SHOCK WINDS, AFTER-WINDS, AND CHANGES IN AIR TEMPERATURE RESULTING FROM LARGE ATOMIC BURSTS NEAR THE EARTH'S SURFACE

Abstract

Project 6.3 of Operation Ivy was designed to obtain experimental measurements of some of the characteristic parameters (dynamic pressure, temperature, velocity of sound) of blast waves from nuclear explosions to the complete histories of such blast waves. Measured peak dynamic pressures (q), temperatures, and sonic velocities are compared with those predicted from the Rankine-Hugoniot relations on the basis of measured overpressures and ambient conditions. Within the range of experimental error there is reasonable agreement between these measured peak changes in dynamic pressure (peak particle or wind velocity and density) and temperature across the shock front and those calculated. Measurements of dynamic pressure and total head throughout the positive and negative phases were quite successful except at overpressure levels greater than 20 psi. Durations of positive and negative phase winds are found to be in agreement with the durations of the corresponding overpressures.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1953
Accession Number
AD0363617

Entities

People

  • Maynard Cowan Jr.

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Temperature
  • Anemometers
  • Corporations
  • Dynamic Pressure
  • Field Tests
  • Gages
  • Hugoniot Equations
  • Measurement
  • Measuring Instruments
  • Pressure Gages
  • Pressure Measurement
  • Recording Systems
  • Security
  • Static Pressure
  • Temperature Measuring Instruments
  • Weapons Effects
  • Wind Velocity

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Explosive Engineering.
  • Fluid Dynamics.