(November 13, 2013 at 6:25 pm)Chuck Wrote: Actually, air bursts produces quite a bit of fall out. Where do you think the fission products, unfissioned nuclear material, and neutron activated materials from the bomb goes?
Airbursts that detonate at low altitude (That's probably most of them) produces more fallout by pulverizing the ground and evaporate the water near the hypocenter, and propelling the result into the air just like a ground burst.
Amend my earlier post to read "airbursts where the fireball does not impact the ground". Cases where it does are only marginally different from a ground burst, yes - contingent on how much energy from the fireball interacts with the ground.
As far as the material from the bomb - I would categorize that as insignificant when compared to the volume fallout material produced from a ground burst. I did not say there was *no* fallout.
(November 13, 2013 at 6:25 pm)Chuck Wrote: Underground tests have low fallout only if well conducted and resulting bomb cavity retains its integrity after the test.
"Well conducted" was an unstated assumption.
(November 13, 2013 at 6:25 pm)Chuck Wrote: Cavities from many early tests subsequently collapse and in the process breach the roof of the cavity, producing delayed fallout at the site of the ground test.
That isn't fallout. What force is driving the contaminated material into the atmosphere from where it would fall out?
