Preliminary theoretical acoustic and rf sounding calculations for MILL RACE
As participant in DOE/ISA's Ionospheric Monitoring Program, LLNL has the responsibility of providing theoretical understanding and calculational support for experimental activities carried out by Los Alamos National Laboratory in using ionospheric sounders to remotely detect violent atmospheric phenomena. We have developed a system of interconnected computer codes which simulate the entire range of atmospheric and ionospheric processes involved in this remote detection procedure. We are able to model the acoustic pulse shape from an atmospheric explosion, the subsequent nonlinear transport of this energy to all parts of the immediate atmosphere including the ionosphere, and the propagation of high-frequency ratio waves through the acoustically perturbed ionosphere. Los Alamos' coverage of DNA's MILL RACE event provided an excellent opportunity to assess the credibility of the calculational system to correctly predict how ionospheric sounders would respond to a surface-based chemical explosion. In this experiment, 600 tons of high explosive were detonated at White Sands Missile Range at 12:35:40 local time on 16 September 1981. Vertical incidence rf phase sounders and bistatic oblique incidence rf sounders fielded by Los Alamos and SRI International throughout New Mexico and southern Colorado detected the ionospheric perturbation that ensued. A brief account of preliminary calculations of the acoustic disturbance and the predicted ionospheric sounder signatures for MILL RACE is presented. (WHK)
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 5479900
- Report Number(s):
- UCID-19231; ON: DE82009300; TRN: 82-011699
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of document are illegible
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Bistatic phase sounding in the ionosphere above the Minor Scale explosion
Mill Race high altitude pressure measurements
Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
CHEMICAL EXPLOSIONS
IONOSONDES
IONOSPHERE
SHOCK WAVES
ATMOSPHERIC EXPLOSIONS
CALCULATION METHODS
DISTURBANCES
DOPPLER EFFECT
ELECTRON DENSITY
RADIOWAVE RADIATION
SOUND WAVES
WAVE PROPAGATION
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
EXPLOSIONS
PLANETARY IONOSPHERES
RADIATIONS
RADIO EQUIPMENT
450100* - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense- Chemical Explosions & Explosives
640202 - Atmospheric Physics- Effects of Nuclear Detonations