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From: prentice%triton.unm.edu@ariel.unm.edu (John Prentice)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: How is a nuke tested underground?
Message-ID: <1991May14.051509.6634@amd.com>
Date: 11 May 91 04:00:08 GMT
References: <1991May8.034438.11095@amd.com> <1991May9.064441.13838@amd.com>
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Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque
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From: prentice%triton.unm.edu@ariel.unm.edu (John Prentice)


deichman@cod.nosc.mil (Shane D. Deichman) writes:
>                                      ... The basic process involves
>drilling a hole into the ground (depths are classified) big enough to
>fit the "physics package" into.  Then concrete is poured into the hole
>(with experimental equipment such as "collapsizers" which can determine
>the rate of expansion of the shock wave) to seal it off.  

There are also tests done by drilling horizontally into a mountain.
These are very expensive tests and the purpose is usually to look at
the effects of radiation on military systems (RV's, electronics,
etc...).  The tunnels drilled for these types of tests are truly
amazing.  Very large diameter and they do a good job building them.
The chamber containing the device will have pipes running out of it
which are used to give the radiation a pathway while still allowing
some containment.  They also help shield experiments from each other
and some are there just to bring out cables.  Doing experiments in
these types of tests can be a bit of trial because of the radiation
environment.  I have had more than one experiment ruined because the
instruments or film got dosed too severely.

-- 
John K. Prentice    john@unmfys.unm.edu (Internet)
Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
Computational Physics Group, Amparo Corporation, Albuquerque, NM, USA