Nuclear Weapons Effects: Dust and Air Temperature Environment
Abstract
The report presents a computer program for calculating the dust and air temperature environment resulting from nuclear weapons detonations. The program can accommodate a wide variety of weapons detonations and ground surfaces. A weapons effects subroutine limits battle environment input data to the bare minimum. Dust concentrations can be calculated at any significant range from ground zero and at any height to which dust is raised by blast wind erosion of soil and subsequent air transport. The soil may be considered either uniform or variable in the path of the blast wave. Soils are specified by particle size and terminal velocity, size distribution, and erodable depth. Land use is accounted for. The topography is assumed to be flat or gently rolling. Multiple burst dust concentrations can be computed for variously timed detonations. The effect of prevailing winds is introduced after cessation of blast winds. Air temperature is treated as a dust-related phenomenon. The ground, heated by thermal radiation prior to arrival of the air blast, is eroded and transported by the blast wind. Its heat is transferred to air, primarily by convection, until thermal equilibrium is attained. The dust present from preceding bursts acts as a heat shield, transmitting only a portion of thermal radiation from succeeding bursts.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1971
- Accession Number
- AD0729426
Entities
People
- Arne H. Wiedermann
- James J. Swatosh Jr.
Organizations
- IIT Research Institute