The effects of nuclear explosions

This chapter on the effects of the explosion of nuclear weapons has been inserted in a book primarily concerned with the safety of nuclear installations for two reasons. Firstly, those concerned with nuclear safety may be asked questions on the effects of nuclear bombs (perhaps in discussions concerning the differences between the effects of an hypothetical accident of extreme severity in a nuclear reactor and those of the blast of a nuclear bomb). Secondly, because it may be useful, in general, to have a complete picture of the risks of various nuclear applications and of possible types of defence. 

Most of the information contained within this chapter has been extracted from Glasstone and Dolan (1977), Becket (1983) and Van Vliet (1992). 

From the outset, it must be stated that all the numbers quoted here may be subject to large uncertainties, because of the secrecy which surrounds this issue, because of the understandable absence of a complete experimental basis (given the possible damage to our planet by realistic experiments) and because the consequences depend highly on the specific technical features of each weapon. 

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There is increasing current concern about safety from nuclear hazards, including nuclear blasts and radiation. There will be greater involvement in protecting people against such hazards. A nuclear shelter is just one of many ideas to protect and shield a person from the effects of nuclear explosions. These structures can range from a deep buried rigid structure to a concrete framed box covered with soil. 

Because of world-wide apprehension about the effects of nuclear explosions (in this case, unfounded) a new proving ground should be sited in an area whose ownership is clearly and unequivocally British, hkely to remain so for several years to come, and whose local native population is either friendly, unconcerned or absent [ ic]. 

Most modem projectiles and virtually all missiles contain explosives. The plasmas that result from explosives are intrinsic to operation of warheads, bombs, mines, and related devices. Nuclear weapons and plasmas are intimately related. Plasmas are an inevitable result of the detonation of fission and fusion devices and are fundamental to the operation of fusion devices. Compressed pellets, in which a thermonuclear reaction occurs, would be useful militarily for simulation of the effects of nuclear weapons on materials and devices. 

W. E. Baker, Explosions in Air (Austin University of Texas Press, 1973) S. Glasstone, The Effects of Nuclear Weapons (Washington, DC US Atomic Energy Commission, 1962). 

J.V.R. Kaufman, ProcRoySoc A246, 219—25(1958) (The Effect of Nuclear Radiation on Explosives)... 

Nuclear explosives release their energy much more rapidly than chemical explosives typically the time in the case of nuclear explosives or devices, is less than lps and that for a chemical explosive is in the range of microseconds. Thus, a nuclear explosive produces a sharper shock wave and as a result, it is somewhat more effective in shattering rocks and somewhat less effective as an earthmover. In terms of physical dimensions, the nuclear charge is much more compact than the chemical explosives leading to a much higher initial energy-density and con-... 

Urizar et al, The Effects of Nuclear Radiation on Organic Explosives , Explosivst 3, 55 (1962) also Rept LADC-4735, TiD-12431, Los Alamos Scientific Lab, Los Alamos (1960) 99) R.E. 

J. E. Abel, R. W. Dreyfus, J. V. R. Kaufman, H. Rosenwasser, P. W. Levy. The Effect of Nuclear Radiation on Explosives and Related Materials, Tech. Rept. 2398, Picatinny Arsenal, Dover, N.J., 1957. 

J. Berberet, The Effect of Nuclear Radiations of Explosive Solids, Air Force Systems Command, Aeronautical Systems Division Technical Report No. ASD-TDR-63-893. Eglin Air Force Base, Flda., 1963. 

J. A. Berberet, The Effects of Nuclear Radiations on Explosive Solids, U.S. Air Force Systems Command Technical Report No. ATL-TDR-64-53, Eglin Air Force Base, F la., 1964. 

Shielding. Any material or obstruction, including terrain, that absorbs radiation and thus tends to protect personnel from the effects of atomic explosion. A moderately thick layer of any opaque material will provide satisfactory shielding from thermal radiation, but a considerable thickness of high-density material—e.g., lead—may be needed for protection from nuclear radiation. Concrete and water absorb the energy of gamma rays and neutrons. 

Table 6.10 presents some damage effects. It may give the impression that damage is related only to a blast wave s peak overpressure, but this is not the case. For certain types of structures, impulse and dynamic pressure (wind force), rather than overpressure, determine the extent of damage. Table 6.10 was prepared for blast waves of nuclear explosions, and generally provides conservative predictions for other types of explosions. More information on the damage caused by blast waves can be found in Appendix B. 

In principle these should be predictable from theory, but in practice there are many grey areas such as the effects of rotation, convective mixing, mass loss, the mechanism of stellar explosions, nuclear reaction rates such as 12C(a, y)160, the evolution of close binaries and the corresponding mass limits between which various things happen for differing initial chemical compositions. Figure 5.14 shows a version of what may happen in single stars with different initial masses and two metallicities, Z Z and Z Z /20. 

The relativistic EOS of nuclear matter for supernova explosions was investigated recently [11], To include bound states such as a-particlcs, medium modifications of the few-body states have to be taken into account. Simple concepts used there such as the excluded volume should be replaced by more rigorous treatments based on a systematic many-particle approach. We will report on results including two-particle correlations into the nuclear matter EOS. New results are presented calculating the effects of three and four-particle correlations. 

The expression the fog of war is one that is very applicable to chemical warfare. There are huge uncertainties about the effectiveness of chemical weapons particularly in comparison with precision-guided high explosives. There seems little justification for describing chemical weapons as weapons of mass destruction for in no way do they threaten devastation on the scale of nuclear weapons. 

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