Chinese Nuclear Explosion Research Articles

Analysis of Highly Radioactive Fallout Particles from Chinese Nuclear Test, (I)

Highly radioactive fallout particles resulting from the first Chinese nuclear explosion of 16 Oct., 1964, have been studied by X-ray microanalysis, X-ray microdiffraction and neutron activation analysis. Most of these particles are quite or nearly spherical, blakish colored, 10∼15 μ in diameter and fairly hard. They appeared to bear some internal stress, and were of amorphous structure. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of one of these particles by means of an electron probe X-ray microanalyzer revealed a large portion of Al, a fair portion of Fe, Ca and Ti as well as a very small portion of K. These elements are not uniformly distributed on the particle surface.

Strontium Isotopes: Global Circulation after the Chinese Nuclear Explosion of 14 May 1965

Strontium-89 and strontium-90, released into the atmosphere by the Chinese nuclear device on 14 May 1965, circled the world in less than a month and caused a sharp peak in the Sr(89)/Sr(90) ratio in rain at Tokyo on 12 June.

Great Powers and Atomic Bombs are “Paper Tigers”

In terms of Western political science or military doctrine it seems somewhat irrational that the leaders of Communist China should refer to great powers as “paper tigers.” It appears even more illogical that they should call atomic bombs “paper tigers,” especially when they themselves place the highest priority on the development of a nuclear capability. Yet, since the first Chinese nuclear explosion on October 16, 1964, the official Communist Press has again referred to the United States, Great Britain and the “revisionists” (both Khrushchev and the present leaders of the Soviet Union) as “paper tigers.” This same metaphor has also been applied to “imperialism” and “all reactionaries,” as well as to nuclear weapons, air-power and sea-power.

Fallout from the Nuclear Explosion of 16 October 1964

Measurements of the concentrations of 20 fission products in a sample of rain collected at Fayetteville, Arkansas, on 26 October 1964, yielded two "mass-yield" curves; one for fresh debris from the Chinese nuclear explosion, and another for older debris. The former curve resembled the mass-yield curve for neutron-induced fission of uranium-235.

Communist China: The New Protracted War

At a time when the military metaphor has captured the field of sloganeering in Communist China and the writings of Mao Tse-tung are glorified as never before, it is tempting to describe China as embarking on a new war. Mao first advanced his ideas on in the early years of the Sino-Japanese conflict. The phrase was his capsule description of a situation in which defeat was unlikely but victory was remote. Understanding of the protracted nature of the was essential, Mao argued, to avoid either capitulation or premature optimism and to refute the theories of subjugation and quick victory.' The political mood that began to emerge in China in 1964 is similar in many ways to that encouraged by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) during the with Japan. The enemies and objectives of the present war are different of course, but there is the same realistic confrontation of current obstacles coupled with assertions of total victory in the distant future. This mood contrasts with both the heady optimism of the Great Leap Forward in 1957-60 and the uncertain pragmatism of the brief retrenchment in 1961-62. It defines the CCP's ultimate goals unequivocally and yet it forecasts decades and even centuries of struggle for the attainment of these goals. The psychological stance of the thus appears to be a general reorientation of CCP attitudes that will persist for some time to come. This conclusion is supported by analysis of the major policies pursued by the CCP during 1964, but it has been obscured by other developments in China's domestic and international position during the past year. The paradoxical fact is that China has scored some of its most dramatic successes in many years at the same time that it has been preparing for a prolonged and bitter struggle. These successes demand mention even though they conceal more basic trends within Communist China. The National Day celebrations in Peking on October 1, 1964, were predictably optimistic and self-congratulatory, but for the first time in several years there seemed to be real cause for celebration. Even before the announcements of Khrushchev's dismissal and the Chinese nuclear explosion later in the month, the Chinese leaders could look back with satisfaction on their best year since the middle nineteen-fifties. Continued improvements in the national economy were certainly one source of satisfaction. Although statistics remain scarce, partial figures released from time to time indicate moderate but steady gains in both agricultural and industrial production. The food supply has risen above the critical point, although food imports are still necessary, and rationing is now less severe than in the hard times

フォールアウト粒子に関する研究, (IV)

Highly radioactive fallout particles from the first Chinese nuclear test explosion have been examined microscopically. The observed results, shown in Table 1, Photo. 2 and Fig. 2, are compared with those obtained on the highly radioactive fallout particles originating from the Russian nuclear test explosions carried out in the autumns of 1961 and 1962. Some differences, as listed below, were found between the two cases and considered to be due to the fact that the Chinese explosion was on land and of small scale while the Russian ones were in air and of large scale.(1) The Chinese particles, as compared to the Russian ones, were much smaller in specific activity at a given age.(2) The diameter of the Chinese particles ranged up to as large as 20μ, while the largest of the Russian particles was about 15μ in diameter.(3) Among the Chinese particles that were examined there were several which had divided coloring (two or more zones), but there were very few such particles among the Russian particles.(4) The relation between volume and activity was not so clearly linear with the Chinese particles as in the case of the Russian particles.