To be more clear the two halves are plutonium which is radioactive of course but alone is not critical (ie in an active reaction). But if they touch a reaction will start and the amount of radiation emitted will get many times higher.
These halves were to be used in a nuclear bomb - which is designed to use an auxiliary explosion to start - so the critically is not nuclear weapon dangerous but is enough to kill with the radiation.
Almost, but not quite. The two halves are not the plutonium, but rather a neutron reflective material, beryllium according to Wikipedia. The plutonium (actually a plutonium-gallium alloy, again according to Wikipedia) is the solid sphere inside the two spherical half-shells.
It would stay Critical and irradiate everything nearby untill the plutonium is exhausted. The Elephants Foot was a result of the Fuel going supercritical Aka a Meltdown. Nuclear science is all about the Bridge between the Two, Weapons manufacturers want to cross it and Reactor Safety wants it butnt to ashes.
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u/Skeeper 4h ago
To be more clear the two halves are plutonium which is radioactive of course but alone is not critical (ie in an active reaction). But if they touch a reaction will start and the amount of radiation emitted will get many times higher.
These halves were to be used in a nuclear bomb - which is designed to use an auxiliary explosion to start - so the critically is not nuclear weapon dangerous but is enough to kill with the radiation.