"Emissions From Reactions in Nuclear Weapons"

What Happens When Nukes Explode
Originally Classified "Secret," Now Almost Unredacted


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>>>Written by Plesset Associates, Inc. Issued by the Defense Atomic Support Agency, Department of Defense, 29 June 1963. (The DASA later morphed into the current Defense Threat Reduction Agency.) Originally classified "Secret" with "Restricted Data, Atomic Energy Act 1954." In 2002, the report was declassified by the Department of Energy, except for four lines of text on page 23. Obtained and kindly given to The Memory Hole by Jim Klotz and Dale Goudie of CUFON.

From the Introduction

"This paper treats the emissions from the reactions occurring in nuclear weapons, specifically the neutrons, gamma rays, X-rays, and electrons emitted during the course of a nuclear explosion. The basic physics of the processed leading to these emissions - fission, inelastic scattering, interaction with orbital electrons and others - is discussed qualitatively so that a good understanding of what occurs in nuclear weapons may be gained."


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posted 08 Sept 2005
original text and site copyright 2002-5 Russ Kick