The Effects of Nuclear Weapons |
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1-kiloton 1-megaton air blast air burst altitude amount Announced by AEC atmosphere atomic attenuation base surge beta particles blast wave buildings burns centimeter contaminated crater curves damage debris decay decrease delayed fallout depth distance from ground dose rate dynamic pressure early fallout earth effects electron density emitted energy yield Eniwetok equation exposure factor feet Figure fire fireball fission products gamma radiation gamma rays given ground zero height of burst increase initial nuclear radiation injury ionization isotopes kilotons loading material megaton neutrons Nevada Nevada Test Site Novaya Zemlya nuclear explosion nuclear weapon nuclei occur peak overpressure percent photon pounds per square produced radiation dose radioactive cloud radius range region rems result roentgens scaling shielding shock front shock wave square inch strontium-90 structure surface burst temperature tests thermal radiation tion TNT equivalent underground underwater velocity walls weapon residues wind X-rays
Popular passages
Page 4 - Radioactivity The essential difference between atoms of different elements lies in the number of protons in the nucleus. A hydrogen atom, for example, contains only 1 proton ; a helium atom has 2 protons ; and a uranium atom has 92 protons. Although all the nuclei of a given element contain the same number of protons they may have different numbers of neutrons. The resulting atomic species, which have identical atomic numbers but which differ in their masses, are called "isotopes
Page 578 - One rad is the absorbed dose of any ionizing radiation which is accompanied by the liberation of 100 ergs of energy per gram of absorbing material.
Page 702 - ... some radioactive elements. It is identical with a helium nucleus, having a mass of four units and an electric charge of two positive units. Cloud Column: The visible column of weapon debris (and possibly dust and water droplets) extending upward from the point of burst of a nuclear (or atomic) weapon. Crater The pit, depression, or cavity formed in the surface of the Earth by a surface or underground explosion. Crater formation can occur by vaporization of the surface material, by the scouring...
Page 699 - ATOM: The smallest (or ultimate) particle of an element that still retains the characteristics of that element. Every atom consists of a positively charged central nucleus...
Page 587 - The radiation or radioactive material outside a controlled area, attributable to normal operations within the controlled area, shall be such that it is improbable that any individual will receive a dose of more than 0.5 rem in any 1 year from external radiation.
Page 664 - Nuclear weapons are designed with great care to explode only when deliberately armed and fired. Nevertheless, there is always a possibility that, as a result of accidental circumstances, an explosion will take place inadvertently.
Page 579 - The rad is a convenient unit for expressing energy absorption, but it does not take into account the biological effect of the particular nuclear radiation absorbed. The rem, however, which is defined by Dose in rems= RBE X Dose in rads, provides an indication of the extent of biological injury (of a given type) that would result from the absorption of nuclear radiation. Thus, the rem is a...
Page 707 - Important sources are iodine 131 in the thyroid gland, and strontium 90 and plutonium 239 in the bone. INVERSE SQUARE LAW: The law which states that when radiation (thermal or nuclear) from a point source is emitted uniformly in all directions, the amount received per unit area at any given distance from the source, assuming no absorption, is inversely proportional to the square of that distance. IONIZATION : The separation of a normally electrically neutral atom or molecule into electrically charged...
Page 376 - The absorbed dose of any ionizing radiation is the amount of energy imparted to matter by ionizing particles per unit mass of irradiated material at the place of interest.
Page 702 - DECAY (OR RADIOACTIVE DECAY): The decrease in activity of any radioactive material with the passage of time, due to the spontaneous emission from the atomic nuclei of either alpha or beta particles, sometimes accompanied by gamma radiation.