BOUNDARY DISTURBANCES NEAR AN UNDERWATER EXPLOSION BUBBLE

Abstract

High speed photographs of a number of underwater explosions of 0.2 gram lead azide charges were made. For moderately deep explosions (where the charge depth is one to two maximum bubble radii), water jets above the surface and tubes of air extending down from the surface appeared at points where cables penetrated the surface. Similar phenomena were observed when cables were not present; however, the magnitudes were generally smaller. The occurrence of these phenomena is qualitatively related to Taylor's Instability Theory. If the characteristics of the model explosions of this study are presumed to scale geometrically full-scale nuclear explosions it can be tentatively concluded that: For moderately deep explosions, atmospheric air flows into the tubes and toward the explosion bubble, and the most likely effect is somewhat increased mixing of radioactive products with the water.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0401548

Entities

People

  • William G. Zuke

Organizations

  • Naval Ordnance Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Flow
  • Air Force Facilities
  • Air Pressure
  • Bubbles
  • Cameras
  • Explosion Bubbles
  • Lead Azides
  • Maryland
  • Munitions
  • Nuclear Explosions
  • Ordnance Laboratories
  • Photographs
  • Photography
  • Underwater Explosions
  • Underwater Ordnance
  • United States
  • Weapons

Readers

  • Marine Hydrodynamics
  • Molecular Photonics/Laser Physics
  • Rocket Propulsion.