France's bomb simulator

[Szech]

I remember reading on tomshardware.com a while ago, that France was buying a supercomputer (with ~1000 1G processors) to simulate nuclear bombs. I was wondering what these simulators are like. Are there pretty pictures? Or is it merely theoretical data and calculations that they use as information about how a nuclear bomb would act?

[RobRich]

From earlier uses of bomb simulation setups, it should have several key uses:

-vector analysis for blast angles, concussion ranges, gas expansion, destruction raduises, etc.
-fall out areas based on topagraphy, location, air density, weather, etc.


These are just a couple of operations that similar systems carry out. For right now, it is all math and calculations. There is limited visual support. I would love to see a 3d rendered visualization of the data, but that is usually done by a completely setup. The data collected by these supercomputers can be applied to 3d modeling, but the process can be quite extensive, as it can consume many thousand man hours of work for a high quality rendering job.

RobRich

[This message has been edited by RobRich (edited 05-03-2000).]

[krusty the klown]

Hmmm... can they calculate the numbers of extra cancers, abortions, deformed foetuses, radioactivity entering the food chain, cumulative effect of the radioactivity entering the food chain on humans and animals, effects of animal health / population on humans, how long the radioactive isotopes take to enter / leave the water table and the effects, etc. etc?

Mmmmm...

I'll tell you what -

French people: nukes are really bad news, got it?

Now you know that, you don't need the 1000*1GHz computer, right??

Hehe, sure got to be able to play a mean game of UT on that beast - ~1000 simultaneous players directly connected to the mainframe WOOOOHOOOO!! That's a better use for it eh?

[Apostle 83]

The french have had nukes for quite a while... that's the only reason they get any respect at all.

[MadMatt]

Hey Szech,

Here are some pictues done by Harold Edgerton. He was an MIT professor who did a bunch of pioneering work in the area of high speed photography. The images are of the first milliseconds of a nuclear test explosion in the Nevada desert in 1952. Thought you might find these interesting....
http://www.auctionpatrol.net/FREEHOS...tt5/boom1a.jpg http://www.auctionpatrol.net/FREEHOS...tt5/boom2a.jpg http://www.auctionpatrol.net/FREEHOS...tt5/boom3a.jpg

Sorry they're so big - I didn't have a chance to play with them after I scanned them.

[krusty the klown]

Apostle,

The french have had nukes for quite a while... that's the only reason they get any respect at all.

So, have you met anyone who does respect the French??

[U-96]

why do they need to simulate nukes? letting off real ones hasn't been a problem in the past...

U-96

[krusty the klown]

hasn't been a problem

????????????

[krusty the klown]

Half-life
Fall-out
Contamination


Not a problem.


How about the human experimentation??

Anyone heard of Hiroshima????

Nope, not a problem at all.


what?

[This message has been edited by krusty the klown (edited 05-05-2000).]

[U-96]

note flamboyant use of sarcasm. France is not renowned for its pandering to public concerns.

[This message has been edited by U-96 (edited 05-05-2000).]

[Apostle 83]

France sucks. What is the deal with them not using the term email n e more?

[U-96]

because in French it means "enamel"
As many people communicate with friends and collegues by sending glazed porcelain, I can see how it might be confusing LOL

"Help my enamel had a virus attached!"
"Hit button to send enamel"
etc

Seeming as the English word "set" has 28 different meanings, they should live with it!

[mattheadfat]

madmatt, those pics are soo cool, it's crazy!

[MadMatt]

Yeah, isn't that insane? Like a snapshot of hell...

The book is out of print and, from what I understand, is pretty hard to find.

These are the most dramatic images, but some of the others are amazing -a bullet bursting through an apple -a baloon popping underwater, leaving a baloon shaped air bubble. Cool Stuff!

[CMonster]

Oh mannn... you don't need a super computer to tell you - I will tell you:

1 Tactical Nuclear Bomb = Little fubar

1 Nuclear Bomb = FUBAR

1 Thermo (hydrogen) Nuclear Bomb = major FUBAR

FUBAR on your town, FUBAR on your city, FUBAR on your state or province, FUBAR on your country, and FUBAR on the world