Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!linac!att!cbnews!cbnews!military
From: magnus%thep.lu.se@Urd.lth.se (Magnus Olsson)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Electromagnetic pulse from conventional explosives
Message-ID: <1991Jan18.002218.6648@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 18 Jan 91 00:22:18 GMT
References: <1991Jan14.011347.6684@cbnews.att.com> <1991Jan15.021622.23422@cbnews.att.com> <1991Jan16.012834.9366@cbnews.att.com>
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: Theoretical Physics, Lund university, Sweden
Lines: 16
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: magnus%thep.lu.se@Urd.lth.se (Magnus Olsson)
It is well known that exploding a nuclear charge produces an electromagnetic
pulse that cripples electronic equipment within in a wide radius.
I've always thought this was caused by the massive amount of ionizing
radiation from the explosion. However, several posters have mentioned that
you can get an EM pulse from conventional explosives, too. What is the
cause of the pulse in this case? Is it as powerful (and damaging) as that
from a nuclear bomb?

Magnus Olsson                   | \e+      /_
Dept. of Theoretical Physics    |  \  Z   / q
University of Lund, Sweden      |   >----<           
Internet: magnus@thep.lu.se     |  /      \===== g
Bitnet: THEPMO@SELDC52          | /e-      \q