiological dispersal device. 

These do not rely on complex nuclear reactions. 

Instead, conventional explosives are used to disperse radioactive material, contaminating an area with elements such as radioactive isotopes of cobalt, caesium or americium.

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