Calculation of Explosion-Produced Craters

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Description

In this study, a physical-numerical model is used to investigate processes important for cratering, or excavation, physics for high-explosive sources in desert alluvium. High explosives do not vaporize much of the geological environment surrounding the initial cavity containing the explosive. Thus, a relatively simple, and in some cases a well-known, equation of state exists for the high-explosive cavity gas for pressure greater than 1 atmosphere. However, nuclear explosives are known to vaporize a great deal of surrounding geological environment during the early part of cavity life history. This vaporized material is believed to condense late in the life history of … continued below

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32 p. : illustrations

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Knox, Joseph B. & Terhune, R. W. (Robert William) April 24, 1964.

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Description

In this study, a physical-numerical model is used to investigate processes important for cratering, or excavation, physics for high-explosive sources in desert alluvium. High explosives do not vaporize much of the geological environment surrounding the initial cavity containing the explosive. Thus, a relatively simple, and in some cases a well-known, equation of state exists for the high-explosive cavity gas for pressure greater than 1 atmosphere. However, nuclear explosives are known to vaporize a great deal of surrounding geological environment during the early part of cavity life history. This vaporized material is believed to condense late in the life history of the cavity, and prior to vent of the cavity gas to the atmosphere, such that the latent heat of condensation plays an important role in nuclear excavation. So far, no numerical-physical models of the response of a geologic environment to a nuclear explosive includes the effect of condensation on the hydrodynamics of late times. Thus, the calculation of the cavity pressure at late times including the effect of condensation is one of the current unsolved problems in the calculation of a crater formed by nuclear explosives. This study, then, develops a predictive, numerical-physical model for H.E. sources of the cavity life history, the earth's free-surface motion, and the formation of the lip (by up-thrust) up to the time of the vent of the cavity gas to the atmosphere.

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32 p. : illustrations

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Digitized from microopaque cards (2).

Includes bibliographic references (page 28)

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  • SuDoc Number: Y 3.At 7:22/UCRL-7738
  • Report No.: UCRL-7738
  • Accession or Local Control No: metadc1254405
  • Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metadc1254405

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  • April 24, 1964

Added to The UNT Digital Library

  • Feb. 5, 2022, 9:44 a.m.

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  • Sept. 21, 2022, 2 p.m.

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Knox, Joseph B. & Terhune, R. W. (Robert William). Calculation of Explosion-Produced Craters, report, April 24, 1964; Livermore, California. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1254405/: accessed July 13, 2025), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.

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