Re: Re:Nukes

----- Original Message -----
From: Derek Fulton <derekfulton@bigpond.com>
To: <gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, March 13, 2001 12:06 AM
Subject: Re:Nukes

> At 07:13  12/03/01 +0000, BIF wrote:
> >  As for nukes in space, the effects are
> >a lot less against spaceships due to no atmosphere to transmit the
shock
> >way/blast effects of a nuke. A nuke detonating in close proximaty (or
> >contact) with a ship is a different matter, but the missile would
have to
> >get pass the pds of the target. A planix/gatling type weapon would be
> >useless at long range, but would be perfect at close range,
preventing
the
> >missiles making contact with the ship. That is not considering the
problems
> >of getting a missile into close or physical contact with a high speed
> >evading target.
> >Just my take on the idea.
>
> I'll have to go look this up to get the specifics but in general it
was
> originally thought that nuclear explosions in space would have less
effect
> than one within the atmosphere because of a lack of atmosphere to
transmit
> the shockwave, what has been found is that the explosion propagates
(this
> is the part I would have to go look up, for what type of radiation it
was)
> radiation. This radiation upon colliding with a object released it's
energy
> as kinetic energy, in effect a shock wave.
>
> Derek
>
> Derek Fulton
> 12 Balaka st.
> Rosny, Hobart.
> Tasmania,  7018.
> Australia
>
> Phone; (03) 62459123
> Email; derekfulton@bigpond.com
> URL; http://www.users.bigpond.com/derekfulton/
>
>
I thought the shock wave was formed from the vaporised bomb mass
traveling
at relativistic velocities due to the energy imparted from the nuclear
explosion. What makes nukes so effective in atmosphere is the shock wave
formed from pumping so much energy into the air in such a small time
frame.
The actual bomb it`self doesn`t do that much dammage (unless you drop it
on
yourself <G>), it`s the supersonic shockwave, and the thermal pulse
released
by the conversion of matter to energy inside the nuclear reaction. A
space
ship should be well protected from energised particals at relativistic
speed, or they could never fly during a solar storm (which very strong
magnetic feilds (as postulated for sheilds) would deflect) or fly at
high
sublight speeds. Of course, there is a big difference between solar
wind/intersteelar particals and the energy of a nuke going off at close
quarters (in steelar terms, anyway).

Probably incorect, but sounds right from what I`ve picked up over the
years.

BIF
 "yorkshire born,yorkshire bred,
 strong in arms, thick in head"

PS-The bit about nukes getting smaller, limiting the area of effect, and
the
increased precision of the delivery systems, was meant as a argument to
the
dirt huggers on the list as to why nukes could (I didn`t say were) be
used.
Especially by KV, who don`t have the human morrals against them.