SEffects of Nuclear Weapons

Hence we may now take into consideration, in details, the effects of a nuclear explosion in the order they were presented in the previous page.

Fireball - It is the most immediate of the manifestations that follow a nuclear explosion. A spherical white-bluish o greenish bolt, which will last about 1 second in the case of the explosion of a 1-megaton nuclear weapon, it is made up mainly of electromagnetic radiations in the spectrum of the ultraviolet and infrared radiation (see plate below) and, in effects, it is much more luminous that it appears to be. The luminous sphere of fire and incandescent gases is estimated to be one thousand times more luminous than that perceived observing the solar disk at noon. Since the speed of light is approximately 3,000,000 kilometers per second this luminosity is perceived practically instantly even at considerable distances from the site of the explosion and it can seriously damage the sight. Due to the structure of our sight's perceptive and focusing system even the indirect - or reflected perception - may damage the visual system. Usually it causes a nonpermanent blindness which may last from a few minutes to several hours and it is more dangerous if perceived in the night time when due to the obscurity the pupils are more dilated thus allowing a greater exposition on the retina which, hence, may suffer irreparable damages. This makes it fundamentally important to divert immediately the sight; important in this context is also the reflex action of closing the eyelids [1]. Spectacles which filter the ultraviolet radiations allow the direct vision of a nuclear explosion. In an emergency situation, goggles with a thin horizontal cutaway covered by an opaque pad may serve the same purpose. The intensity of the radiation in the ultraviolet band can also cause serious burns to exposed tissue of the body, that is uncovered or unprotected epidermis but since this happens mostly at a closer distance the victim in all probabilities is within the ray of action of the heat and the shock waves and the ionizing radiations and therefore will suffer lethal effects. Another important aspect of the optical perception of the fireball and possible damages to the visual system is also the height of the explosion of the bomb since if a nuclear weapon is detonated high in the atmosphere, in a condition of good visibility, i.e., a clear day with no haze or fog, the flare can be perceived even at great distances, in the order of hundreds of kilometers.


	Hence we may now take into consideration, in details, the effects of a nuclear explosion in the order they were presented in the previous page. *Fireball -* It is the most immediate of the manifestations that follow a nuclear explosion. A spherical white-bluish o greenish bolt, which will last about 1 second in the case of the explosion of a 1-megaton nuclear weapon, it is made up mainly of electromagnetic radiations in the spectrum of the ultraviolet and infrared radiation (see plate below) and, in effects, it is much more luminous that it appears to be. The luminous sphere of fire and incandescent gases is estimated to be one thousand times more luminous than that perceived observing the solar disk at noon. Since the speed of light is approximately 3,000,000 kilometers per second this luminosity is perceived practically instantly even at considerable distances from the site of the explosion and it can seriously damage the sight. Due to the structure of our sight's perceptive and focusing system even the indirect - or reflected perception - may damage the visual system. Usually it causes a nonpermanent blindness which may last from a few minutes to several hours and it is more dangerous if perceived in the night time when due to the obscurity the pupils are more dilated thus allowing a greater exposition on the retina which, hence, may suffer irreparable damages. This makes it fundamentally important to divert immediately the sight; important in this context is also the reflex action of closing the eyelids [1]. Spectacles which filter the ultraviolet radiations allow the direct vision of a nuclear explosion. In an emergency situation, goggles with a thin horizontal cutaway covered by an opaque pad may serve the same purpose. The intensity of the radiation in the ultraviolet band can also cause serious burns to exposed tissue of the body, that is uncovered or unprotected epidermis but since this happens mostly at a closer distance the victim in all probabilities is within the ray of action of the heat and the shock waves and the ionizing radiations and therefore will suffer lethal effects. Another important aspect of the optical perception of the fireball and possible damages to the visual system is also the height of the explosion of the bomb since if a nuclear weapon is detonated high in the atmosphere, in a condition of good visibility, i.e., a clear day with no haze or fog, the flare can be perceived even at great distances, in the order of hundreds of kilometers.

	[1] It may be noted that a single case of complete blindness was recorded following the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki .
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