From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!houxm!ihnp4!ixn5c!inuxc!pur-ee!CSvax:Pucc-H:Physics:els
Newsgroups: net.physics
Title: Densepack
Article-I.D.: pur-phy.615
Posted: Thu Dec 16 13:20:41 1982
Received: Sun Dec 19 07:55:41 1982

    Is anyone interested in a discussion of the Densepack issue?  This net
should be fairly well qualified to figure out such things as fratricide, etc.
We also could try to come up with alternative basing modes.  I know that a
discussion like this is probably the realm of fa.arms-d, but that group might
not be seen by everyone (and besides, at least here, we haven't seen any 
activity on that group in a while).



        Well, to start the discussion, I remember hearing that in order to
destroy the Densepack, all the incoming warheads would have to detonate within
a few millionths of a second.  This means that DoD feels fratricide is based
on the other warheads being fryed by electromagnetic effects.  Is there any
single effect that does the trick?  TIME magazine had one of their cute little
illustrations showing fratricide.  They said that the warheads would be killed
by heat, x and gamma rays, and EMP, to name the E&M effects.  X and gamma rays
I might buy, but unless the warhead got caught in a fireball, wouldn't its
reentry shield protect it from heat?  Couldn't it be hardened against EMP, just
like we are trying with some of our electronics now?  Just what kind of damage
do x-rays,etc. inflict, and couldn't that also be hardened against?  The reason
I ask this is that if E&M effects don't kill the incoming warheads, then the
shock would have to, thus vastly relieving the simultaneity constraints in such
an attack (though if shock waves travel at say 20,000 mph, this still means
adjacent impacts must be within ~.01 sec or so.  That's still quite a feat!)


                                Looking forward to a lively discussion,

                                      els[Eric Strobel]
                                      pur-ee!pur-phy!els