The damaging factors of a nuclear explosion. OBZhD

BASICS OF SAFE LIFE
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The damaging factors of a nuclear explosion. Basics of safe life

Fundamentals of Safe Life Activities (OBZhD)

During the explosion of a nuclear weapon, a huge amount of energy is released in millionths of a second. The temperature rises to several million degrees, and the pressure reaches billions of atmospheres. High temperature and pressure cause light emission and a powerful shock wave.

Along with this, the explosion of a nuclear weapon is accompanied by the emission of penetrating radiation, consisting of a stream of neutrons and gamma rays. The explosion cloud contains a huge amount of radioactive products - fission fragments of a nuclear explosive, which fall out along the path of the cloud, resulting in radioactive contamination of the area, air and objects. The uneven movement of electric charges in the air, which occurs under the influence of ionizing radiation, leads to the formation of an electromagnetic pulse.

The main damaging factors of a nuclear explosion are:

1) shock wave - 50% of the energy of the explosion;

2) light radiation - 30-35% of the energy of the explosion;

3) penetrating radiation - 8-10% of the energy of the explosion;

4) radioactive contamination - 3-5% of the energy of the explosion;

5) electromagnetic pulse - 0,5-1% of the energy of the explosion.

Shock wave of a nuclear explosion - one of the main damaging factors. Depending on the medium in which a shock wave arises and propagates - in air, water or soil, it is called, respectively, an air wave, a shock wave in water and a seismic blast wave (in soil).

air shock wave called the area of sharp compression of air, spreading in all directions from the center of the explosion at supersonic speed.

The shock wave causes open and closed injuries of varying severity in a person. The indirect impact of the shock wave also poses a great danger to humans. Destroying buildings, shelters and shelters, it can cause severe injuries.

Excessive pressure and propelling action of velocity pressure are also the main reasons for the failure of various structures and equipment. Equipment damage due to kickback (when hitting the ground) can be more significant than from overpressure.

The main way to protect protection of people and equipment from the impact of a shock wave is to isolate them from the action of excess pressure and velocity pressure. For this, shelters and shelters of various types and terrain folds are used.

Light radiation from a nuclear explosion is electromagnetic radiation, including the visible ultraviolet and infrared regions of the spectrum.

The energy of light radiation is absorbed by the surfaces of illuminated bodies, which are then heated. The heating temperature can be such that the surface of the object is charred, melted or ignited. Light radiation can cause burns to open areas of the human body, and at night - temporary blindness.

Light source is a luminous area of the explosion, consisting of vapors of structural materials of ammunition and air heated to a high temperature, and in ground explosions - and evaporated soil. Glowing area dimensions and the time of its glow depend on the power, and the shape - on the type of explosion.

Time of action light radiation of ground and air explosions with a capacity of 1 thousand tons is approximately 1 s, 10 thousand tons - 2,2 s, 100 thousand tons - 4,6 s, 1 million tons - 10 s. The dimensions of the luminous region also increase with increasing explosion power and range from 50 to 200 m for ultra-low nuclear explosion powers and 1-2 thousand m for large ones.

Burns open areas of the human body of the second degree (formation of bubbles) are observed at a distance of 400-1 thousand meters with low powers of a nuclear explosion, 1,5-3,5 thousand meters with medium and more than 10 thousand meters with large ones.

Degree of impact light radiation on various buildings, structures, equipment depends on the properties of their structural materials. Melting, charring, ignition of materials in one place can lead to the spread of fire, mass fires.

Protection against light radiation more simple than from other damaging factors, since any opaque barrier, any object that creates a shadow, can serve as protection.

Penetrating radiation is a flux of gamma radiation and neutrons emitted from the zone of a nuclear explosion.

Gamma radiation and neutron radiation are different in their physical properties. What they have in common is that they can spread in the air in all directions at a distance of up to 2,5-3 km. Passing through a biological tissue, gamma and neutron radiation ionize the atoms and molecules that make up living cells, as a result of which normal metabolism is disturbed and the nature of the vital activity of cells, individual organs and body systems changes, which leads to the emergence of a specific disease - radiation sickness.

The source of penetrating radiation is the nuclear fission and fusion reactions occurring in ammunition at the time of the explosion, as well as the radioactive decay of fission fragments.

The time of action of penetrating radiation is determined by the time the explosion cloud rises to such a height at which gamma radiation and neutrons are absorbed by the air and do not reach the ground (2,5-3 km), and is 15-20 s.

The degree, depth and form of radiation damage that develops in biological objects when exposed to ionizing radiation depends on the amount of absorbed radiation energy. To characterize this indicator, the concept is used absorbed dose, i.e. energy absorbed per unit mass of the irradiated substance.

SI per unit of absorbed dose irradiation adopted joule per kilogram (J / kg) - gray (1 Gy \u1d XNUMX J / kg).

In radiometry and medicine, systemic and non-systemic units of dose measurement are gray (Gy), rad, sievert (Sv), biological equivalent of roentgen (rem), roentgen (P) and their derivatives.

The ratio between units: 1 Gy \u100d 100 rad \u100d XNUMX rem \uXNUMXd \uXNUMXd XNUMX R.

To characterize the rate of dose accumulation, the concept is used "dose rate", i.e. dose increment per unit time. From here, respectively, follow the units of measurement of dose rates: Gy/h, Gy/min, rad/h, mrad/h, Sv/year, Sv/h, rem/h, R/h, mR/h, μR/h.

The damaging effect of penetrating radiation on people and their performance depend on the radiation dose and exposure time.

Depending on the absorbed dose, there are four degrees of radiation sickness

1. Radiation sickness I degree (mild) occurs at a total radiation dose of 100-200 rad. The latent period lasts 2-3 weeks, after which malaise, general weakness, nausea, dizziness, periodic fever appear. The content of red blood cells in the blood decreases.

2. Radiation sickness II degree (medium) occurs at a total radiation dose of 200-400 rad. The hidden period lasts about a week. The symptoms of the disease are more pronounced. With active treatment, recovery occurs in 1,5-2 months.

3. Radiation sickness III degree (severe) occurs at a radiation dose of 400-600 rad. The hidden period is several hours. The disease is intense and difficult. With intensive treatment, recovery is possible in 6-8 months.

4. Radiation sickness IV degree (extremely severe form) occurs at a radiation dose of more than 600 rad. The disease is accompanied by a blackout of consciousness, fever, a violation of the water-salt balance and ends in death after 5-10 days.

Radiation sickness in animals occurs at higher doses of radiation.

At high doses of radiation, the means of radio electronics, electrical automation and communications fail.

Protection against penetrating radiation is provided by various materials that attenuate gamma radiation and neutrons.

Authors: Ivanyukov M.I., Alekseev V.S.

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