Stopping a nuclear bomb

sid_galt

Is there any way to mitigate the effects of a nuclear bomb when it bursts such as using the energy from the bomb for an endothermic fission?

Morbius

sid_galt,

NOPE!!

If the bomb goes off - then it generates a LOT of energy that initially
shows up as heat energy in the bomb material itself - i.e. the bomb is
VERY HOT!!

That hot material is going to expand, generate a shock wave [ i.e a blast
wave]. It will radiate heat and other radiation, and all the other effects
of a nuclear weapon.

Once that amount of heat energy is generated - there's no way to
corral that energy again - thermodynamics takes over.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

sid_galt

Maybe the title was misleading, I was talking about mitigating its effects not ending them.

I know there is no way to bring together again the vast amount of energy generated but is there any way to spread it over a very large area reducing its ill effects?

Morbius

sid,

In a word - NO.

There's nothing that will disperse the effects over a greater area.

The bomb disperses itself - with the attendant consequences.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

kapton

. Endothermic force is of that which absorbs heat and the nuclear blast is that of exothermic type. Kinetic photons are at energy levels of that over 10^8 K and cannot be negated or even mitigated to abosorb. Further more powerful oxides and ammonium is mostly required in endothermic reactions (at least in science lab experiments). In edothermic reactions, energy is used as a reactant, where exothermic is quiet the opposite.

The nuclear force, especially that derived from a nuclear warhead, is one of the most powerfullest reactions today, except for antimatter-matter anhillation which coverts most of it's mass into energy - but these are both interchangable. Nothing today - except maybe a strong EM force (that artificial) can at least negate this gargantuan energy.

sid_galt

Well, Thank you for the reply.

I just thought it would be nice if something like that could be done.

Morbius

sid,

Yes - you just have to remember that once the nuclear device has operated -
it has generated the energy. The nuclear reactions have stopped. All you
have at that point is a mass of material with tremendous heat energy.

Heat energy is going to do what heat energy does. That heat energy
engenders tremendous pressures - and that pressure is going to make the
mass of material expand. As it tries to rapidly expand, it generates a
shock wave - the colder air around it can't "get out of the way" fast enough.
It "piles up" in the shock front - with tremendous pressure.

That shock is expanding. [ When you see film of one of the nuclear tests
conducted in the Pacific - like the Bikini shots - look at the surface of
the ocean - and you can see the effects of the shock on the water's
surface. When the shock gets to the shore - look at the fronds of the
palm trees. ] The pressure of that shock front [ i.e. a blast wave ] does
the damage. The energy is travelling as fast as it can already - how
would one make it travel faster or disperse faster?

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

FluidSpace

Hi,

Years ago, I remember there was research on nuclear explosion shielding using electro-dynamic field generators and thermodynamic absorbant materials.
From this perspective, it is possible to mitigate nuclear radiation effects, and
perhaps to contain the nuclear explosions, too.

Anything is possible. What we know (publicly) about physics is still at a very early stages.

FluidSpace

Morbius

FluidSpace,

I'd disagree with the last statement.

We may not have a unified field theory, and know the physics of the
sub-atomic scale; but the more macro-scale physics - like what happens
when a bomb explodes is well understood.

You're reading science fiction.

For the most part - the hot expanding debris is electrically neutral - so
electromagnetic fields won't stop it.

Any material is thermodynamically absorbant - the problem is that the
bomb contains so much energy that any material that seeks to absorb
that much energy will be vaporized.

No matter what you postulate for "field generators" or "absorbant"
materials - there is one hell of a lot of energy released in the bomb -
and you can't make that energy "go away" [ by the fundamental law
of conservation of energy ]. Any attempt to corral that much energy
is basically self-defeating.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

theCandyman

Intresting thought to have, being able to stop the detonation of an atomic bomb. I remember a cartoon that my brothers and sisters were watching had something along these lines. I stopped to listen even though it was one of those cartoon with the big machines that people pilot. The "space race" had been attacked by nuclear arms, so in retaliation they dropped "N-jammers" all over earth which stopped the nuclear reaction. Ironically, there was "anti N-jammer" technology, which could nullify the jammers.

Fantasy of course, but could conditions be made so that it is impossible to create fissile material to make weapons in the first place?

FluidSpace

Hi,

Please Morbius do not take this personally and do not assume I am only reading "science fiction". I am accomplished engineer and merely sharing my perspective.

Sincerely,

FluidSpace

Morbius

FluidSpace,

If you are an engineer - then I'd expect you to know that "electro-dynamic
field generators" can't affect neutral particles.

As for absorbant materials - like I said before - most materials DO absorb
the energy from the bomb - and that's the problem - because they vaporize.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

FluidSpace

Hi,

The electro-dynamic field generators and thermionic absorbant ceramic-like materials did not work independently, the surrounding atmospheric medium was ionized by some sort of high-energy laser-like device.

Yes, I am an engineer with 3 patents applied for and assisted in over 40 biotech and electrical engineering patents.

Fluidspace

Morbius

FluidSpace,

Go do some calculation!!! Do you realize how much energy it would
take to ionize the atmosphere surrounding a nuclear explosion?

I ask again - where is the energy going to go?

By conservation of energy, the energy produced by the bomb has got to
go somewhere - it can't just disappear. [ The energy normally goes into
breaking the bonds that hold materials together - which is why the
buildings fail - for one instance. ]

So you've ionized the air - now what?

How does the field generator stop the blast wave?

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

FluidSpace

Hi Morbius,

I am sure you know your field very well, since it is your profession and I am not here to judge you as you should me. Just to clarify, I knew of this research originating from Asia -- it may had been classified. I am sure there are a plethora of classified projects (U.S. and abroad) out there that we do not know and not being shared by special interests.

As I recall, the forces and high-energy emanated from the nuclear blast are deflected in such a way that they are automatically converted to other forms of energy that is manageable to absorbed and/or withstand. I do not know exactly how it's done, but that's what I observed it to be (and, I might be wrong!)

There are so much more to learn, and a lot of this is still hidden from our realm of understanding.

FluidSpace

Morbius

FluidSpace,

To me this sounds akin to all the folderol concerning UFOs - there's
research going on at special classified places like "Area 51". We don't
know how it works - but we know that they are working on
alien-developed technology. We know where they do it - but it's
"off-limits" .....

It's all nonsense!!!

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

russ_watters

FluidSpace, if you have any references to any of this, it would help, but in any case, it really does look like hand-waving nonsense. It may just be a misunderstanding - you can, for example, harden/shield electronics against the EMP from a nuclear blast - just not the blast itself.