Defense Date
2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Engineering
First Advisor
Gennady Miloshevsky
Abstract
Nuclear weapons, and their effects, have been heavily studied with decades of data and information to create simulations and quantify the risks of their use. However, in the modern day, nuclear strikes pose new risks to precision electronics, power systems, and vital infrastructure. As such, simulations of nuclear weapon use are required due to nuclear weapon testing being prohibited. These simulations can incorporate testing practices, such as laboratory lasers, and computer simulation technology, such as OpenFOAM Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The use of OpenFOAM CFD allows testing in an area that has never been tested with nuclear weapons before, specifically the vacuum of space.
As the vacuum of space becomes a more present part of our daily lives by way of satellites, space tourism, and new space stations, the possibility of conflicts occurring in this environment has increased. This increase in conflicts has been demonstrated by the testing and success of ship-to-satellite missile launches and further antagonized in the current geopolitical climate. The most extreme case of this conflict would be the utilization of a nuclear weapon within space. A notable, and particularly destructive, example of this use would be detonating a nuclear weapon at the edge of space to cause an Electro-magnetic Pulse attack on any electronic devices within range of the pulse. However, detonating a nuclear weapon at the edge of space could cause complications to satellites within orbits around Earth at the time of detonation.
To study these effects on satellites, simulations need to be performed and run under various conditions and with different satellite ranges. The thesis consists of a technical study on how plasma would expand in a basic one-dimensional environment that closely represents the vacuum of space. This study is one part of a foundation to the primary study, which consists of how a solar cell, and surrounding cells, on a satellite’s solar panel react to an absorption of high energy blackbody X-rays and subsequent damage.
These results can give an estimated survivability chance for satellites at certain orbit distances from the initial detonation. If a nuclear countermeasure is deemed necessary, then this estimation can help to ensure the smallest impact on all affected environments for both Earth and space.
Rights
© The Author
Is Part Of
VCU University Archives
Is Part Of
VCU Theses and Dissertations
Date of Submission
12-11-2024