Effects of Nuclear Explosions

Nuclear Weapons Frequently Asked Questions ^ | May 15, 1997 | Carey Sublette

[primeval patriot]

From one of the first websites I ever visited.

A fairly easy read for students.

Much, much more at the link.

[MindBender26]

Great catch.

Have been to Chernobyl twice as a journalist and can tell you, this was very well written.

[G8 Diplomat]

Cool. Nukes 101: Everything you ever wanted to know and more about nuclear explosions. (I mean the ones caused by bombs, not Hillary after her bean burrito ;) )

[OeOeO]

I'm not a student,just curious

• Is it theoretically possible to split any element other than uranium or plutonium?
• Has there ever been experiments?
• How much nuclear material is burned daily in an average power plant?
• Is there a danger of shortage of uranium or plutonium?

Thanks in advance.

[dfwgator]

One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day.

[RayChuang88]

There's a reason why they chose air burst over surface burst for most nuclear attacks--air burst causes more destruction over a wider area, necessary for attacking cities, above-ground industrial sites and large military formations. Ground burst (or very near ground burst where the warhead detonates maybe 100-200 meters above the ground) is used primarily to destroy fixed ICBM missile silos and underground command centers like the old SAC headquarters near Omaha, NE.

Interestingly enough, the now-mothballed NORAD command center at Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, CO would likely survive even a very close hit from a 1 MT nuclear blast, since it was built so deeply into the mountain and the fact the command center had extensive shock-proofing to resist the shock wave of a nuclear blast. That's why the Russians developed the gigantic R-36M (SS-18) missile that could deliver a 20 MT nuclear warhead--it was specifically designed to take out the Cheyenne Mountain facility.

[Grizzled Bear]

Being too close to a detonating 500 pound conventional bomb wouldn’t really be much better.

[CougarGA7]

I’ve done a lot of explosive testings and the one peice of advice I give people when they ask me about “how far should I be” and such is... When it goes off be somewhere else.

[mkjessup]

One nuclear bomb can ruin your whole day.

NOT if said bomb is delivered on the target of your choice, instead of being delivered on YOU.

[Grizzled Bear]

When your demolitions expert says “Uh oh!” Run!!!

[martin_fierro]

I’ve done a lot of explosive testings and the one peice of advice I give people when they ask me about “how far should I be” and such is... When it goes off be somewhere else.

"Doctor, it hurts when I do this..."

[TheLion]

Bump for a later long read.

[CougarGA7]

You never hear an EOD say oops....because if you are within in earshot, you're dead.

[CougarGA7]

then stop doing that.

[Telepathic Intruder]

Generally any element heavier than iron releases more energy if you split it than it contains through nuclear binding. U-235 is somewhat unique however in that it releases more energy than is required to split it, and can sustain a chain reaction. If it wasn’t for the unusual properties of U-235, it’s likely we would not have any form of nuclear power today, controlled or uncontrolled. U-235 must be separated from its non-fisionable isotope U-238 (depleted uranium) before it can be usable as fuel. Plutonium is entirely man-made, due to its short half-life, and requires U-235 to make it (as a byproduct), but has similar properties. Nuclear fusion, on the other hand, releases energy when atoms are combined, not split. The nucear binding curve (google it) determines at what atomic weight atoms loose or gain energy as you split/combine them. The element iron happens to be the center point.

[OeOeO]

Thanks

[CougarGA7]

Though I’m no expert on nuclear fission I would imagine that any atom can be split including Hydrogen (though then we would get into the components of protons and such which is above my pay grade). The question would be is it worthwile as far as yeild to do that.

I do know this. When we did our surface nuclear tests in Nevada it was pretty hard on sheep flocks in Utah. They were getting exposed to a radioactive form of Iodine (which was very bad) as well as a radioactive form of Ceisium (which gets mistaken for Calcium and stored in bones which is very bad long term). Niether of these elements are components of a standard atomic or thermonuclear weapon so they had to be created by the blast.

[Tex_GOP_Cruz]

Good explanation in #15, though I’m wondering whether Pu-239 is more commonly made from U-235 or rather by a single neutron capture from U-238, and then two subsequent beta decays to make it Z=94?

[CougarGA7]

In reading my own response I noticed that I errored. When I mentioned Ceisium I meant Strontium. May not mean much, but the reason that the radioactive Strontium is mistaken by the body as Calcium is based on being in the same column if the periodic table.

[ExSES]

Interestingly enough, the now-mothballed NORAD command center at Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, CO would likely survive even a very close hit from a 1 MT nuclear blast, since it was built so deeply into the mountain and the fact the command center had extensive shock-proofing to resist the shock wave of a nuclear blast.

Though obviously obsolete, that facility is an engineering marvel! Visited it twice and was quite impressed with the structures (if not the technology which was very disappointing)...