Simulated nuclear multibursts conducted in a water tank. Technical report, 7 October 1983-30 January 1985

Simultaneous multiple-cloud experiments were carried out in a water tank. Salt was used to achieve a linear density gradient in the tank to simulate the atmosphere. A nuclear fireball was simulated with a high-density bubble of saltwater dropped into the top of the tank. The bubble grew by turbulent entrainment as it fell into saltwater with an increasing density. The fall stops when the density inside the cloud reaches the density of its environment. Cloud dimensions were obtained for 5, 6, and 7 burst events. These cloud dimensions were compared with a model which is good fit to data from other multi-burst experiments. The model and the data from this program are in good agreement. These tests utilized existing hardware. Recommendations are made for a new facility which would be capable of simulating up to 70 bursts with an arbitrary time sequence. Instrumentation techniques to provide data other than cloud dimensions, e.g., velocity and density, are also recommended.