Nuclear War – Atomic Bomb Essay, Research Paper

Ever since the dawn of time man has found new ways of killing

each other. The most destructive way of killing people known to man

would have to be the atomic bomb. The reason why the atomic bomb is so

destructive is that when it is detonated, it has more than one effect.

The effects of the atomic bomb are so great that Nikita Khrushchev

said that the survivors would envy the dead (International Physicians

for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). These devastating physical

effects come from the atomic bomb?s blast, the atomic bomb?s thermal

radiation, and the atomic bomb?s nuclear radiation.

An atomic bomb is any weapon that gets its destructive power

from an atom. This power comes when the matter inside of the atoms is

transformed into energy. The process by which this is done is known

as fission. The only two atoms suitable for fissioning are the

uranium isotope U-235 and the plutonium isotope Pu-239 (Outlaw

Labs). Fission occurs when a neutron, a subatomic particle with no

electrical charge, strikes the nucleus of one of these isotopes and

causes it to split apart. When the nucleus is split, a large amount

of energy is produced, and more free neutrons are also released.

These neutrons then in turn strike other atoms, which causes more

energy to be released. If this process is repeated, a self-sustaining

chain reaction will occur, and it is this chain reaction that causes

the atomic bomb to have its destructive power (World Book, 1990).

This chain reaction can be attained in two different ways.

The first type of atomic bomb ever used was a gun-type. In

this type two subcritical pieces of U-235 are placed in a device

similar to the barrel of an artillery shell. One piece is placed at

one end of the barrel and will remain there at rest. The other

subcritical mass is placed at the other end of the barrel. A

conventional explosive is packed behind the second subcritical mass.

When the fuse is triggered, a conventional explosion causes the second

subcritical mass to be propelled at a high velocity into the first

subcritical mass. The resulting combination causes the two

subcritical masses to become a supercritical mass. When this

supercritical mass is obtained, a rapid self-sustained chain reaction

is caused (World Book, 1990). This type of atomic bomb was used on

Hiroshima, and given the nickname ?Little Boy? after Franklin D.

Roosevelt (Outlaw Labs).

The second type of atomic bomb is an implosion bomb. In this

type a subcritical mass, which is in the shape of a ball, is placed in

the center of the weapon. This subcritical mass is surrounded in a

spherical arrangement of conventional explosives. When the fuse is

triggered all of the conventional explosives explode at the same time.

This causes the subcritical mass to be compressed into a smaller

volume, thus creating a supercritical mass to be formed. After this

supercritical mass is obtained, a self-sustained chain reaction takes

place and causes the atomic explosion (World Book, 1990). This

type of stomic bomb was used on Nagasaki, and given the nickname ?Fat

Man? after Winston Churchill (Outlaw Labs).

The blast from an atomic bomb?s explosion will last for only

one-half to one second, but in this amount of time a great deal of

damage is done (Physicians and Scientists on Nuclear War, 1981). A

fireball is created by the blast, which consists mainly of dust and

gasses. The dust produced in this fireball has no substantial effect

on humans or their environment. However, as the gasses expand a blast

wave is produced. As this blast wave moves, it creates static

overpressure. This static overpressure then in turn creates dynamic

pressure. The static overpressure has the power to crush buildings.

The dynamic pressure creates winds, which have the power to blow down

trees (International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War,

1982). The blast pressure and fireball together only last for

approximately eleven seconds, but because it contaitns fifty percent

of the atomic bomb?s latent energy a great deal of destruction occures

(The Committee for the Compilation of Materials on Damage Caused by

the Atomic Bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 1981).

In Hiroshima the blast from the atomic bomb was measured to be

about four and a half to six and seven tenths tons of pressure per

square mere, while in Nagasaki the blast was measured to be about six

to eight tons of pressure per square meter (International Physicians

for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). Because of thsi

dramatic change in the pressure most of the cities were destroyed.

The static overpressure in Hiroshima caused ninety-one and nine tenths

percent of all the buildings to be destroyed, while in Nagasaki it

casued thirty-six and one tenth of all of the buildings to be

destroyed. The static overpressure created a dynamic pressure that

had winds up to four hundred miles per hour (The Committee for the

Compilation of Materials on Damage Caused by the Atomic Bombs in

Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 1981). These winds caused minor scrathces,

lacerations, or compound fractures, which came about when people and

glass fragments were projected through the air. By combining the

results of the static overpressure and the dynamic pressure on can

begin to see what damage was caused by the atomic bomb?s blast. The

total number affected in Hiroshima was approximately seventy-eight

thousand people, while in Nagasaki the total number affected was

approximately forty-five thousand people (International Physicians for

the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982).

The thermal radiation produced by an atomic bomb explosion

will account for thirty-five percent of the atomic bomb?s damage.

Thermal radiation can come in either one of three forms; ultraviolet

radiation, visible radiation, or infrared radiation. The

ultraviolet radiation is absorbed so rapidly by air particles that it

has no substantial effect on people (World Book, 1990). However, the

visible and infrared radiation creates an enormous amount of heat to

be produced, approximately ten million degrees Celsius at the

hypocenter (Physicians and Scientists on Nuclear War, 1981). This

heat has two main effects. The first is known as flash burns. These

flash burns are produced by the flash of thermal radiation right after

the explosion. Flash burns can be either first degree burns (bad sun

burns), second degree burns ( blisters, infections, and scars), or

third degree burns (destroyed skin tissue). The second type is known

as flame burns. These are burns that come from one of two different

types of fires, which are created when flammable materials are ignited

by the thermal radiation. The first type is called firestorms. A

firestorm is violent, has raging winds, and has extremely high

temperatures; but fortunately it does not spread very rapidly. The

second type is called a conflagration. A conflagration is when the

fire spreads in a front (International Physicians for the Prevention

of Nuclear War, 1982). The thermal radiation produced by the atomic

bomb?s explosion will account for most of the deaths or injuries.

In Hiroshima and Nagasaki the thermal radiation accounted for

approximately twenty to thirty percent of the deaths or injuries from

the atomic bomb?s explosion. Those that were at a distance of four and

two hundredths of a kilometer from the hypocenter received first

degree burns. Those that were at a distance of three and one

half kilometers from the hypocenter received second degree burns.

Those that were at a distance of ninety-seven hundredths of a

kilometer from the hypocenter received third degree burns

(International Physicains for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982).

Ninety-five percent of the burns created from the thermal radiation

were by flash burns, and only five percent of the burns were by flame

burns. The reason for this low number of flame burns is that only two

to ten percent of the buildings caught on fire (International

Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). By combining the

damage from both the flash and flame burns one can begin to see the

effects that an atomic bomb?s thermal radiation had. Approximately

sixty thousand in Hiroshima, and approximately forty-one thousand

people were either killed or injured from the thermal radiation (The

Committee for the Compliation of Materials on Damage Caused by the

Atomic Bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 1981).

The final effect that an atomic bomb caused is the nuclear

radiation produced from the fission process. The cuclear radiation

comes in the form of either Gamma rays or Beta particles. Gamma rays

are electromagnetic radiation originating in the atomic nuclei,

physically identical to x-rays. They can enter into living tissue

extremely easily. Beta particles are negatively charged particles,

identical to an electron moving at a high velocity (International

Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). These forms

of nuclear radiation are measured in rads (radiation-absorbed-dose),

which is defined as teh absorption of five ten millionths joule per

gram of abosorbing material (International Physicians for the

Prevention of Nuclear War, 1982). During the initial nuclear

radiation mostly Gamma rays are emitted from the fireball. This

period of initial nuclear radiation lasts for approximately one

minute. During the residual nuclear period (fallout) the Beta

particles and more of the Gamma rays are emitted. The residual

radiation has two stages: early fallout and delayed fallout. In early

fallout, the heavyand highly radioactive particles fall back to the

earth, usually within the first twenty-four hours. In delayed

fallout, the tiny and often invisible particles fall back to the

earth, and usually last from a couple od days to several years

(Physicians and Scientists on Nuclear War, 1981 and World Book, 1990).

The nuclear radiation from the atomic bomb?s explosion was not

the main cause of death, but it did still have serious results.

In Hiroshima, the initial nuclear radiation was spread over a

distance of approximately fifty-three hundredths of a kilometer. In

Nagasaki, the initial nuclear radiation only spread one and six

thousandths of a kilometer (The Committee for the Compilation of

Materials on Damage Caused by the Atomic Bombs in Hiroshima nad

Nagasaki, 1981). The reason why the nuclear radiation was not the

main caused of deaths or injuries was that the atomic bomb was

detonated so high in the atmosphere; approximately five hundred and

seventy meters in Hiroshima, and approximately five hundred and ten

meters in Nagasaki (Outlaw Labs). Even without causing many deaths

the nuclear radiation probably caused the most serious effects. Those

with definite proof were those of increased rates of cataracts,

leukemia, cancer of the thyroid, cancer of the breast, cancer of the

lungs, cancer of the stomach, and mental retardation on babies in

utero. Those that had substantial but not definite proof were those

of tumors of the esophagus, tumors of the colon, tumors of the

salivary glands, and tumors of the urinary tract organs. Those that

had no definite nor substantial proof were those of increased

rates of birth mortality, birth defects, infertility, and

susceptibility towards illnesses (Physicians and Scientists on Nuclear

War, 1981). The total number of people effected by the nuclear

radiation was estimated to be thiry-five thousand people in Hiroshima,

and twenty-one thousand people in Nagasaki (The Committee on Damage

Caused by the Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima and Nagasaki).

Either the blast, the thermal radiation, or the nuclear

radiation from an atomic bomb explosion will have severe effects on

both humans and on the environment in which they live in. The only

two cities that have ever experienced having an atomic bomb being

exploded on them were the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

during World War II. In Hirsohima, the total number killed was one

hundred and eithteen thousand six hundred and sixty-one. The total

number severely injured was thrity thousand five hundred and

twenty-four. The number slightly injured was forty-eight thousadn six

hundred and six. The total number missing was three thousand

and six hundred and seventy-seven. In Nagasaki, the total number

killed was seventy-three thousand eitght hundred and eighty-four. The

total number severely injured was seventy-four thousand nine hundred

and nine. The total number slightly injured was one hundred and

twenty thousand eight hundred and twenty (The Committee for the

Compliation of Materials on Damage Caused by the Atomic Bombs in

Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 1981). With statistics like these it is

clearly seen that Pope John Paul II was right when he said,

?Any nuclear war would inevitably cause death, disease, and

suffering of pandemic proportions and without the possibility of

effective medical intervention. The only hope for humanity is

prevention of any form of Nuclear War.”