A nuclear weapon test (also nuclear weapon test or nuclear weapon test) is the ignition of a nuclear explosive device to test purposes (nuclear weapon explosion).

Test places

For safety reasons (danger by the pressure wave and in particular by the radioactive fall out) nuclear weapon tests take place in principle in large locked military areas, like the NTS in Nevada (over 1.000 tests). Also different remote small islands or atolls were used for test purposes: Mururoa (France), the Weihnachtsinsel (Great Britain and Northern Ireland) or the Bikini atoll (the USA).

Further nuclear weapon tests took place on the Eniwetok atoll (the USA), Fangataufa, in the Algerian part of the Sahara (from France to beginning of the 1960er years), Monte Bello in the Australian desert (of Great Britain into the 1960er years), in Lop only in the Gobi desert (People's Republic of China, 45 aboveground tests by 16 October 1980), on the nuclear weapon test area Semipalatinsk in close proximity to the city Semipalatinsk in Kazakhstan and on Nowaja Semlja in the Arctic Ocean (Soviet Union). On Nowaja Semlja on 30 October 1961 with the Zar bomb the atomic explosive device with the highest explosive yield ever reached (over 50 megatons TNT equivalent) one ignited.

However the propagation of the fall out cannot be limited to the test areas, the nuclear weapon tests 20. Century have the background radiation world-wide measurably raised, partly are comprehensible even individual test in the data.

Also nuclear weapon tests under water, in the upper atmosphere were accomplished and even in space (operation Fishbowl). For this among other things between 1958 and 1962 some rockets started of the John clay/tone atoll.

With underground nuclear weapon tests the danger of the withdrawal of radioactive material is relatively small, but nevertheless always available, in particular with porous rock. For the execution of an underground nuclear weapon test with drilling equipment an about 1000 meter deep hole is bored, into which the nuclear weapon is sunk with measuring instruments. Subsequently, this hole with concrete is sealed. In contrast to an aboveground nuclear weapon explosion with its spectacular atomic mushroom only one earthquake is to be felt by an underground nuclear weapon explosion.

Measurements

With atomic bomb tests numerous measurements are accomplished for the effectiveness and effect of the tested weapon. With aboveground nuclear weapon tests frequently buildings, vehicles and animals were platziert, in order to be able to study the effect of the Nuklerwaffenexplosion in detail. Also high-speed photographs of the explosion and physical measurements were made by investigation of the different radiations arising with a nuclear weapon explosion. For this the nuclear weapon had to often be at the time of the ignition at a defined point, so that a release the same was not possible from an airplane. Therefore the nuclear weapon was installed on a bomb tower, brought with a Fesselballon in position or set up simply and simply in a barrack at the soil. With numerous aboveground nuclear weapon tests also research rockets were started for the investigation of the atomic mushroom and the upper atmosphere.

By the numerous aboveground tests it came to the so-called nuclear weapon effect, which affects the age determination by the radio carbon method.

Propaganda

Apart from measurements to the functionality a weapon or effects of the weapon, nuclear weapon tests serve also propaganda. Particularly in the cold war the disliked nations in the tests tried to demonstrate her atomic potential the opponent in frightening way.

Also it particularly concerned the USA to convince the public for the development and of the necessity for the weapons.

History

The first nuclear weapon test took place on 16 July 1945 in the desert Alamogordo (new Mexico, the USA) under the name Trinity test (dt. Dreifaltigkeit). A implosion bomb was ignited like the Fat one Nuklearwaffe, which was thrown off later on Nagasaki, since this needs a more complicated than the uranium bomb. One wanted to be safe that this construction principle functions. The first uranium bomb, Little Boy mentioned, was ignited against it without preceding test directly in the context world-wide first of the nuclear weapon employment on 6 August 1945 over Hiroshima.

So far world-wide about 2,000 nuclear weapon tests were accomplished, by it 528 in the atmosphere, whereby an explosive yield was set free by approximately 34,000 Hiroshima bombs. By the atomic fall out caused by the test explosions and give there were high rates at cancer illnesses and false formations today in the surrounding field of these areas with the there living population. The background radiation is world-wide higher than before the first nuclear weapon tests.

Since 1996 an international nuclear weapon test stop contract lies ready for the ratification on the part of the UN, which a world-wide end of all attempts with nuclear weapons plans. India, Pakistan and North Korea did not even sign the contract. India and Pakistan accomplish further some underground nuclear weapon tests. North Korea accomplished still no official such test up to now. On 9 September 2004 it came to a larger detonation in the region Ryanggang DO, this of some sources than nuclear weapon test was interpreted, the North Korea niche government argues this however off.

The Vela incident from the year 1979 is an alleged atomic test of South Africa and Israel.

See also

• List of the atomic bomb tests
• Nuclear forces
• CTBTO
• Explosionskrater
• EMP

Film documentations

• Trinity and Beyond, Peter Kuran, 1995

Related links

• Telepolis: Wide people attempts

Articles in category "Nuclear weapon test"

We found here 20 articles.