EMP

(Electro-magnetic Pulse)

By SK. TARIK AHMED

 INTRODUCTION

I think most of us familiar with the name of EMP by the sake of

the game NFS Hot Pursuit. We saw there cops are busted the street
racer’s cars using EMP. But EMP is quite broadly beside this.

WHAT IS EMP?
An electromagnetic pulse (sometimes abbreviated EMP) is a burst of
electromagnetic radiation that results from an explosion (usually from the
detonation of a nuclear weapon) and/or a suddenly fluctuating magnetic field. The
resulting rapidly changing electric fields or magnetic fields may couple with
electrical/electronic systems to produce damaging current and voltage surges.
It may generated by Natural process- Geomagnetic solar storm, or by Artificially ;
i.e. Nuclear EMP, Non Nuclear EMP.
 GENARATION OF EMP
• We can generate EMP by-
 By nuclear(NEMP)
 By non nuclear process(NNEMP).
• NEMP
• In military terminology, a nuclear bomb detonated hundreds of kilometers above
the Earth's surface is known as a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP)
device. Effects of a HEMP device depend on a very large number of factors,
including the altitude of the detonation, energy yield, gamma ray output,
interactions with the Earth's magnetic field, and electromagnetic shielding of
targets. When nuclear bomb detonated three types of EMP produced-
1. E1
2. E2
3. E3
 EMP 1
 The E1 pulse is the very fast component of nuclear EMP. The E1 component is produced
when gamma radiation from the nuclear detonation knocks electrons out of the atoms in the
upper atmosphere. The typical gamma rays given off by the weapon have an energy of about
2 MEV (calculated by Conrad Longmire). By Compton effect The gamma rays transfer about
half of their energy to the electrons, so these initial electrons have an energy of about 1
MEV. This causes the electrons to begin to travel in a generally downward direction at about
94 percent of the speed of light. Relativistic effects cause the mass of these high energy
electrons to increase to about 3 times their normal rest mass. If there were no geomagnetic
field and no additional atoms in the lower atmosphere for additional collisions, the electrons
would continue to travel downward with an average current density in the stratosphere of
about 48 amperes per square metre. Because of the downward tilt of the Earth's magnetic
field at high latitudes, the area of peak field strength is a U-shaped region to the equatorial
side of the nuclear detonation. The Earth's magnetic field quickly deflects the electrons at
right angles to the geomagnetic field. These initial electrons are stopped by collisions with
other air molecules at a average distance of about 170 metres, and generates secondary
electrons. There are a number of secondary collisions which cause the subsequent electrons
to lose energy before they reach ground level. The electrons generated by these subsequent
collisions have such reduced energy that they do not contribute significantly to the E1 pulse.
These 2 MEV gamma rays will normally produce an E1 pulse near ground level at moderately
high latitudes that peaks at about 50,000 volts per metre. This is a peak power density of 6.6
megawatts per square metre.
 Effects of E1 Pulse

 E1 Pulse travels at 90% of the speed of light

 Peaks after 5 - 10 nanoseconds, over in 1
microsecond
 Normal circuit breakers do not work this fast
 Amplitude up to 50,000 volts/meter
 Circuit boards are 1 million times more sensitive
than vacuum tubes
 Will cause integrated circuits connected to cables
to overheat and give false readings, be damaged
or destroyed
 EMP 2
The E2 component is generated by scattered gamma rays and inelastic
gammas produced by weapon neutrons. This E2 component is an
"intermediate time" pulse that, by the IEC definition, lasts from about 1
microsecond to 1 second after the beginning of the electromagnetic pulse.
The E2 component of the pulse has many similarities to the electromagnetic
pulses produced by lightning, although the electromagnetic pulse induced
by a nearby lightning strike may be considerably larger than the E2
component of a nuclear EMP. Because of the similarities to lightning-caused
pulses and the widespread use of lightning protection technology, the E2
pulse is generally considered to be the easiest to protect against.
According to the United States EMP Commission, the main potential
problem with the E2 component is the fact that it immediately follows the
E1 component, which may have damaged the devices that would normally
protect against E2.
 Effects of E2 Pulse
 E2 Pulse is very similar to the electromagnetic pulse produced by
lightning.
 Because of the widespread use of lightning protection technology, E2
probably is the least dangerous type of EMP
 Effect would be similar to thousands of lighting strikes hitting power lines
simultaneously
 Damage from E1 Pulse immediately previously could partially degrade
lightning protection
 EMP3
The E3 component is very different from the other two major
components of nuclear EMP. The E3 component of the pulse is a very
slow pulse, lasting tens to hundreds of seconds, that is caused by the
nuclear detonation heaving the Earth's magnetic field out of the way,
followed by the restoration of the magnetic field to its natural place.
The E3 component has similarities to a geomagnetic storm caused by a
very severe solar flare. Like a geomagnetic storm, E3 can produce
geomagnetically induced currents in long electrical conductors, which
can then damage components such as power line transformers.
Because of the similarity between solar-induced geomagnetic storms
and nuclear E3, it has become common to refer to solar-induced
geomagnetic storms as "solar EMP." At ground level, however, "solar
EMP" is not known to produce an E1 or E2 component.
 Effects of E3 Pulse
 E3 Pulse lasts from tens of
seconds to several minutes
 Produces direct current Ground
Induced Currents (GIC) in
conductors
 Long distance electrical power
transmission lines make
excellent conductors
 The longer the conductor and
the lower its resistance, the
easier the GIC can flow
 Direct currents of hundreds to
thousands of amperes will flow
into transformers, potentially
causing overheating and fires Transformer Damaged During
1989 Geomagnetic Storm
 NNEMP
Non-nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NNEMP) is an electromagnetic pulse
generated without use of nuclear weapons. There are a number of devices
that can achieve this objective, ranging from a large low-inductance
capacitor bank discharged into a single-loop antenna or a microwave
generator to an explosively pumped flux compression generator. To achieve
the frequency characteristics of the pulse needed for optimal coupling into
the target, wave-shaping circuits and/or microwave generators are added
between the pulse source and the antenna. A vacuum tube particularly
suitable for microwave conversion of high energy pulses is the vircator]
NNEMP generators can be carried as a payload of bombs and cruise
missiles, allowing construction of electromagnetic bombs with diminished
mechanical, thermal and ionizing radiation effects and without the political
consequences of deploying nuclear weapons.
The range of NNEMP weapons (non-nuclear electromagnetic bombs) is
severely limited compared to nuclear EMP. This is because nearly all NNEMP
devices used as weapons require chemical explosives as their initial energy
source, but nuclear explosives have an energy yield on the order of one
million times that of chemical explosives of similar weight.  In addition to the
large difference in the energy density of the initial energy source, the
electromagnetic pulse from NNEMP weapons must come from within the
weapon itself, while nuclear weapons generate EMP as a secondary effect,
often at great distances from the detonation.
 Marx generator
There are several ways to generates NNEMP. But one of the oldest technique is Marx generator.
Principal: A number of capacitors are charged in parallel to a given voltage, V, and then connected in series by spark gap switches, ideally
producing a voltage of V multiplied by the number, n, of capacitors (or stages). Due to various practical constraints, the output voltage is
somewhat less than n×V.
 Hollow tube generators
• The MK-1 generator functions as follows:
• A longitudinal magnetic field is produced inside a hollow metallic conductor,
by discharging a bank of capacitors into the solenoid that surrounds the
cylinder. To ensure a rapid penetration of the field in the cylinder, there is a
slot in the cylinder, which closes rapidly as the cylinder deforms;
• The explosive charge placed around the tube is detonated in a manner that
ensures that the compression of the cylinder commences when the current
through the solenoid is at its maximum;
• The convergent cylindrical shock wave unleashed by the explosion produces a
rapid contraction (greater than 1 km/s) of the central cylinder, compressing
the magnetic field, and creating an inductive current, as per the explanation
above (the speed of contraction permits, to first approximation, the neglect
of Joule losses and the consideration of the cylinder as a perfect conductor).
• The first experiments were able to attain magnetic fields of millions of gauss
(hundreds of teslas, given an initial field of 30 kG (3 T which is in the free
space "air" same as B/u0 = H --> 3 Vs/m^2 / 4pi10^-7 Vs/Am = 2.387x10^6
A/m so it is about 2.4 M A/m)
 Elementary description of flux compression
 An external magnetic field (blue lines) threads a closed ring
made of a perfect conductor (with zero resistance). The nine
field lines represent the magnetic flux threading the ring.

 After the ring's diameter is reduced, the magnetic flux

threading the ring, represented by five field lines, is reduced by
the same ratio as the area of the ring. The variation of the
magnetic flux induces a current in the ring (red arrows), which
in turn creates a new magnetic field, so that the total flux in
the interior of the ring is maintained (four green field lines
added to the five blue lines give the original nine field lines).

 By adding together the external magnetic field and the induced

field, the final configuration after compression can be
obtained; the total magnetic flux through the ring has been
conserved (even though the distribution of the magnetic flux
has been modified), and a current has been created in the
conductive ring.
 Uses of EMP

It can destroy any electronics goods i.e. microprocessors

Several uses in Military and Defense

It can destroy missals before hitting target.

I can destroy fighter plans.

 Eliminate all communication system of enemy .

This EMP Cannon Stops Cars Almost Instantly

 This EMP Cannon
Stops Cars Almost
Instantly:

 Apparently they can also be used to stop

moving cars just as fast. The cannon
demonstrated in the video here is still a
prototype, but it definitely seems to work.
 The idea is that an electromagnetic pulse would
be used to disable a car's microprocessors,
chips, and whatever other electronics are
keeping it running. The final "cannon" system,
built by Eureka Aerospace, will apparently a bit
smaller and lighter than what we see in the
video—it'll be suitcase-sized and about 50
pounds—and it will "stop cars in their tracks up
to 656 feet (200 m) away."
 Australia develops non-nuclear
EMP bombs
– Australia's Defence Science and
Technology Organisation has
revealed a research and
development programme for non-
nuclear electromagnetic pulse
(EMP) bombs, and is building at
least one prototype for testing.
The weapon would be used to
neutralise electronics without
damaging people or property.
Consequences of Power Loss
• “Should the electrical power system be lost
for any substantial period of time … the
consequences are likely to be catastrophic
… machines will stop; transportation and
communication will be severely restricted;
heating, cooling and lighting will cease;
food and water supplies will be interrupted;
and many people may die”

2008 EMP Commission

 Geomagnetic Storms
 March 1989 (Quebec)
 480 nT/min
 Knocked out power to 6 million people in 92 seconds
 May 1921
 Up to 4,800 nT/min
 Sept. 1859 (Carrington event)
 2,000 to 5,000 nT/min
 Nuclear EMP Tests
 US – Starfish Prime (1962)
 1.44 Mt burst, 250 mi altitude over Johnston Island in the South
Pacific
 5.6 kv/m E1 pulse in Honolulu

 USSR – Test 184 (1962)

 300 kt burst, 180 mi altitude over Kazakhstan
 1,000 to 1,300 nT/min E3 pulse
 Power station 300 mi distant set on fire by E3 Pulse effects and
destroyed within 10 seconds
 2,500 amp current induced in overhead phone line
 What Can We Do
 Reestablish the EMP Commission

 Conduct more tests

 Protect transformers and generating plants

 Assure availability of replacement equipment

 Increase number of frequency independent ‘islands’ in the electrical

system

 Expand emergency power supplies

 Extend ‘black start’ capability

 Shield critical SCADA and communications components