FOIA: Low-Yield Nuclear Explosion Calculations: the 9/22/79 Vela signal

THE_9_22_79_VELA_SIGNAL_MAY_1982.pdf
Low-Yield Nuclear Explosion Calculations: the 9/22/79 Vela signal
A redacted report copy of 'Low Yield Nuclear Explosion Calculations: the 9/22/79 Vela signal'.
Document date: 1980-05-01
Department: Los Alamos National Laboratory
Author: E.M. Jones, R.W. Whitaker, H.G. Herak, J.W. Kodis
Document type: report
pages: 20


Archivist's Notes: This is a redacted copy. Fair quality document. Marked 'Secret' changed to 'Unclassified'.

This report is from Los Alamos National Laboratories and is Titled:
Low-Yield Nuclear Explosion Calculations:the 9/22/79 Vela Signal
Dated May 1982.

The report states it will summarise Vela data, discuss classical interpretations, and present a particular model which, they believe, satisfactorily reproduces the Vela signal.

The sub-heading ‘Scaling Laws for Atmospheric Nuclear Explosions’ concludes the conventional scaling laws cannot provide a consistent model for the Vela data.

Pg 6 contains an interesting discussion about the general possible effects of cloud cover and atmospheric absorption that can alter the interpretation of the signal.
The conclusion they reached was ‘…the observed irradiance levels are high enough that the signal could not have suffered much absorption nor scattering beyond that expected for relatively clear maritime air.

Note: I was reminded of the reason used in other documents by the military on sept 22 1979 as to why they couldn’t collect the vital samples from the atmosphere. See AD_HOC_REPORT - this is mentioned on page 16 in report
Their response was that they sent sample collectors out but the weather made it unachievable.
Would it be a reasonable investigation to search past weather bureau data?

It is impossible to draw overall conclusions from this document as even the
Summary at the end is blanked out.

This is another document pertaining to the A-747 Vela Incident, in which the Vela Satellite detected a suspected atmospheric nuclear detonation in the Indian Ocean, south of Africa, on September 22, 1979.

The report was to provide the low yield calculations of the explosion based on the data from the Vela satellite, but all calculations and graph have been redacted. The redacted sections are obviously to keep this information from becoming public in accordance to the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

The actual calculated yield is not given, but if the data was from an explosion, the yield estimates are between two to three kilotons according to Wikipedia.

Related FOIA Documents:
FOIA: Defense Technical Intelligence Report for the 22 Sep 1979 Vela Satellite event
FOIA: DCIA memo on the Sep 22, 1979 Vela Satellite event recording a suspected nuclear test
FOIA: A report by a panel of non-government scientists on the Sep 22, 1979 Vela satellite event

Related Links:
Wikipedia article on the Vela Incident