a
An interesticg questicn is ebether an Orange sample would hive deen
obtained if the burst Sad been at che intended position.
Uf the rise rate of
debris bad beea the observed rate, oo sacple would Sawe been obtainc2.
The
first sampler would have passed below the lower edze of the debris etn if
ic hod passed throuzgn the fireball center.
The debris rise rate woul, of
Course, have been less bad the burst been at intended altitude.
iimewer, it
is still questionable whether the earliest saspler would have intercepted the
debris; certainly all later samplers would have passed below it.
spect,
In retro-
if less depemience had been placed on prediction, positive results
probably would have been obtained, because the saopler array would have been
deployed to allow for a wider spectrum of debris rise rates rather than having been concentrated on obtaining a late cool sazple.
While the rise-rate prediction method was unsuccessful, the estinate of
the Teak debris-expansion behavior is more satisfying.
There is detailed
agreement in the early expansion, and even ultimate size, before coxnsiderable
elevation, is about what was expected (30,000 feet diameter at 4 seconds).
ln both Teak and Orange the debris appeared to be selectively elevated
with respect to the fireball and it actually emerged above this bali ef surrounding heated air.
Certainly the debris was different in its bydraiynanic
behavior from that of the heated air.
Such a preference would de expected
if debris presence somehow heated the surrounding air above chat of the remaining fireball.
Ic say be that the presence cf debris enhances deactivation
aod molecular recogbination, since local beta-particle beating seems izplausible because of the long mean free path, particularly at the Teak altitude.
In conclusion, it is pointed out chat although a sample was noc obtained,
the sample vehicle systema was proven out.
Should sampling under these shot
conditions be attempted again there would be an excellent chance of success,
since mre is koown pow about debris rise rate and cloud shape.
The task
will nor be small, however, as either a very early saxple of the hot debris
Cloud cust be obtained or the difficult target of the expanding torus must
be pierced.