To date, nine countries have nuclear weapons - some have dozens of missiles, while others have thousands. In any case, it is enough for one nuclear power to press the red button to bring real hell to the whole planet. Therefore, it will be useful for everyone to know about the foci of nuclear damage, the damaging factors and how to increase their chances of survival in an explosion.
Striking factors
In the Soviet Union, thanks to the lessons of NVP, every student knew perfectly well what danger this type of weapon posed. Alas, today most people only know how films operate from films. The foci of nuclear destruction destroy cities and villages, disable any complex equipment, and cause terrible damage to people - both at the time of the explosion, and in the following days and even years. Therefore, it is extremely important to know about them.
In total, there are five damaging factors accompanying a nuclear explosion. We will talk about each of them in more detail so that the reader has an idea of the potential threat.
Shock wave
One of the most visible and powerful factors. About half of the power of any nuclear bomb or missile is spent on its formation. It spreads at the speed of sound, so in a matter of seconds it destroys any buildings and the entire infrastructure by hundreds of meters or even several kilometers from the epicenter.
Having been hit by a shock wave, a person simply does not have the slightest chance of survival. The temperature in the epicenter can reach several million degrees - even hotter than in the sun. In addition, the explosion creates powerful pressure in millions of atmospheres, capable of flattening and distorting even the most powerful tank as an empty tin can.
In the radius of action of a shock wave it is possible to shelter only if you are in a specially equipped bunker, and it should be much lower than the ground level, that is, not in the way of the impact.
Light emission
The second most powerful damaging factor - it takes up to 35% of the charge energy. It spreads at the speed of light, and can act for a long time - from tenths of a second to 10-15 seconds - it depends on the power of the bomb.
Its source is the luminous region at the epicenter. Affecting people, it can cause not only eye damage, leading to temporary or permanent blindness, but also burns of varying severity.
However, radiation affects not only living organisms - high temperatures often lead to fires, which additionally enhances the destruction power.
Electromagnetic pulse
It is observed in any nuclear explosion, but the greatest danger is in cases where a bomb explodes at an altitude of 40 kilometers or more. In this case, he is able to cover a huge area. It acts instantly, as it spreads at the speed of light.
It is a side effect of a nuclear explosion, therefore, power is practically not expended on it. A person does not even notice this, either immediately or subsequently. But all the complex equipment fails. Any microcircuit and semiconductor instantly burn out. This is due to the fact that an electromagnetic pulse, or EMR, causes powerful induced currents that destroy electronic devices.
It is possible to protect equipment from it only by reliable shielding with metal sheets.
Penetrating radiation
Present in all types of nuclear explosions, but in neutron munitions is the main damaging factor.
An explosion releases gamma rays and neutrons, the flux of which propagates in different directions at a distance of 2-3 kilometers. In this case, ionization of air, people and any objects occurs. When it penetrates the earth, it makes the earth radioactive.
About 5% of the explosion power goes precisely to the formation of this damaging factor.
Radioactive contamination
In fact, radioactive contamination is a side effect of nuclear explosions, proving their inefficiency. The only exception is the "dirty" bombs, which deliberately infect the territory, making it unsuitable for life for a certain period.
The reason for the appearance is a part of nuclear fuel that did not have time to split, fragments of fission of atoms of nuclear fuel.
It infects the earth, raised into the air by an explosion, the latter can spread along with wind flows over a huge distance - hundreds of kilometers. It poses a considerable threat in the early days and especially the hours. After this, the danger of induced radiation is sharply reduced.
In modern missiles, the share of radioactive contamination takes no more than 10% of the power. Therefore, they are very different from the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where only a small part of the radioactive substance reacted - the rest was simply scattered across the territory, infecting it for a long time.
Outbreak area
Now let's talk about the characteristics of the nuclear lesion focus. Each explosion has a certain power, which depends on the charge. The types of missiles themselves also differ - ordinary, neutron, hydrogen, and others are found.
But each explosion has zones of a nuclear lesion focus. The closer to the epicenter, the more destruction and less chance of survival.
- The zone of complete destruction occupies no more than 10% of the total area of the outbreak. But there is no chance to survive. Penetrating radiation kills people, inhuman pressure, very high temperature. The destruction is complete - nothing can withstand such a blow. But there are no fires - the shock wave completely knocks down the flame. In the absence of wind, radioactive dust settles here, reducing the chances of survival of people who managed to hide in a safe haven.
- The zone of severe destruction - its area also does not exceed 10% of the area of the entire focus. The buildings are not completely destroyed, but they cannot be restored at all. Fires can be either single or continuous - depending on the presence of combustible materials. Penetrating radiation, temperature and a blast wave also leave people no chance of survival. And sometimes death does not come immediately, but after a few minutes or even hours.
- The zone of average destruction significantly exceeds the area described above, accounting for about 20% of the area of the outbreak. Buildings collapse heavily, but can be rebuilt. Fires can cover large areas. People get wounds of varying severity - from penetrating radiation, shock wave and light radiation. But there are chances to survive - if you do not stay for a long time in the open. Otherwise, radioactive poisoning will lead to a slow and extremely painful death.
- The zone of weak destruction has the most extensive area - up to 60%. Buildings receive minor damage that can be repaired during maintenance. Injuries in people are relatively minor - burns of 1 severity, shell shock. The greatest danger here is not the nuclear explosion itself, but the radioactive dust raised into the air. Only she can kill a person at such a considerable distance from the epicenter of the explosion.
Well, in order to increase the chances of survival, you need to know about the actions of the population in the focus of nuclear damage.
How to behave in the hearth
As practice shows, with a successful set of circumstances, a person has a chance, albeit tiny, to survive even in the epicenter of the explosion, in the zone of complete destruction. Let's talk about some rules of conduct in the center of nuclear damage, which can save the life of the reader.
First of all, at the very first alarm, you need to look for shelter. The deeper it is, the better - you can not guess exactly where the blow will be delivered. Therefore, the basement of a multi-storey building, a cellar in the courtyard or a sewer mine is suitable. It is desirable that it closes relatively tightly - this will not only reduce the damage from penetrating radiation, but also protect it from radioactive dust, which is the most important. Alas, one will have to put up with penetrating radiation, hoping that the radiation will not be too strong - few people have the habit of decorating the basement or cellar with sheets of lead.
Ideally, you should prepare a supply of food and water, which is enough for at least a few days. This time is by no means worth leaving the shelter. After the explosion, the radiation power from dust and irradiated objects will rapidly fall.
When leaving the shelter (not earlier than 3-5 days after the explosion, if possible), it is necessary to protect the respiratory system. A gas mask is best suited, but in a pinch you can use a regular respirator or even a dense cloth soaked and wrapped around your face. When leaving the radioactive zone, you should get rid of it - it can be radioactive.
Conclusion
This concludes our article. Now you know more about nuclear weapons, the striking factor, and approximate zones of destruction. At the same time, they read about actions in the center of a nuclear defeat, which can significantly increase the likelihood of survival.