- #1
timejim
- 42
- 0
I am wondering, if a bomb exploded in the "vacuum" of space, without an atmosphere to cause a pressure wave, what would be the destructive area of the bomb, or would there be any?
Originally posted by HallsofIvy
"Destructive area"? In vacuum what would there be to destroy?
I am wondering, if a bomb exploded in the "vacuum" of space, without an atmosphere to cause a pressure wave, what would be the destructive area of the bomb, or would there be any?
I think you mean 'torus'; cool huh? It sure happens in movies; I guess the plane is defined by the special effects team.Originally posted by MisterBig
As an aside to this question, whenever I see an explosion in space on TV it always has a taurus carrying the energy away. Does this really happen and if so what defines its plane?
Originally posted by Nereid
I think you mean 'torus'; cool huh? It sure happens in movies; I guess the plane is defined by the special effects team.
Originally posted by Nereid
Seriously, as far as we know, the preferred 'plane' for cosmic explosions - e.g. gamma ray bursts and supernovae (at least some kinds) is the rotational axis of the poor star - the burst goes through the poles.
Originally posted by Nereid
For magnetars - which may be responsible for the short duration GRBs - I guess the preferred plane of emission would be related to the magnetic field in some way. [/B]
AFAIK, the main difference between an explosion 'in space' and one in the atmosphere is that for the latter the air slows the matter accelerated by the explosion (gas, solid fragments). If the 'bomb' is designed to go off with preferred directions (e.g. a 'shaped' explosive), it'll do the same 'in space'. On Earth, the thing which really makes a difference is, well, the Earth!Originally posted by MisterBig
How about if a nuclear or chemical explosive where to be let of in space?
Originally posted by Gara
a nuke in space would be an omnidirectional blast. there would be no mushroom cloud, it would be exspanding in all directions, for far greater distance than it would on earth, but, there would also be no shockwave. greatly reducing the potential damage. also, the only damage area would be where the fireball is.
Originally posted by Gara
also, the only damage area would be where the fireball is.
Let's say we have 10 kg of H, maybe mixed deuterium and tritium. we compress it and heat it (all in deep space, without any other 'material' intervention) and much of it fuses to He (etc).Originally posted by Artman
Fire requires fuel, oxygen, heat. I don't think there would be a fireball. It would be interesting to know what would happen.
I imagine that The debris would shred through anything close to the blast, but it would be silent and as you said no shockwave.
Any pictures or videos of this available?Originally posted by LURCH
A nuke in space generates a tremendous fireball. The fire is not from an O2 reaction, but is nonetheless a huge sphere of EM radiation of all kinds. In all the footage I have seen, there has never been a torus (nor a taurus, for that matter!), and the greatest potential as a weapon is its disruptive EMP. When nuclear testing in space was first tried, the radiation from the blast interacted with the ionosphere and caused widespread power outages.
The visible shape of the blast is indeed perfectly spherical with no mushroom cloud. It looks kinda like a new Sun emerging. Very pretty.
A bomb would only explode in space if it was specifically designed and equipped to do so. In a vacuum, there is no oxygen to fuel combustion, so traditional bombs would not explode in space. However, nuclear bombs can still produce a powerful explosion due to the release of energy from nuclear reactions.
The explosion in space would look different from one on Earth because there is no atmosphere to contain the blast. Without air resistance, the explosion would expand outward in all directions, creating a spherical shock wave instead of a mushroom cloud. Additionally, the lack of gravity in space would allow for the debris and particles to spread out further.
Yes, there would be danger to astronauts or spacecraft in close proximity to the explosion. The shock wave and debris from the explosion could potentially damage or destroy nearby objects. The radiation from a nuclear bomb could also have harmful effects on astronauts and equipment.
The visibility of the explosion would depend on various factors such as the size and type of bomb, distance from the explosion, and the angle of observation. However, nuclear explosions can be seen from very far distances, even in space, due to the bright flash of light they produce.
After the explosion, the bomb itself would be completely destroyed along with any nearby objects. The debris would continue to travel in all directions until it eventually dissipates into space. Any remaining radioactive material could continue to pose a danger to space travelers and their equipment.