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The two A-bombs dropped over Japan, how far above ground were they detonated?

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<< ive also read accounts where anti aircraft gunners had their eyes melt and the ooze run down their face from the intense heat/light. >>

Sounds like indiana jones and the lost ark!
 


<<

<< The "A" bomb was fission correct ??? While the hydrogen bomb is fussion ?? >>


Not quite. There is no such thing as a pure fusion bomb because there needs to be a fission reaction first in order to generate enough heat energy to initiate the fusion reaction (I think 😱 ). >>




If I'm not mistaken, a fussion bomb uses a fission explosion to create the necessary temperature for the fusion to take place.
 


<< <<

<< The "A" bomb was fission correct ??? While the hydrogen bomb is fussion ?? >>


Not quite. There is no such thing as a pure fusion bomb because there needs to be a fission reaction first in order to generate enough heat energy to initiate the fusion reaction (I think ). >>




If I'm not mistaken, a fussion bomb uses a fission explosion to create the necessary temperature for the fusion to take place >>


Ummm...isn't that what I said? 🙂
 
Yeah, a real HUGE meteor may contain more energy than any reasonable size anti-matter bomb, but when was your last time seen a huge meteor slamming upon the planet Earth?
 
They were dropped at that height to increase the area of over-pressure that would be sufficient to cause damage. A ground burst creates more damage at the detonation point, but it's more localized. An air burst can cause the pressure waves to reflect into each other after one bounces off the ground making a more powerful wave that can radiate farther. It only takes a couple of psi of over pressure to knock down a wood frame house so the increased distance it traves into the residential areas means that it becomes a truly devistating weapon.
 


<< Yeah, a real HUGE meteor may contain more energy than any reasonable size anti-matter bomb, but when was your last time seen a huge meteor slamming upon the planet Earth? >>


And when's the last time someone witnessed matter-antimatter annihilation? It's still a theory, you know.


Anyways, when Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter, there was a series of gigaton explosions.
 
Anti-matter is no longer pure theory. We have made many anti-atoms already. Some people are talking about several pico-grams antimatter per year from the laboratory. Certainly, it's far away from production mass anti-matter yet. But I guess we will be able to do that in the rest of this century.
 


<< Anti-matter is no longer pure theory. We have made many anti-atoms already. Some people are talking about several pico-grams antimatter per year from the laboratory. Certainly, it's far away from production mass anti-matter yet. But I guess we will be able to do that in the rest of this century. >>


I know we have (although we haven't yet figured out how to keep antimatter stable for more than a few nanoseconds). But I was referring to the theory of matter-antimatter annihilation.

Anyways, I know I said this in another thread, but a gram of antimatter is valued at about $65 trillion.
 
Fusion takes place in a gas of plasma. The plasma must be hot enough that free nuclei break through each other's electrical barriers and fuse. But, it must be contained, otherwise the plasma wouldn't be concentrated enough. Once the plasma touches the container, it cools down. And you can't drop a huge magnetic-field device on somebody along with the plasma, and expect to have it detonate when you want it.
 
they gotta blow'em above ground...otherwise all you're gonna have is a big ol'crater. Not very damaging 😛

I think it blew like ~600 (insert units i forgot here) above the ground
 
😱 Hiroshima;and Nagasaki '



<< On August 6 and 9, 1945, the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were destroyed by the first atomic bombs used in warfare. >>

link here🙁


<< 1. The 509 Composite Group, 20th Air Force will
deliver its first special bomb as soon as weather will
permit visual bombing after about 3 August 1945 on one of the
targets: Hiroshima, Kokura, Niigata and Nagasaki. To
carry military and civilian scientific personnel from the
War Department to observe and record the effects of the
explosion of the bomb, additional aircraft will accompany
the airplane carrying the bomb. The observing planes will
stay several miles distant from the point of impact of the
bomb.

 
Actually, we do airburst some conventional weaponry... and quite often! For different reasons due to the nature of the explosion.

The HUGE moffo that they used in Nam to clear landing fields and used not in Afghanistan dropped off cargo planes on a pallet... that's often airbursted to flatten as much as possible... I think it has a higher yield than Little Boy.

Also, Tomahawks can be airbursted to shred their targets with shrapnel, or any other guided/unguided weapon. We've just grown so accustomed to burrowing and piercing warheads from CNN... in fact, some anti-armor missiles are burst above tanks with the explosive force directed down through the roof of the tank... the thinnest part. Also, the OICW and OCSW, next gen guns for our military, use airburst shells (about 20-30mm in size) to have their shrapnel take out multiple targets and targets behind cover... nasty.
 
Fusion takes place in a gas of plasma. The plasma must be hot enough that free nuclei break through each other's electrical barriers and fuse. But, it must be contained, otherwise the plasma wouldn't be concentrated enough. Once the plasma touches the container, it cools down. And you can't drop a huge magnetic-field device on somebody along with the plasma, and expect to have it detonate when you want it

This statement is confusing. Plasma is a 4th state of matter, ie: essentially just free electrons in a hyper temperature state.

As for nuclei, that is the plural of nucleus. A part of a cell.

Fusion for the sun in general,and a hydrogen bomb in particular is hydrogen atoms fusing to form helium. This releases tremendous amounts of energy. But in a nuclear bomb this energy is in an uncontrolled state running wild. The reaction eventually dies out. The sun is different because it is more controlled. Magnetic fields hold it in place along with gravity and electron pressure (which resists collapse). But this is beside the point, unless you are looking to harness fusion reactions for energy this magnetic bottle device is fantasy.
 


<< Cool map maker from PBS. Shows how different size bombs would spread over the area you live. >>

I visited this some time ago and I must let people know that before visiting it it is not particularly pleasant knowing just how decimating these nukes can be when you're able to plug in your own city 🙁
 
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