tailieunhanh - THE NUCLEAR AND AERIAL DYNAMICS OF THE TUNGUSKA EVENT

On 30 June 1908, in Central Siberia of the ., an extraordinary event occurred (Oliver, 1928 ; Crowther, 1931). Eyewitnesses reported a giant fireball moving across the sky followed by an overpowering shockwave. Trees were radially toppled over thousands of square kilometers, seismic and atmospheric disturbances were recorded as far away as England, and the next several nights were sufficiently bright for reading. However, no significant impact crater was formed nor was any extraterrestrial matter found in the immediate area. A number of hypotheses have been advanced as possible explanations for this so called Tunguska Event (named after a nearby river). Among these are cometary/meteoric bumup in the atmosphere (Whipple, 1930; Oberg, 1977; Florensky, 1963), matter-antimatter. | 0032-0633 89 1989 Pergamon Press pic Planet. Space Sci. Vol. 37 No. 3 pp. 329-340 1989 Printed in Great Britain. THE NUCLEAR AND AERIAL DYNAMICS OF THE TUNGUSKA EVENT s. J. D. D ALESSIO and A. A. HARMS McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada Received in final form 24 November 1988 Abstract A mathematical-physical characterization of an atmospheric explosive event commonly called the Tunguska Event of 1908 has been formulated. Emphasis is placed upon the aerial dynamics and the nuclear energy released in the gas cap of the meteor as it passed through the atmosphere. The results obtained are consistent with the dominant phenomena observed for the Tunguska Event suggesting therefore a plausible reconstruction of the physical processes associated with this unusual event. 1. INTRODUCTION On 30 June 1908 in Central Siberia of the . an extraordinary event occurred Oliver 1928 Crowther 1931 . Eyewitnesses reported a giant fireball moving across the sky followed by an overpowering shockwave. Trees were radially toppled over thousands of square kilometers seismic and atmospheric disturbances were recorded as far away as England and the next several nights were sufficiently bright for reading. However no significant impact crater was formed nor was any extraterrestrial matter found in the immediate area. A number of hypotheses have been advanced as possible explanations for this so called Tunguska Event named after a nearby river . Among these are cometary meteoric burnup in the atmosphere Whipple 1930 Oberg 1977 Florensky 1963 matter-antimatter annihilation Cowan et al. 1965 black-hole impact Jackson and Ryan 1973 and even alien intervention from outer space Baxter and Atkins 1976 . The physical evidence points most strongly to a massive meteor moving at hypersonic speed and burning up in the atmosphere. Indeed the meteor is believed to be a small comet and the difference in terminology strictly refers to the origin of the moving object. Meteors .