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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Fiber-optic shock position sensor

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:10135006

This report describes work performed for the development of a fiber-optic shock position sensor used to measure the location of a shock front in the neighborhood of a nuclear explosion. Such a measurement would provide a hydrodynamic determination of nuclear yield. The original proposal was prompted by the Defense Nuclear Agency`s interest in replacing as many electrical sensors as possible with their optical counterparts for the verification of a treaty limiting the yield of a nuclear device used in underground testing. Immunity to electromagnetic pulse is the reason for the agency`s interest; unlike electrical sensors and their associated cabling, fiber-optic systems do not transmit to the outside world noise pulses from the device containing secret information.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-76DP00789
OSTI ID:
10135006
Report Number(s):
SAND--93-0261; ON: DE93009607
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English