Annie is actually the thirdone of 8 series, “yo of’vhich‘haveSpeenccone
ducted in earlier test operations. The result of the series vill:give
us much information vhich’can be applied to increasing the efficiency
of use of fissiouabdle materials in new veapons.
fore
The second and seventh shots, Nancy and Simon, are explorations of
scientific phenomena urgently needed by the IASL in connection with the
research program on thermonuclear and related systems. These are not
thermonuclear weapons; indeed, they have little relationship to‘any
actual weapon, real or imaginary. They are actually pure nuclear
experiments in the realm of temperatures and pressures which cen only
be obtained by setting off an atomic bomb.
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The fourth shot, Dixie, is an experimental observation of a new and
cheap method for initiating a nuclear chain reaction as well as furnishing m re light on the question of vhen and how such reactions: start.
‘ne fifth shot, Bedger, is an experiment to explore a potential new
te .uique of not only increasing the efficiency of burn-up of fissionable
materials in atomic bombs, but an exploratory experiment in the further
use of cheap materials in nuclear explosions. Again, the device is not.
@ weapon, but, if it works, the ideas found effective therein will
speedily find their way into weapon application.
The two Radiation Laboratory experiments (Ruth and Ray) are
explorations of the nuclear properties of certain systems, a knowledge
of which may prove useful for both conventional and thermonuclear
research programs,
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‘
It will be noted that most of the LASL shots are on towers rather
than dropped as air burst bombs. This ie primartly because of the
es
detailed instrumentation which requires that not only the precise time
;
of detonation be known, but that the device be exactly placed and ttat
complicated instruments with electronic recording be in its immediate
vicinity.
With yieldsof! the order of magnitude indicated, such tower
shots can be conducted with complete safety. Only when the necessary
information can equally well be obtained from a free air experiment are
these employed.
It should be apparent that these teste cover a wide spectrum of
atomic weapon research and development. They supplement in en
absolutely essential way the laboratory investigations at Los Alamos,
In reality the Nevada Test Site is only an extension of the physics,
explosives, chemical, and metallurgical laboratories at Los Alamos to
cover the temperntures, pressures, and other phenomens which can only
be obtained by on actual atomic bomb explosion. To the IASL, Nevada
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