The hydrogen bomb, a thermonuclear weapon, is an explosive device that creates its explosion by fusing two atoms together, to create a reaction similar to the processes that occur in the sun. The concept was first developed in 1952, during the Cold War, and the destructive potential of the bombs continued to grow until the Tzar bomb, a 50 megaton bomb, which was detonated by the Soviets in 1961 Hydrogen bombs were unique to atomic bombs, because unlike atomic bombs, hydrogen bombs had no imaginable limits on their size. This allowed scientists to build as big as they wanted. The hydrogen bomb represented a definite improvement over the kiloton range of atomic bombs. “In this type of bomb, deuterium and tritium (hydrogen isotopes) are fused into helium, releasing energy. There is no limit to the yield of this weapon” (Cold War: A Brief History, 2011, p. 4). The hydrogen bomb is based on the concept of what happens every day under our sun. On the sun, nuclear reactions occur, converting hydrogen to helium, causing the immense energy produced by the sun. Scientists knew they were able to harness the ability to split an atom to produce energy, and one scientist, Edward Teller, made everyone believe they could fuse two atoms together when the first thermonuclear bomb American exploded. Edward Teller was one of the leading scientists in the design of the hydrogen bomb, having studied under Niels Bohr and the famous Robert Oppenheimer. The hydrogen bomb was a two-stage bomb, or in the case of the Tzar bomb, a three-stage bomb. The first, or primary, stage was a fission bomb, which was only the trigger for the larger explosion created by the second stage's fuel. The fuel from the second stage is compressed by middle of paper......and sent to a remote target, and during the Cuban Missile Crisis, these missiles almost brought us to World War III. .com (2011). “Race for the hydrogen bomb”. Retrieved March 17, 2014, from http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/hbombAtomicarchives.com (2011). “Cold War: A Brief History”. Retrieved March 17, 2014 from http://www.atomicarchive.com/History/coldwarAtomCentral.com (2014) “The Cold War” Retrieved March 17, 2014 from http://www.atomcentral.com/the-cold-war .aspxFuller, John (January 24, 2008). “How the Nuclear Arms Race Works” Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/nuclear-arms-race.htmThe United States drops a hydrogen bomb on Bikini Atoll. (2014). The History Channel website. Retrieved March 18, 2014, from http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/united-states-drops-hydrogen-bomb-over-bikini-atoll.