Document Details

OPERATION SUN BEAM, SHOT SMALL BOY, PROJECT OFFICER'S REPORT-PROJECT 7.1.4: TRANSIENT RADIATION EFFECTS MEASUREMENTS ON GUIDANCE SYSTEM CIRCUITS (DELETED)

SYKES, P J [AIR FORCE SYSTEMS COMMAND]

SUNBEAM PROJECT; DOMINIC II OPERATION; RADIATION EFFECTS; DOSIMETRY; MEASURING METHODS; WEAPONS; RESEARCH PROGRAMS

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

REPORT

1964 Apr 20

Sanitized

0117

NV0051037

POR2239EX

AIR FORCE SYSTEMS COMMAND

1994 Aug 26

2003 Sep 18

PROJECT 7.1.4 SMALL BOY OF OPERATION SUNBEAM WAS CONDUCTED TO OBTAIN D ATA ON THE TRANSIENT RESPONSE OF TYPICAL BALLISTIC MISSLE GUIDANCE AND CONTROL SYSTEMS TO THE PROMPT GAMMA PULSE FROM A NUCLEAR WEAPON. SEL F-READING INSTRUMENTATION WAS INSTALLED AT FOUR STATIONS, CORRESPONDIN G TO FOUR DECADES OF GAMMA RADIATION INTENSITY, TO DETERMINE WHETHER T HE OUTPUT TRANSIENTS IN THESE CIRCUITS EXCEEDED PRESET THESHOLD LEVELS DURING THE TEST. ADDITIONAL DIAGNOSTIC INSTRUMENTATION WAS PROVIDED AT ONE LOCATION TO OBTAIN PULSE SHAPE INFORMATION ON THE CIRCUITS, GAM MA DOSE RATE TIME HISTORY, AND ANALOG DATA ON CIRCUITS WHICH EXHIBITED LONG RECOVERY TIMES. EXTENSIVE PRE-AND POST-SHOT LABORATORY EXPERIME NTS WERE PERFORMED TO DETERMINE RESPONSE DYNAMIC RANGES AND TO ASCERTA IN THE VALIDITY OF SIMULATION TESTING FOR PREDICTING CIRCUIT RESPONSE IN AN ACTUAL WEAPON ENVIRONMENT. THE RESULTS OF THE SMALL BOY EXPERIM ENT ON THE FIVE GUIDANCE AND CONTROL CIRCUITS AND THE FAILURE CRITERIA (AS ESTABLISHED BY THE MANUFACTURERS) ARE: THESE RESULTS INDICATE THAT FIELD TEST DATA ARE CONSISTENT WITH THE COMBINED EXPERI MENTAL AND THEORETICAL PREDICTIONS. THE EXTENSIVE PRE-AND POST-LABORA TORY SIMULATION TESTING CONDUCTED BY NORTHROP VENTURA, AND THE CIRCUIT RESPONSE PREDICTIONS PERFORMED BY BOTH BOEING AND HUGHES HAVE SUPPORT ED VALIDITY OF THE FIELD TEST RESULTS.