A nuclear test indicates the explosion of a atomic bomb at experimental ends. The tests make it possible to validate models of operation, as well as the effects of the nuclear weapons and can also prove at the international community which one lays out of the nuclear weapon.

Types of tests

In addition to the type of bomb (with fission or fusion), the nuclear tests can be categorized by the place where the bomb exploded:
  • under water
  • under ground
  • in the atmosphere (the explosions on the level of the ground are regarded as atmospheric)

The atmospheric tests are those which contaminate more the environment because of quantity of elements which are found exposed with radiations and with the winds which disseminate them far from the place of the explosion. On the other hand, the underground explosions are those which disperse less radioactive materials.

Several methods of explosions were tested, one can quote in particular:

  • by dropping of a plane
  • on a lathe
  • of a balloon
  • on or in lower part of a boat
Tests apart from the atmosphere (called extra-atmospheric tests), starting from a rocket, even took place.

Tests in the world

All the countries which obtained (officially or not) the Nuclear weapon carried out multiple tests:

that is to say a total of more than 2.000 official explosions in the world.

In addition to these confirmed tests, two countries are suspectés to have realized tests:

  • Israel or the South Africa, even both jointly: the September 22nd 1979 in the Indian Ocean an American satellite of monitoring Vela detects a flash which for some, as the American journalist Seymour Hersh (author of the book the Samson option: the Israeli nuclear arsenal and the American foreign politics ), could correspond to a nuclear explosion of low power. But to date (January 2006), the origin of this flash remains unknown.
  • France carried out 46 atmospheric nuclear tests in Polynésie between 1966 and 1974, followed of more than 150 underground testing. Several studies of INSERM showed that they caused cancers of the Thyroïde among the soldiers and scientists having taken part in the tests.

Notable tests

Here a list of some notable tests. The explosions on Hiroshima and Nagasaki do not appear in it, considering these explosions did not have as a finality to be tests (one usually classifies them in the " category; shooting of combat").

Nuclear tests atmospheric

520 experimental nuclear explosions were carried out in the atmosphere between 1945 and 1980 by five States:

Sites of nuclear tests

See also: : Category: Site of nuclear test

The sites retained for the atmospheric nuclear tests are located in zones isolated like deserts or oceanic islands sometimes evacuated for the tests. However the range of the radioactive fallout because of the contaminations from which always suffer the close populations.

Treaties

In particular because of the ecological problems involved in the nuclear explosions, of the international treaties were created aiming at limiting, then to prohibit any nuclear test in real conditions.

Treaty of prohibition partial of the nuclear tests

See also: Treated prohibition partial of the nuclear tests

The Treaty of prohibition partial of the nuclear tests, signed the August 5th 1963 with Moscow by the United States, the Soviet Union and the United Kingdom is the first of them. Come into effect the October 10th 1963, it aims at prohibiting any nuclear test in the atmosphere, the outer space and under water. This treaty aims to limit the dispersion of the matters irradiated by a nuclear explosion to the countries responsible for the explosion. For this reason the underground testing is not prohibited in this treaty, the containment of the radioactive elements being possible.

China and France did not take part in this treaty and thus could develop their nuclear arsenal.

Treaty on the limitation of the underground testing of nuclear weapons

See also: Treated on the limitation of the underground testing of nuclear weapons

The Treaty on the limitation of the underground testing of nuclear weapons (TTBT, for Threshold Test Round of applause Treaty ) prohibited tests of nuclear weapons whose yield is higher than 150 kilotons. This treaty was signed the July 3rd 1974 by the the United States and the Soviet Union.

Treaty on the nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes

See also: Treated on the nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes

The Treaty on the nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes (PNET, for Peaceful Nuclear Explosions Treaty ) is in the continuity of the TTBT and aims at prohibiting the individual explosions higher than 150 kilotons and multiples with 1,5 megatons. The treaty was signed by the United States and the Soviet Union the May 28th 1976, but ratified forever, however, the two States began to respect its terms.

Treaty of complete prohibition of the nuclear tests

See also: Treated complete prohibition of the nuclear tests

The States having ratified the Treated complete prohibition of the nuclear tests (TICE), signed with New York the September 24th 1996, begin “not to carry out an experimental explosion of nuclear weapon, or another nuclear explosion, and to prohibit and prevent any explosion of this nature in any place placed under its jurisdiction or its control”. They are committed moreover “abstaining from causing or encouraging the execution - or taking part in some manner that it is with the execution - of any experimental explosion of nuclear weapon or any other nuclear explosion”.

This treaty envisages inspections as well as the establishment of sensors of various types (seismic, hydroacoustic, etc) to check that the States left with the treaty are in conformity with this last. In December 2005, 65% of the sensors were operational. However, for reasons of economy, the seismic events a magnitude lower than 3 on the scale of Richter are not checked. Out of after the Leith report/ratio (see external Bonds), the techniques of decoupling of underground testing make it possible today to attenuate the shock wave of an underground explosion of a hectotonnic power in such a way that the seism does not exceed this value of 3 on Richter. Within the framework of the revision of the nuclear doctrines of the United States, Russia and France since the end of the Cold war, it is precisely this type of nuclear weapons of hectotonnic power which are developed.

The countries having the nuclear weapon and not having ratified the TICE are:

Simulation

In the optics of the TICE, policies of creation of installations simulating of the nuclear explosions are developed, thus making it possible to free themselves from the tests life sizes and thus to continue to develop the existing nuclear arsenal. Two countries are particularly advanced in this field, the United States with the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and France with the Laser Megajoule of the program Simulation.

Reference

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