Rope trick effect
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/TeapotTurkClose.gif/220px-TeapotTurkClose.gif)
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Rope trick is the term given by American
Description
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Tumbler_Snapper_rope_tricks.jpg/220px-Tumbler_Snapper_rope_tricks.jpg)
The adjacent photograph shows two unusual phenomena: bright spikes projecting from the bottom of the fireball, and the peculiar
The surface of the fireball, with a temperature over 20,000
The cause of a surface mottling is more complex. In the initial microseconds after the explosion, a fireball is formed around the bomb by the massive numbers of thermal
Inside the radiative fireball, the bomb itself is rapidly expanding due to the heat generated by the nuclear reactions. This moves outward at
In the first few microseconds after detonation, the bomb casing and shot cab are destroyed and vaporized. These vapors are accelerated to very high velocities, several tens of kilometers per second, faster than the shock front. However, this acceleration happens in a short period, so the material is trapped behind the shock front, even though it eventually travels faster than the shock front. The various light and dark patches are caused by the varying vapor density of the material splashing against the back of the shock front. The irregular variations in mass distribution around the bomb core create the mottled blob-like appearance.[3]
Sounding rockets
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Fishbowlrockets.jpg/220px-Fishbowlrockets.jpg)
After a few milliseconds, the energy of the shock front will no longer be great enough to heat the air into incandescence. At that point, the shock front becomes invisible, a process known as "breakaway". This makes the shock wave difficult to diagnose beyond this boundary.
Photographs of nuclear tests often show numerous vertical rope-like lines to one side. These are typically created by small
Camera recording
The photo was shot by a
Image gallery
References
- ^ a b "OPERATION TUMBLER-SNAPPER - 1952". Radiochemistry Society. Archived from the original on 2006-02-16. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ "John S. Malik is Cited for EMP Work" (PDF). Los Alamos National Laboratory. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2024-01-27.
- ^ Carey Sublette (June 19, 2002). "Operation Tumbler-Snapper/'Rope Trick'". Retrieved 2007-03-27.
- ^ "Operation Tumbler Snapper (1952)". YouTube.
- ^ "EG&G the Company: 1947 Onwards « Harold "Doc" Edgerton". 2009-11-28. Retrieved 2009-11-28.
Sources
- This article incorporates text from the National Nuclear Security Administration's "Rapatronic Photography" factsheet (August 2013).
External links
Media related to Rope trick effect at Wikimedia Commons
- Rare Nuclear Bomb Footage Reveals Their True Power | WIRED