Scientific Director's Report of Atomic Weapon Tests at Eniwetok, 1951. Annex 2.7. Thermal-Radiation Injury.
Abstract
Information concerning the flash burn resulting from an atomic bomb explosion was necessary to understand the lesion, its systemic effects, and prevention and treatment of these effects. In order to reproduce similar sources in the laboratory it was essential to know the characteristics of the energy producing the biological effect. In order to obtain this information, anesthetized experimental animals were placed in shielded positions at varying distances from bomb zero to cover a wide range of thermal-radiation intensities. Small areas of each animal's skin were exposed through aperture plates which were designed to analyze burn production as a function of time, intensity, and spectrum. Protection of the animal by fabrics covering the skin was also evaluated. In each station, calorimetric instruments measured the thermal energy to which the animals were exposed. These measurements were of total integrated energy and that in the spectral ranges of 2,500 to 4,000 A, 4,000 to 8,000 A, and 6,000 to 27,000 A. Following exposure, animals were retrieved from the exposure stations and transported to a laboratory for analysis of the burn lesions by description, color photography, and microscopic study of biopsy material. (MM)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1951
- Accession Number
- ADA296858
Entities
People
- Harry D. Kingsley
- John A. Schilling
- Lewis Hogg Jr.
- Robert M. Blakney
- Thomas S. Ely
Organizations
- Naval Medical Research Center