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Title: High-speed photography of the first hydrogen-bomb explosion

Abstract

Obtaining detailed photographs of the early stages of the first hydrogen bomb explosion in 1952 posed a number of problems. First, it was necessary to invent a continuous-access camera which could solve the problem that existing million-picture-per-second cameras were blind most of the time. The solution here was to alter an existing camera design so that two modified cameras could be mounted around a single high-speed rotating mirror. A second problem, acquiring the necessary lenses of precisely specified focal lengths, was solved by obtaining a large number of production lenses from war surplus salvage. A third hurdle to be overcome was to test the new camera at an A-bomb explosion. Finally, it was necessary to solve the almost impossible difficulty of building a safe camera shelter close to a megaton explosion. This paper describes the way these problems were solved. Unfortunately the successful pictures that were taken are sill classified.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
7278000
Report Number(s):
LA-UR-92-2514; CONF-9209188-1
ON: DE92040392
DOE Contract Number:  
W-7405-ENG-36
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: 20. international congress on high speed photography and photonics, Victoria (Canada), 25-26 Sep 1992
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE; 47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; EXPLOSIONS; ULTRAHIGH-SPEED PHOTOGRAPHY; CAMERAS; ENIWETOK; HYDROGEN; MHZ RANGE 01-100; RADIATION PROTECTION; ELEMENTS; FREQUENCY RANGE; ISLANDS; MARSHALL ISLANDS; MHZ RANGE; MICRONESIA; NONMETALS; OCEANIA; PHOTOGRAPHY; 450200* - Military Technology, Weaponry, & National Defense- Nuclear Explosions & Explosives; 440600 - Optical Instrumentation- (1990-)

Citation Formats

Brixner, B. High-speed photography of the first hydrogen-bomb explosion. United States: N. p., 1992. Web.
Brixner, B. High-speed photography of the first hydrogen-bomb explosion. United States.
Brixner, B. 1992. "High-speed photography of the first hydrogen-bomb explosion". United States.
@article{osti_7278000,
title = {High-speed photography of the first hydrogen-bomb explosion},
author = {Brixner, B},
abstractNote = {Obtaining detailed photographs of the early stages of the first hydrogen bomb explosion in 1952 posed a number of problems. First, it was necessary to invent a continuous-access camera which could solve the problem that existing million-picture-per-second cameras were blind most of the time. The solution here was to alter an existing camera design so that two modified cameras could be mounted around a single high-speed rotating mirror. A second problem, acquiring the necessary lenses of precisely specified focal lengths, was solved by obtaining a large number of production lenses from war surplus salvage. A third hurdle to be overcome was to test the new camera at an A-bomb explosion. Finally, it was necessary to solve the almost impossible difficulty of building a safe camera shelter close to a megaton explosion. This paper describes the way these problems were solved. Unfortunately the successful pictures that were taken are sill classified.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7278000}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992},
month = {Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992}
}

Conference:
Other availability
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