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SECURITY INFORMATION
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION
13 October 1952
SUMMARY OF LOS ALAMOS SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY
FULL-SCALE NUCLEAR TEST PROGRAMS
Full-scale
tests of nuclear detonations are essential to the
program of atomic weapon development for the following reasons:
1.
Actual test of a nuclear weapon or warhead
before it enters the national stockpile.
2.
To demonstrate the adequacy (or inadequacy)
3.
To explore phenomena which can vitally
of current theoretical approaches in order that
promising avenues of development may be more fully
exploited or given lower priority of attenticn.
affect the efficiency of an atomic weapon but which
are not susceptible to prior theoretical analysis
of sufficient certainty.
4,
To choose between existing theoretical methods
of weapon improvement the attack of greatest practical significance.
)
It is not possible to do more than highlight the significant
results of each full-scale nuclear test in the past.
Most such
programs are interdependent and interrelated.
Ina large majority
of the cases they provide further confirmation of the adequacy of
theoretical approaches and predictions;
occasionally they indicate
further problems to be solved in order to maximize the utilization
of active material in a given set of circumstances,
In retrospect,'
some tests now seem obvious; at the time they were striking new
exploraticns into the frontier of nuclear weapons,
——RESTRECTER—DAPA—
This document contains restricted data as
defined in the Atomic Energy Act of 1946.
Its transmittal or the disclosure of ifs
contents in any manner to an unauthorized
person is prohibited,