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From: eugene@amelia.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: How is a nuke tested underground?
Message-ID: <1991May10.063825.26158@amd.com>
Date: 9 May 91 20:29:55 GMT
References: <1991May8.034438.11095@amd.com> <1991May9.064441.13838@amd.com>
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From: eugene@amelia.nas.nasa.gov (Eugene N. Miya)


Well if two with some knowledge can post and not get in trouble....

To add to what has been posted.
There are two kinds of tests performed underground.  The first are
refered as "Device tests."  Designed to test principles or fission and
fusion.  These make up may 80-85% of US tests.  The second remaining
are "effects tests."  Here the research is in what happens when
something is hit by fusion/fission products.  Very large horizontal
tunnels are dug with a relatively narrow vaccuum tube into an
experimental chamber where things are placed to expose them to the
nuclear environment prior to large-scale physical blast products,
shock-waves, etc.  Special heavy doors closed using conventional
explosives go off (many doors) and cut off the shock.

The engineering occurs on an impressive scale.  An officemate designed
several devices tested at NTS and and old division chief also has
unclassified stories.  Another friend spoke of an NTS tour (lots of
radiation signs and many miles of thick copper wire).

Testing yield is an interesting exercise.  It was an initial surprise
to me when I first moved to the Bay Area that LLNL had an extensive
geophysics program.  The other two people covered the basic geophysics.
Some settling and product release does happen on occasion.

Planning is also interesting, making effect use of the 3-D space around
the device is challenging.

Besides the Spectrum article. Numerous books exist which show configurations
of how tunnels are dug, what device canisters look like (The Norris
Bradbury museum at LANL is interesting).  The AB Museum at Kirtland AFB is
also open and interesting.  Devices can be very small.

--eugene miya, NASA Ames Research Center, eugene@orville.nas.nasa.gov
  NASA has nothing to do with nuclear weapons (directly)
	we just review some of their "requirements"
  Resident Cynic, Rock of Ages Home for Retired Hackers
  {uunet,mailrus,other gateways}!ames!eugene
  Let's see what waves this creates.