Hidden rotors spin faster than sound to build nuclear bombs
To separate rare isotopes for warheads, North Korea utilizes thousands of steel tubes that must endure forces stronger than a jet engine to function.
Deep beneath the mountains of Kusong, thousands of silver cylinders called centrifuges spin in total darkness. To enrich uranium for a nuclear weapon, these rotors must reach speeds of 70,000 revolutions per minute. At this velocity, the outer wall of the tube moves faster than the speed of sound, creating immense centrifugal force that pulls heavier atoms to the edges while leaving the desired explosive material in the center.
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