Evaluation of Fireball Lethality using Basic Missile Structures

Abstract

The test described herein was conducted to provide preliminary information on the thermal lethality of a nuclear explosion. Solid steel and aluminum spheres and hollow steel cylinders were exposed atop lightweight television towers at five different ranges within the fireball of Shot 12. All of the tower mounted specimens were recovered, and it was possible to obtain curves of depth of metal loss versus distance from the burst point for each of the specimen types. The maximum metal loss from the steel spheres was 0.4 inch; from the aluminum spheres, 1.3 inch; and from the steel cylinders, 0.26 inch (at the center).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 30, 1958
Accession Number
AD0340137

Entities

People

  • J. E. Kester
  • R. B. Ferguson

Organizations

  • University of Dayton

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Biomedical
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Cameras
  • Construction
  • Dynamic Pressure
  • Explosions
  • High Altitude
  • Materials
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Measurement
  • Motion Pictures
  • Munitions
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Nuclear Fireball
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Photographs
  • Recording Systems
  • War Colleges
  • Weapons Effects

Fields of Study

  • Materials science

Readers

  • Explosive Engineering.