OT- Impact of an asteriod hitting Eastern USA - Page 4

narf poit chez BOOM · #31 November 26th, 2003, 05:18 AM

ok, i just can't understand how you can have what is essentally an explosion without force.

[ November 26, 2003, 03:19: Message edited by: narf poit chez BOOM ]

PvK · #32 November 26th, 2003, 05:46 AM

There would be lots of force, but not much to push against, except the missile itself. That's why I was suggesting burying the bomb in the side of the asteroid.

The "paint it white and let the sun deflect it" is a much more appealing idea, as is intercepting it at a great distance and attaching a solar sail.

PvK

PvK · #33 November 26th, 2003, 05:56 AM

Here's a good PDF document from an Australian military study on planetary asteroid defense, including mention of "the giggle factor".

http://www.au.af.mil/au/2025/volume3...6/vol3ch16.pdf

PvK

[ November 26, 2003, 03:57: Message edited by: PvK ]

Kamog · #34 November 26th, 2003, 05:58 AM

Hmm, that's a good point, a nuclear explosion produces only radiation and heat.

Well, maybe they can deflect the asteroid by exploding a very big conventional bomb (not a nuclear one). The explosion will generate force from the expanding gases, which can transfer kinetic energy by striking the side of the asteroid.

narf poit chez BOOM · #35 November 26th, 2003, 06:09 AM

i guess the point is that the nuclear missile itself doesn't possess enough mass to transfer enough kinetic energy to the asteriod? but then why does it refer to the force of the nuke in multiple's of tons? in table 7.

Phoenix-D · #36 November 26th, 2003, 04:46 PM

Narf, nuke warheads are always measured in kilotons of TNT, the amount of that required to produce an equvilent explosion.

The problem is in space, you have no air. No air and you have no overpressure, no bLast wave..no concusive effects. Its conciveable that even the space shuttle could survive a fairly near miss with a nuke in space, most of the force is lost.

oleg · #37 November 26th, 2003, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Phoenix-D:
Narf, nuke warheads are always measured in kilotons of TNT, the amount of that required to produce an equvilent explosion.

The problem is in space, you have no air. No air and you have no overpressure, no bLast wave..no concusive effects. Its conciveable that even the space shuttle could survive a fairly near miss with a nuke in space, most of the force is lost.

I doubt that. It is still a HUGE amount of energy reliased. Lack of air removes the shock wave, but insted we will have a stream of sublight-speed particles that are no longer opposed by atmosphere density. We will still have the same sort of "front wave", now propogating with the speed of light. If you remember from nukes explosions, staff around the center was evaporated. It is caused by photons, not a shockwave !

tesco samoa · #38 November 26th, 2003, 05:28 PM

maybe drill into the astroid and release the bomb ??

Phoenix-D · #39 November 26th, 2003, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by oleg:

quote:
Originally posted by Phoenix-D:
Narf, nuke warheads are always measured in kilotons of TNT, the amount of that required to produce an equvilent explosion.

The problem is in space, you have no air. No air and you have no overpressure, no bLast wave..no concusive effects. Its conciveable that even the space shuttle could survive a fairly near miss with a nuke in space, most of the force is lost.

I doubt that. It is still a HUGE amount of energy reliased. Lack of air removes the shock wave, but insted we will have a stream of sublight-speed particles that are no longer opposed by atmosphere density. We will still have the same sort of "front wave", now propogating with the speed of light. If you remember from nukes explosions, staff around the center was evaporated. It is caused by photons, not a shockwave !

And the shuttle has these nice heat-resisting tiles. Depends how "near" the near miss is I suppose, though you're right the shrapnel might be nasty.

Roanon · #40 November 27th, 2003, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by oleg:
but insted we will have a stream of sublight-speed particles that are no longer opposed by atmosphere density. We will still have the same sort of "front wave", now propogating with the speed of light. If you remember from nukes explosions, staff around the center was evaporated. It is caused by photons, not a shockwave !

Well, if you think of sublight-speed particles, you should certainly not select photons

. Also, there is relatively few resistance to them (or other particles) from atmoshpere density, at least here on earth. Not even on Jupiter. Except on diskworld, I have not yet seen light been slowed down by air

.
If you mean alpha particles, neutrons, or anything else like that - the evaporation of the staff in the center may be caused by them, but not via measurable concussive force. This is matter destruction on a molecular/atomic level, and while you may be able to turn a small portion of said asteroid into dust its course will not be affected in any way.