Document Details


Title:
FALLOUT FROM NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS ON THE WATER SURFACE
Author(s):
RAINEY, S C [UNITED STATES NAVAL RADIOLOGICAL DEFENSE LABORATORY]
Subject Terms:
FALLOUT; MEETINGS; NUCLEAR WEAPONS; SHIPS
Document Location:
Location - DOE/NNSA NUCLEAR TESTING ARCHIVE Address - P.O. Box 98521 City - Las Vegas State - NV Zip - 89193-8521 Phone - (702)794-5106 Fax - (702)862-4240 Email - NTA@NV.DOE.GOV
Document Type:
REPORT
Publication Date:
1963 Sep 21
Declassification Status:
Never classified
Document Pages:
0002
Accession Number:
NV0050322
OpenNet Entry Date:
1994 Aug 26
OpenNet Modified Date:
2003 Sep 18
Description/Abstract:
A NUMBER OF PHYSICOMATHEMATICAL MODELS AHVE BEEN DEVELOPED AND APPLIED FOR THE PREDICTION OF RADIOACTIVE FALLOUT FROM NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS ON LAND SURFACES. THE PROBLEM OF PREDICTING FALLOUT FROM NUCLEAR EXPLOS IONS ON THE SURFACE OF THE SEA OR OTHER BODIES OF WATER HAS, BY CONTRA ST, RECEIVED VERY LITTLE ATTENTION. YET THE PROBLEM IS MORE COMPLICAT ED BECAUSE LAND SURFACE FALLOUT PARTICLES, ONCE THEY ARE FORMED AND IN CORPORATED IN THE FIREBALL OR RISING CLOUD, CAN BE CONSIDERED INVARIAN T IN THEIR PROPERTIES; WATER DROPLETS CAN CHANGE CONTINUALLY BY SUCH P ROCESSES AS COALESCENCE, EVAPORATION, SUBLIMATION, CONDENSATION, FREEZ ING, AND MELTING. WORK HAS BEEN UNDERWAY TO DEVELOP A PRELIMINARY FAL LOUT MODEL FOR WATER BURSTS. THE NRDL " DYNAMIC-MODEL ", DEVELOPED FO R PREDICTING FALLOUT FROM LAND SURFACE BURSTS, IS TAKEN AS A POINT OF DEPARTURE. THE ESSENTIAL FEATURES OF THIS MODEL ARE A DESCRIPTION OF BOTH THE RISING PHASE OF THE FALLOUT PARTICLES, WHEN THEY ARE SUBJECT ED TO THE FORCES OF THE CLOUD AND STEM DYNAMICS, AND OF THE FREE FALLI NG PHASE, WHEN THEY ARE SUBJECTED PRIMARILY TO THE PREVALING HORIZONTA L WINDS. MODIFICATIONS TO THE MODEL TO ACCOUNT FOR SALT WATER DROPLET S AS CARRIERS OF RADIOACTIVITY NATURALLY SEPARATE THEMSELVES INTO THE RISING AND FALLING PHASES. THE FALLING PHASE HAS BEEN APPROACHED FIR ST. EVAPORATION-CONDENSATION EQUATIONS HAVE BEEN COMBINED WITH AERODY NAMIC FALLING RATE EQUATIONS TO DETERMINE THE PROPERTIES OF A DROPLET HAVING ANY INITIAL SEA SALT CONCENTRATION AND FALLING FROM ANY INITIA L ALTITUDE THROUGH ANY GIVEN ATMOSPHERE. A COMPUTER PROGRAM HAS BEEN PREPARED AND SAMPLE RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE. TO DETERMINE THE INITIAL CONDITIONS FOR THE CASE OF A NUCLEAR EXPLOSION, THE RISING PHASE IS B EING INVESTIGATED. THIS STUDY IS DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A THEORY FOR THE RISE OF THE RADIOACTIVE CLOUD SO THAT THE HISTORY OF THE ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDING THE DROPS CAN BE SPEC IFIED; DETERMINATION OF THE BEHAVIOR OF THE DROPS WITHIN THIS ENVIRONM ENT UP TO THE TIME THAT THE PHASE OF FREE FALL COMMENCES. THE CURRENT STATUS OF THIS WORK WILL BE DESCRIBED, AND A COMPARISON WILL BE MADE OF SOME PREDICTED PROPERTIES OF FALLOUT WITH THOSE ACTUALLY MEASURED FROM A HIGH YIELD WATER SURFACE EXPLOSION.


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