The study of Hiroshima Bay has resulted in the finding of unusual fallout detritus known as Hiroshima glasses.
Representational image of atomic bomb explosion.
Decades after the devastating atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, in August 1945, researchers have unearthed new insights into the aftermath.
The study of Hiroshima Bay has resulted in the finding of unusual fallout detritus known as Hiroshima glasses.
As per a report, these artifacts formed as a result of the vaporized materials of the bomb and the surrounding landscape. This provides fresh insights into the catastrophic nuclear incident.
Researchers from the Université Paris Cité, France, conducted an extensive examination of these glasses’ chemical and isotopic compositions.
This enabled them to identify how these unusual glasses developed during the catastrophic event.
The study team determined that the essential mechanism in synthesizing the observed glasses was fast condensation, which occurred within the nuclear fireball for 1.5 to 5.5 seconds.
This procedure occurred at extraordinarily high temperatures, ranging from 3,200 to 1,000 Kelvin.
Interestingly, this condensation process is identical to the production of the solar system’s earliest solids, known as condensates.
“The Hiroshima glasses can be considered an analog of the first condensates of the solar system,” the study mentioned.
Specifically, it is reminiscent of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) found in primitive meteorites known as chondrites.
CAIs are among the earliest solids in the solar system, believed to have formed by the vaporization of interstellar dust and nebula gas.
Reportedly, the researchers identified four distinct types of glasses within the 94 specimens of fallout debris.
Each type exhibited unique characteristics:
Melilitic: Characterized by low silica, high calcium oxide, and richness in magnesium oxide.
Anorthositic: Notable for high aluminum oxide contents and iron-bearing components.
Soda–lime: Recognized for being rich in silica and sodium oxide.
Silica: Comprising approximately 99 percent silica.
These classifications offered a thorough grasp of the various compositions of glass created during the atomic bombs.
In recreating the development process of these glasses, the researchers revealed important information about the explosion.
“The Hiroshima glasses provide a better understanding of processes that have taken place during the Hiroshima explosion and its aftermath,” the authors mentioned in the research paper.
The plasma fireball began 580 meters above the city and had a radius of 260 meters. This explosion produced a thermal wave that impacted the ground at extremely high temperatures of 6,287°C.
“Within a mere 0.35 seconds, the pressure dropped to match that of the surrounding atmosphere and within 10 seconds the temperature decreased to 1,500–2,000 K and vaporization ceased,” Phys.org reported.
Seconds after the explosion, a chain reaction started due to material contact, including concrete, iron, aluminum alloys, industrial glass, dirt, sand, and Ota River water.
Overall, this resulted in the varied glasses observed.
The findings were published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters.
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Mrigakshi Dixit Mrigakshi is a science journalist who enjoys writing about space exploration, biology, and technological innovations. Her professional experience encompasses both broadcast and digital media, enabling her to learn a variety of storytelling formats. Her work has been featured in well-known publications including Nature India, Supercluster, and Astronomy magazine. If you have pitches in mind, please do not hesitate to email her.
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