AST-1A Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Blast Wave, Thermal Radiation, Radioactive Decay
Document Summary
Lighting: 1-2 inches across, heats air to 39,000 c, initially generates shock wave high pressure, slows to sound wave after about 10 m, 90% heat, 1% sound, rest light. Thunder: travels at speed of sound, 1 km every 3 sec; or 1 mile every 5 sec, distant thunder-rumbling due to linear extent, low pitch, due to absorption, beyond 16 km, generally not heard. Nuclear explosion: produce high energy particles-alpha, beta, gamma rays. Anatomy of a nuclear blast- direct nuclear radiation, thermal radiation, fallout, electro-magnetic pulse, blast. Measured in tons of tnt, carries dust into atmosphere. Nuclear winter: soot from fires can bet mixed up with rising hot gas, in upper troposphere and stratosphere, soot will spread around soot keeps solar light out, anti-greenhouse effect, hundreds of nuclear explosions could do this. E=mc(^2) c= light or (3 * 10(8th power)) m/s^2. Burst types: air burst, high-altitude burst (above 100,00 ft, underwater burst, underground burst, surface burst.
