Primary Sources

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Primary Sources 1 Bibliography Primary Sources Addressing the Japanese fishing vessel that was affected by the Castle Bravo blast. March 24, 1954. https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb459/docs/doc%204C%20%203-23 -54%20tokyo%20cable.pdf. Castle Bravo unknowingly affected the crew of a Japanese fishing vessel. The Japanese wanted compensation. Additionally, this was proof of the radioactive dangers of these thermonuclear bombs. Armed Forces Special Weapons Project. OPERATION CASTLE. Albuquerque, NM, 1959. ​ ​ Accessed August 28, 2019. http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2012/ph241/garcia2/docs/0201_a.pdf. Operation Castle was initiated as a consequence of Operation Ivy, and was used to confirm Operation Ivy's data. This technical report further explained the purpose and went into detail about the execution of Operation Castle. Although it focuses more on Operation Castle, it shows how integral the information gathered by Operation Ivy was to further development of thermonuclear bombs. Before and after the bombing of Elugelab. November 1, 1952. Photograph. Accessed August 25, ​ 2019. http://blog.nuclearsecrecy.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/elugelab-is-missing.jpg. Elugelab is completely vaporized after Ivy Mike is detonated on November 1, 1952. This horrific set of images captures string of atolls in the Marshallese islands before and after Ivy Mike. In the after photo, Elugelab has been completely wiped off the map, demonstrating the environmental distress caused by Operation Ivy. Bikini atoll crater from Castle Bravo. Photograph. Earth Observatory. August 13, 2013. Accessed September 2, 2019. 2 https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/83000/83237/bikiniatoll_oli_20132 31.jpg. This picture is a satellite image of current Bikini atoll which contains a giant crater from Castle Bravo. This is crucial supplementary evidence to prove how devastating the thermonuclear bombs were. This also puts into perspective the sheer power of Operation Castle’s bombs: an improvement upon this. The Boston Daily Globe. Accessed September 18, 2019. ​ https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/hydrogen-bomb-1950. The H-Bomb utilizes a trigger that generates heat to set off the thermonuclear fusion, as detailed by this article praising the AEC. It is stated that the AEC had started another project for the hydrogen bombs, presumably Operation Ivy. This helps to demonstrate the magnitude of tension built by mutually assured destruction so hauntingly real during the Cold War. Castle Bravo Detonation. March 1, 1954. Photograph. Accessed August 25, 2019. ​ https://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/BravoC167c10.jpg. This is the mushroom cloud and resulting fireball from Castle Bravo's detonation. The image demonstrates the devastating power that these experiments were causing, leading us to the conclusion that the experiments so close to inhabited land was an obvious violation of human rights against the Bikinians. Crawl Out Through the Fallout. By Sheldon Allman. 1960, compact disc. Accessed ​ January 31, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XPzICHxXoQ. This song, Crawl Out Through the Fallout, illustrates the impact that the idea of having nuclear war had on people. They wanted to express the idea of nuclear war as something comedic and commonplace. This song details the aftermath of nuclear war. In addition to this, this was not the only song about nuclear war to be published throughout the Cold War, creating a rather sad normalization of the reality of possible nuclear annihilation. 3 Department of Commerce Weather Bureau. Marshall Islands File Tracking ​ Document/World-Wide Fallout From Operation Castle. Report no. 164. Washington, ​ DC, 1955. Accessed August 28, 2019. http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2012/ph241/garcia2/docs/51383e.pdf. Operation Castle was supposed to be an improvement of Ivy: more powerful and overall better technology. The debris in the atmosphere was significantly less from Operation Ivy to Operation Castle. This kind of technological improvement undoubtedly played a big factor in the tensions of the Cold War. Department of Defense Defense Nuclear Agency. Operation Ivy 1952. 1952. Accessed August ​ ​ 18, 2019. https://www.dtra.mil/Portals/61/Documents/NTPR/2-Hist_ Rpt_Atm/1952_DNA_6036F.pdf. Ivy Mike was the first ever thermonuclear bomb to be detonated. It created a surface level explosion that produced 10.4 megatons of force, equal to the explosive force of 10,400,000 tons of TNT. 15 years after the blast, leukemia and radiation was found to becoming increasingly prevalent among those who were present for those who participated in the operation. Operation Ivy was a test to push the limits of nuclear technology as well as learn to measure radiation. Hoover, Will. "Bikini Atoll survivors recall horror of nuclear explosion." Honolulu Advertiser ​ (Honolulu, HI), March 2, 2003. Accessed September 18, 2019. http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2003/Mar/02/ln/ln05a.html. The people of the Marshall Islands were not properly informed about the tests resulting in their radiation, among other negative impacts. There were jellyfish babies born due to the radiation, which was traumatic. There were also susceptibilities to cancer. This is further documentation of the human rights violation of Operation Castle. 4 The images contain physicians responsible for the creation of H-Bombs. Photograph. Accessed September 18, 2019. https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/hydrogen-bomb-1950. Isidor Rabi was an American physicist. He had won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1944. He had discovered nuclear magnetic resonance, used for magnetic resonance imaging. Hans Bethe was a man who's work correlated with the theory of atomic nuclei. He had developed a theory of deuteron in 1934, later expanding the study in 1949. Klaus Fuchs was a physician in charge of studying the effects that thermonuclear reactions produce on the Earth. Ivy King Fireball. November 1, 1952. Photograph. Accessed August 25, 2019. ​ https://nuclearweaponarchive.org/Usa/Tests/Iking3.jpg. This is the resulting fireball from the world's second hydrogen bomb test: Operation Ivy's King shot. The mushroom cloud reached into the sky, and the dust barely settled, resulting in the disappearance of a pilot. This further supports the idea of the destructive nature of the thermonuclear bomb as well as potential to harm that it already demonstrated. Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles, CA). "H-BOMB TEST STORY MEETS AEC SILENCE." ​ November 9, 1952. The government kept the tests secret from the public, however information had already been leaked. Officials denied knowledge to the public. The military throughout the United States continually denied knowing anything about the nuclear bomb, causing even further stress upon the public. Memorandum of Conversation. July 6, 1954. ​ https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb459/docs/doc%2012%20hot%20tuna.pdf. Reports of radiation poisoning in fish around the Castle Bravo detonation site were becoming increasingly common. This widespread effect further illustrates the dangerous 5 nature of thermonuclear development, and the environmental neglect that occurred by performing these tests. Military Effects Studies on Operation CASTLE. United States Air Force, 1954. ​ https://archive.org/details/MilitaryEffectsStudiesonOperationCastle1954. This video shows the data and effects of the bombing of Bikini Atoll. Absolutely devastating, giant gusts of wind pushed out from the area as the US military stands by. It was incredibly powerful, and deliberate. The main thermal pulse of the low yield weapon completes in a few seconds. It takes 3 seconds to peak for the higher yield while it also maintained a longer duration. There was great intellectual progress. The New York Times (New York, NY). "EXPERIMENTS FOR HYDROGEN BOMB HELD ​ SUCCESSFULLY AT ENIWETOK; LEAKS ABOUT BLAST UNDER INQUIRY." November 12, 1952. People started suspecting that the hydrogen bomb went off, and more pressure from the public to know the status of the bomb as the Cold War went on caused frenzy as documentation and information that was leaked and later revealed. People were terrified about what was about to happen next, showing the social repercussions of the Cold War and the secretive nature of thermonuclear bombs. "Nuclear Testing Program In The Marshall Islands." July 19, 2005. Accessed September 2, 2019. http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2017/ph241/gutwald2/docs/S_Hrg_109-178.pdf. Operation Ivy and Operation Castle releases widespread radiation throughout the Pacific. The AEC went through with radiation monitoring in order to see the larger effects of the bomb. They later learned that it spanned all the way to Hawaii and Guam, as radiation levels were slightly elevated in those places. 6 Operation CASTLE. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, n.d. Accessed August 25, 2019. ​ https://www.dtra.mil/Portals/61/Documents/NTPR/1-Fact_Sheets/CASTLE%20-%20201 7.pdf?ver=2017-02-07-081707-913. Operation Ivy was the beginning to the rest of the thermonuclear bomb tests, such as Castle. Additionally, Operation Ivy led to the moving of test locations from Nevada to the Marshallese atolls. This was good for the background and transition from Operation Ivy to Operation Castle. Operation Castle. U.S. Department of Energy, 1954. https://archive.org/details/gov.doe.0800013. ​ This video documents the process of Operation Castle, and the explosion. This shows the deliberate actions taken to execute Operation Castle, yet the complete neglect for the Marshallese people. Operation IVY. 1952. https://archive.org/details/OperationIVY1952. ​ This video demonstrates the entire process in which Operation Ivy occured, from planning to the actual dropping of the bomb. It begins by talking about the upcoming test of the Mike bomb. It's too dangerous to test on land, so they choose to go to the Marshallese Islands. At the time manned machines were quite the force for the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Instead of utilizing experimental drones, manned jets were much more effective for the testing of nuclear bombs. In this case the Mike bomb was tested by these pilots creating cheaper methods of testing for the US. Operation Ivy: Mike Shot. AtomicHeritage, 2016.
Recommended publications
  • Congressional Record—Senate S652
    S652 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 30, 2014 the Senate by Mr. Pate, one of his sec- Whereas, on October 31, 1952, Operation Ivy Guam, separated by a scant 30 miles, and retaries. was conducted on Elugelab Island (‘‘Flora’’) both are affected by the same win, weather in the Enewetak Atoll, in which the first and ocean current patterns, it logically fol- f true thermonuclear hydrogen bomb (a 10.4 lows that radiation which affects the Terri- EXECUTIVE MESSAGES REFERRED megaton device) code name Mike was deto- tory of Guam necessarily affects the Com- nated, destroying the entire island leaving monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; As in executive session the Presiding behind a 6,240 feet across and 164 feet deep and Officer laid before the Senate messages crater in its aftermath; and Whereas, as a result, the Nuclear and Radi- from the President of the United Whereas, in 90 seconds the mushroom cloud ation Studies Board (‘‘NSRB’’) published in States submitting sundry nominations climbed to 57,000 feet into the atmosphere 2005 its report entitled ‘‘Assessment of the and two withdrawals which were re- and within 30 minutes had stretched 60 miles Scientific information for the Radiation Ex- in diameter with the base of the mushroom posure Screening and Education Program’’; ferred to the appropriate committees. head joining the stem of 45,000 feet; and and (The messages received today are Whereas, radioactive fallout is the after ef- Whereas, because fallout may have been printed at the end of the Senate pro- fect of the detonation
    [Show full text]
  • The United States Nuclear Weapon Program
    /.i. - y _-. --_- -. : _ - . i - DOE/ES4005 (Draft) I _ __ _ _ _____-. 67521 - __ __-. -- -- .-- THE UNITED STATES NUCLEAR - %”WEAPQN PROGRA,hik ..I .La;*I* . , ASUMMARYHISTORY \ ;4 h : . ,‘f . March 1983 \ .;_ U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary, Management and Administration Office of The Executive Secretariat History Division -. DOE/ES4005 (Draft) THE UNITED STATES NUCLEAR WEAPON PROG.RAM: ASUMMARYHISTORY .' . c *. By: . Roger M. Anders Archivist With: Jack M. Hall Alice L. Buck Prentice C. Dean March 1983 ‘ .I \ . U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary, Management and Administration Office of The Executive Secretariat History Division Washington, D. C. 20585 ‘Thelkpaemlt of Energy OqanizationAct of 1977 b-mughttcgether for the first tim in one departxrmtrmst of the Federal GovenmTle?t’s - Programs-With these programs cam a score of organizational ‘ . ? entities,eachwithi+ccxmhistoryandtraditions,frmadozendepart- . .‘I w ’ mnts and independentagencies. The EIistoryDivision,- prepareda . seriesof paqhlets on The Institutional Originsof the De-t of v Eachpamphletexplainsthehistory,goals,and achievemzntsof a predecessoragency or a major prqrm of the -to=-TY* This parquet, which replacesF&ger M. Anders'previous booklet on "The Office of MilitaxxApplication," traces the histoe of the UrL+& Statesnuclearweapx prcgramfrmits inceptionduring World War II to the present. Nuclear weqons form the core of America's m&z defenses. Anders'history describes the truly fo&idable effortscf 5e Atanic Energy Cmmission, the F;nergy Rfzsearch and Develqmlt z4dmCstratian,andtheDep&m- to create adiverse a* sophistica~arsenzl ofnucleaz ~accctqli&mentsofL~se agenciesandtheirplants andlabc J zrsatedan "atanic shie2 WMchp- Psrrericatoday. r kger M. Anders is a trained historianworking in the Eistzq Divisbn.
    [Show full text]
  • Congressional Record—Senate S652
    S652 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE January 30, 2014 the Senate by Mr. Pate, one of his sec- Whereas, on October 31, 1952, Operation Ivy Guam, separated by a scant 30 miles, and retaries. was conducted on Elugelab Island (‘‘Flora’’) both are affected by the same win, weather in the Enewetak Atoll, in which the first and ocean current patterns, it logically fol- f true thermonuclear hydrogen bomb (a 10.4 lows that radiation which affects the Terri- EXECUTIVE MESSAGES REFERRED megaton device) code name Mike was deto- tory of Guam necessarily affects the Com- nated, destroying the entire island leaving monwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; As in executive session the Presiding behind a 6,240 feet across and 164 feet deep and Officer laid before the Senate messages crater in its aftermath; and Whereas, as a result, the Nuclear and Radi- from the President of the United Whereas, in 90 seconds the mushroom cloud ation Studies Board (‘‘NSRB’’) published in States submitting sundry nominations climbed to 57,000 feet into the atmosphere 2005 its report entitled ‘‘Assessment of the and two withdrawals which were re- and within 30 minutes had stretched 60 miles Scientific information for the Radiation Ex- in diameter with the base of the mushroom posure Screening and Education Program’’; ferred to the appropriate committees. head joining the stem of 45,000 feet; and and (The messages received today are Whereas, radioactive fallout is the after ef- Whereas, because fallout may have been printed at the end of the Senate pro- fect of the detonation
    [Show full text]
  • The Views and Issues America's Atomic Veterans
    THE VIEWS AND ISSUES OF AMERICA’S ATOMIC VETERANS N-001 TRINITY SITE - NEW MEXICO THE FIRST ATOMIC BOMB TEST JULY 16, 1945 ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED OVER HIROSHIMA, JAPAN AUGUST 6, 1945 ATOMIC BOMB DROPPED OVER NAGASAKI, JAPAN AUGUST 9, 1945 N-002 TRINITY TEST - 07-16-45 - 19 KILOTONS N-003 HIROSHIMA 2 MILES FROM THE CENTER OF BLAST 08-07-45 N-004 HIROSHIMA 1.5 MILES FROM THE CENTER OF BLAST 08-07-45 N-005 “ FAT MAN “ DETONATION OVER CITY OF NAGASAKI PHOTO TAKEN BY A JAPANESE RAIL LINE SURVEYOR N-006 NAGASAKI 2.5 MILES FROM CENTER OF BLAST 08-10-45 N-007 NAGASAKI 1.5 MILES FROM CENTER OF BLAST 08-10-45 N-008 BIKINI ATOLL ( MARSHALL ISLANDS ) “ CROSSROADS “ 2 WEAPONS EFFECTS TESTS INVOLVING 42,000 MILITARY PERSONNEL N-009 38 MILES TEST ABLE TEST BAKER THERE WERE 23 ATOMIC WEAPONS TESTED ON BIKINI ATOLL N-010 CROSSROADS “ ABLE “ PHOTO FROM ISLAND CAMERA N-011 CROSSROADS “ BAKER “ PHOTO FROM AIRCRAFT N-012 CROSSROADS “ BAKER “ PHOTO FROM ISLAND CAMERA N-013 BIKINI ATOLL “ SANDSTONE “ 3 TESTS 10,000 + MILITARY PERSONNEL N-014 SANDSTONE “ X-RAY “ - 04-14-48 - BIKINI ATOLL TOWER SHOT 37 KILOTONS N-015 B-29 “ OVEREXPOSED “ AIR CREW BEING CHECKED FOR RADIATION AFTER RETURNING FROM ATOMIC CLOUD SAMPLING MISSION OVER BIKINI ATOLL N-016 NEVADA TEST SITE “ RANGER “ & “ BUSTER- JANGLE “ ( 11 TESTS ) 7,000 + MILITARY PESONNEL - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ENEWETAK ATOLL “ GREENHOUSE “ ( 5 TESTS ) 7,500 + MILITARY PERSONNEL N-017 CAMP DESERT ROCK MILITARY PERSONNEL ASSEMBLED FOR ATOMIC WEAPONS TEST BRIEFINGS N-018 GROUND OBSERVATION TROOPS ON WAY TO THEIR
    [Show full text]
  • Atomic Veterans' View Regarding VBDR
    The Atomic Veterans' View Regarding VBDR, Dose Reconstruction and the V. A. Claim Compensation Programs By: R. J. Ritter – C.E.M. Director - National Commander National Association of Atomic Veterans, Inc. February 16, 2007 1. Slide N001 On behalf of America’s atomic veteran community, I am pleased to offer their views, issues, comments and suggestions to the Veteran’s Advisory Board on Dose Re-construction, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs, and those interested parties who are with us today. When first asked to prepare this presentation, I found it impossible to adequately convey, those views, concerns and opinions in 30 short minutes. It is well to note that America’s atomic veterans have been attempting, for the last 50+ years, to tell the stories of their experiences to those who have little or no interest in these events. With this in mind, I have selected a series of slides from a ( 90 minute ) public awareness program developed by NAAV, Inc., that will address their core issues within the allotted 30 minute period. This approach will adequately convey the depth, magnitude and importance of those radiation exposure events that were a critical part of their life experiences, and bring to the forefront the root cause for our presence here today. Slide N002 The year 1945 marked the dawn of the age of nuclear weapons, as the Manhattan Project proof tested the world’s first atomic bomb, and the decision by United States to used these atomic weapons to shorten the war in the Pacific.
    [Show full text]
  • Radioactivity 60 (2002) 165-187 RADIOACTIVITY
    JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL Journal of ELSEVIER Environmental Radioactivity 60 (2002) 165-187 RADIOACTIVITY An assessment of the reported leakage of anthropogenic radionuclides from the underground nuclear test sites at Amchitka Island, Alaska, USA to the surface environment Douglas Dashera3*,Wayne ans son^, Stan Reada, Scott FalleS, Dennis Farmerc, Wes ~furd~,John Kelleye, Robert patrickf " Aluska Department of Etz~~ironmentalConservation, 610 Liniversitj Avenue, Fairbanks, AK 99709, USA ~at~sonEnvironmentul Research Sercice, Inc.,I902 Yew Street Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226, USA ' U.S. Encironmental Protection Agency Radiation and Indoor Encironments National Laboratory, P.O. Box 98517, La.r P'egrrs, NV 89193, USA d~osAlatnos Nationnl Laboratorj, Clzemical Science and Technology, MS J514, Lo.s Alamos, NM 87545, USA 'Institute of Marine Science, Lini~lersityof' Alasku Fairbanks, Fuirbanks, AK 99775, USA ~1eutinn:~ribil~flslantr' Association, 201 East 3rd Arenue, Ancltoraye, AK 99501, USA Received 14 February 2000; accepted 26 May ZOO0 Abstract Three underground nuclear tests representing approximately 15-16% of the total effective energy released during the United States underground nuclear testing program from 1951 to 1992 were conducted at Amchitka Island, Alaska. In 1996, Greenpeace reported that leakage of radionuclides, 24'~mand 239t'40 Pu, from these underground tests to the terrestrial and freshwater environments had been detected. In response to this report, a federal, state, tribal and non-governmental team conducted a terrestrial and freshwater radiological sampling program in 1997. Additional radiological sampling was conducted in 1998. An assessment of the reported leakage to the freshwater environment was evaluated by assessing 'H values in surface waters and 240~~/239~~ratios in various sample media.
    [Show full text]
  • The United States Nuclear Weapon Program: A
    DOE/ES-0005 (Draft) 67521 wees ce eee ee ee THE UNITED STATES NUCLEAR WEAPON PROGRAM: | A SUMMARYHISTORY '<) March 1983 U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary, Management and Administration Office of The Executive Secretariat History Division DOE/ES-0005 (Draft) THE UNITED STATES NUCLEAR | WEAPON PROGRAM: A SUMMARY HISTORY © | « By: Roger M. Anders Archivist With: Jack M. Holl Alice L. Buck Prentice C. Dean March 1983 U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary, Management and Administration Office of The Executive Secretariat History Division Washington, D.C. 20585 The Department of Energy Organization Act of 1977 brought together for the first time in one department most of the Federal Government's energy programs. With these programs came a score of organizational entities, each with its owm history and traditions, from a dozen depart- ‘ments and independent agencies. The History Division has prepared a series of pamphlets on The Institutional Origins of the Department of Energy. Each pamphlet explains the history, goals, and achievements of @ predecessor agency or a major program of the Department of Energy. This pamphlet, which replaces Roger M. Anders' previous booklet cn "The Office of Military Application," traces the history of the United States nuclear weapon program from its inception during World War II to the present. Nuclear weapons form the core of America's modern defenses. anders! history describes the truly formidable efforts of «ne Atomic Energy Commission, the Energy Research and Develogment Administration, and the Departmr to create a diverse anc sophisticated arsenal of nuclear 2 accomplishments of these agencies and their plants and lak : created an “atomic shieic" which protects America today.
    [Show full text]
  • Bob Farquhar
    1 2 Created by Bob Farquhar For and dedicated to my grandchildren, their children, and all humanity. This is Copyright material 3 Table of Contents Preface 4 Conclusions 6 Gadget 8 Making Bombs Tick 15 ‘Little Boy’ 25 ‘Fat Man’ 40 Effectiveness 49 Death By Radiation 52 Crossroads 55 Atomic Bomb Targets 66 Acheson–Lilienthal Report & Baruch Plan 68 The Tests 71 Guinea Pigs 92 Atomic Animals 96 Downwinders 100 The H-Bomb 109 Nukes in Space 119 Going Underground 124 Leaks and Vents 132 Turning Swords Into Plowshares 135 Nuclear Detonations by Other Countries 147 Cessation of Testing 159 Building Bombs 161 Delivering Bombs 178 Strategic Bombers 181 Nuclear Capable Tactical Aircraft 188 Missiles and MIRV’s 193 Naval Delivery 211 Stand-Off & Cruise Missiles 219 U.S. Nuclear Arsenal 229 Enduring Stockpile 246 Nuclear Treaties 251 Duck and Cover 255 Let’s Nuke Des Moines! 265 Conclusion 270 Lest We Forget 274 The Beginning or The End? 280 Update: 7/1/12 Copyright © 2012 rbf 4 Preface 5 Hey there, I’m Ralph. That’s my dog Spot over there. Welcome to the not-so-wonderful world of nuclear weaponry. This book is a journey from 1945 when the first atomic bomb was detonated in the New Mexico desert to where we are today. It’s an interesting and sometimes bizarre journey. It can also be horribly frightening. Today, there are enough nuclear weapons to destroy the civilized world several times over. Over 23,000. “Enough to make the rubble bounce,” Winston Churchill said. The United States alone has over 10,000 warheads in what’s called the ‘enduring stockpile.’ In my time, we took care of things Mano-a-Mano.
    [Show full text]
  • Nuclear Fallout and Intelligence As Secrets, Problems, and Limitations on the Arms Race, 1940-1964
    © Copyright 2016 Michael R. Lehman NUISANCE TO NEMESIS: NUCLEAR FALLOUT AND INTELLIGENCE AS SECRETS, PROBLEMS, AND LIMITATIONS ON THE ARMS RACE, 1940-1964 BY MICHAEL R. LEHMAN DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2016 Urbana, Illinois Doctoral Committee: Professor Lillian Hoddeson, Chair Professor Kristin Hoganson, Co-Chair Professor Michael Weissman Professor Robert Jacobs, Hiroshima City University Abstract Fallout sampling and other nuclear intelligence techniques were the most important sources of United States strategic intelligence in the early Cold War. Operated as the Atomic Energy Detection System by a covert Air Force unit known as AFOAT-1, the AEDS detected emissions and analyzed fallout from Soviet nuclear tests, as well as provided quantitative intelligence on the size of the Russian nuclear stockpile. Virtually unknown because the only greater Cold War secret than nuclear weapons was intelligence gathered about them, data on the Soviet threat produced by AFOAT-1 was an extraordinary influence on early National Intelligence Estimates, the rapid growth of the Strategic Air Command, and strategic war plans. Official guidance beginning with the first nuclear test in 1945 otherwise suggested fallout was an insignificant effect of nuclear weapons. Following AFOAT-1’s detection of Soviet testing in fall 1949 and against the cautions raised about the problematic nature of higher yield weapons by the General Advisory Committee, the Atomic Energy Commission’s top scientific advisers, President Harry Truman ordered the AEC to quickly build these extraordinarily powerful weapons, testing the first in secrecy in November 1952.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Nuclear Forensics: Analysis of Nuclear Material for Security
    THE NEW NUCLEAR FORENSICS Analysis of Nuclear Materials for Security Purposes edited by vitaly fedchenko The New Nuclear Forensics Analysis of Nuclear Materials for Security Purposes STOCKHOLM INTERNATIONAL PEACE RESEARCH INSTITUTE SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations, based on open sources, to policymakers, researchers, media and the interested public. The Governing Board is not responsible for the views expressed in the publications of the Institute. GOVERNING BOARD Sven-Olof Petersson, Chairman (Sweden) Dr Dewi Fortuna Anwar (Indonesia) Dr Vladimir Baranovsky (Russia) Ambassador Lakhdar Brahimi (Algeria) Jayantha Dhanapala (Sri Lanka) Ambassador Wolfgang Ischinger (Germany) Professor Mary Kaldor (United Kingdom) The Director DIRECTOR Dr Ian Anthony (United Kingdom) Signalistgatan 9 SE-169 70 Solna, Sweden Telephone: +46 8 655 97 00 Fax: +46 8 655 97 33 Email: [email protected] Internet: www.sipri.org The New Nuclear Forensics Analysis of Nuclear Materials for Security Purposes EDITED BY VITALY FEDCHENKO OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS 2015 1 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, United Kingdom Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and in certain other countries © SIPRI 2015 The moral rights of the authors have been asserted All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of SIPRI, or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reprographics rights organizations.
    [Show full text]
  • The Isotopic Signature of Fallout North Pacific Plutonium In
    J. Environ. Radioactivity, Vol. 36, No. I, pp. 69-83, 1997 0 1997 Elsevier Science LImited All rights reserved. Printed in Ireland PII: SO265-931X(96)00071-9 0265-931X/97 $17.00 + 0.00 ELSEVIER The Isotopic Signature of Fallout Plutonium in the North Pacific Ken 0. Buesseler Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA (Received 27 June 1996; accepted 15 August 1996) ABSTRACT Plutonium analyses of a dated coral record from the French Frigate Shoals in the central North Pacific indicate that there are two major sources of PM in this basin: close-in (troposphertc) fallout from nuclear weapons testing at the Pact& Proving Grounds in the Marshall Islands in the 1950s and global (stratospheric) fallout which peaked in 1962. Furthermore, the 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio of fallout ,from the Pacific Proving Grounds is characteristically higher (0.24) than that of global jhllout Pu (O.l8+I9). Seawater and sediment samples from the North Pacific exhibit a wide range of “40Pu/239Pu values (0.19-+34), with a trend towards higher ratios in the subsurface waters and sediment. Deep water 240Pul”39Pu ratios are higher in the vicinity of the Marshall Islands relative to stations further from this close-in fallout source. These preli- minary data suggest that fallout Pu from the Pacific Proving Grounds is more rapidly removed from the surface waters than is global fallout Pu. Plutonium geochemistry appears to be related to the physical/chemical form of PM-bearing particles generated by dtfferent ,fallout sources. (‘ 1997 Elsevier Science Limited. INTRODUCTION The input of fallout plutonium (Pu) from atmospheric nuclear weapons testing is the largest source of Pu to the environment, including the oceans (Harley, 1980; Perkins & Thomas, 1980).
    [Show full text]
  • Castle Bravo
    Defense Threat Reduction Agency Defense Threat Reduction Information Analysis Center 1680 Texas Street SE Kirtland AFB, NM 87117-5669 DTRIAC SR-12-001 CASTLE BRAVO: FIFTY YEARS OF LEGEND AND LORE A Guide to Off-Site Radiation Exposures January 2013 Distribution A: Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Trade Names Statement: The use of trade names in this document does not constitute an official endorsement or approval of the use of such commercial hardware or software. This document may not be cited for purposes of advertisement. REPORT Authored by: Thomas Kunkle Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico and Byron Ristvet Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Albuquerque, New Mexico SPECIAL Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing this collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden to Department of Defense, Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports (0704-0188), 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to any penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 2.
    [Show full text]