thermal detonator

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Type:
  Explosive

• Manufacturer:
  Various, including Merr-Sonn Munitions

• 

From the Movies

A thermal detonator is a compact yet powerful explosive device contained in a small, silvery sphere. Once activated, an internal fusion reaction starts within the sphere which eventually grows into a deadly explosion. Princess Leia Organa, disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh, used a thermal detonator while negotiating a steep sum for the capture of Chewbacca the Wookiee. For the fearless use of such a deadly weapon, Boushh earned the hulking crime lord's respect and a sizable bounty as well.

From the Expanded Universe

The heart of a thermal detonator's explosive power is the compact sphere of volatile baradium found inside a thermite shell. Once the thumb trigger is activated, the baradium enters a state of fusion reaction that creates an expandable particle field capable of disintegrating everything within a 20-meter blast radius. The detonator is typically set on a timer, since the explosive radius is quite large and represents an extreme hazard to the weapon's bearer.

Although a variety of detonators exist, almost all are very carefully regulated and outright illegal to own. The Merr-Sonn Munitions Class-A thermal detonator is an extremely powerful model. Baradium is dangerously unstable, and fusion reactions have been known to start due to improper handling or jarring of the detonators.

The standard Imperial stormtrooper armor features a smaller, low-yield thermal detonator built into its belt design. The canister-shaped weapon, encased in an axidite shell, has a blast radius of only five meters, and is code-protected in such a way to prevent Rebels from stealing and using the explosives.

Behind the Scenes

The novel Shadows of the Empire not only reveals where Leia obtained the Boushh bounty hunter armor, but also the thermal detonator she carried into Jabba's palace.