PhysicsGlobal Studies 280

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Physics/Global Studies 280

• Session 1
• Module 1 Introduction to the Course

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Introduction of Physics 280 Staff

• Frederick K. Lamb, Course Director and
  InstructorProfessor of Physics and Astronomy
• Jurgen Scheffran, LecturerResearch Scientist,
  ACDIS Program
• James Coggeshall, TAPhysics
• Justin Cook Physics
• Izabela Dziubinski, TARhetoric/Creative Writing,
  ESL Instructor
• Erica LynnElectrical Engineering
• Mark RegulaLinguistics and International Studies

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Frederick Lamb  1

• Faculty member at the University of Illinois
  since 1970
• Fortner Endowed Chair in Theoretical
  AstrophysicsDirector of the Center for
  Theoretical Astrophysics
• Research focus is high-energy and relativistic
  astrophysics
• Black holes and strong-field gravity
• Neutron stars, pulsars, and ultradense matter
• X-ray and gamma-ray stars
• Played a leadership role in the conception,
  development, launch, and successful operation of
  NASAs Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer satellite
  mission
• Chair of NASAs Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer
  satellite mission planning group

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Frederick Lamb  2

• Faculty member in the Illinois Program in Arms
  Control, Disarmament, and International Security
• Consultant to the Department of Defense,
  Department of Energy, Department of State. US
  Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, and the U.S.
  Congress (intelligence and foreign relations)
• Consultant to the Institute for Defense Analyses
  on arms control, ballistic missile flight,
  nuclear weapon tests, space weapons, U.S.
  space-launch capabilities, and space and
  aerospace vehicles, computerized battle
  simulations
• Chief technical expert consultant for the
  Department of Defense program to verify
  restrictions on underground nuclear testing
• Member, technical support committee for the U.S.
  delegation to the 198990 U.S.Soviet
  negotiations on nuclear testing
• Co-chair of 20012003 American Physical Society
  Study of Boost-Phase Ballistic Missile Defense

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Introduction of Some Physics 280 Students

• Your name?
• Year in school?
• Major?
• Any background in the subject?
• Why are you taking the course?
• What do you hope for from the course?

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History of Physics 280

• First offered in Spring 1982
• Course development motivated by concern about the
  growing threat of nuclear weapons and nuclear war
• Taught by a team of 13 faculty volunteers from
  the Physics, Astronomy, and (then) Nuclear
  Engineering departments
• Second offering in Spring 1983
• Co-taught by Frederick Lamb and Jeremiah Sullivan
• Submitted and approved as a regular course
• Has been taught every spring semester since
• Has served as model for courses elsewhere
• Most courses elsewhere have died off
• Physics 280 is arguably the longest running
  course of its kind

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Physics 280 Topics

• Introductionbrief history of the development of
  nuclear weapons and attempts to control them
  nuclear terrorism
• Nuclear weapon physics and designs
• Nuclear explosionseffects of a single explosion,
  of a nuclear war, comparison to effects of
  biological, chemical, and radiological weapons
• Nuclear weapon delivery systems
• Nuclear weapon programs and arsenals
• Nuclear arms controltreaties and other
  approaches to controlling nuclear weapons,
  verification technology
• Missile defensespast, present, and future
• Conclusions and future directions

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Physics 280 Web Site

• http//online.physics.uiuc.edu/courses/phys280/Spr
  ing07/

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Introduction to Physics 280  1

• Course information
• The P280 web site is Central Command for this
  course
• Write web site URL on blackboard
• Consult it oftenevery day, if possiblefor
  assignments and updates
• Class meetings
• Lectures (slides posted on Physics 280 website
  after each lecture)
• Videos, demos, QA, discussions of readings and
  current events
• Writing Labs
• Explanation of writing assignments
• Instruction and guidance on how to write for the
  course
• Writing exercises
• Help in revising first versions of writings

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Introduction to Physics 280  2

• Required Texts
• The Little, Brown Essential Handbook for Writers,
  by Jane E. Aaron
• What Terrorists Want, by Louise Richardson
• The Gravest Danger, by Sidney D. Drell and James
  E. Goodby (available as a PDF file on the P280
  Links page)
• OTA Report on Technologies Underlying Weapons of
  Mass Destruction (available as a PDF file on the
  P280 Links page)
• Nuclear Terrorism, by Graham Allison
• Reading and Writing Assignments and Guidance
• All will be posted on the course website
• You should check the course website daily
  Optional readings and other materials
• You are encouraged to read New York Times (NYT)
  and other sources of national and international
  news about topics related to Physics 280
• You are also encouraged to bring interesting
  articles, TV programs, and movies to the
  attention of the Instructors

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Introduction to Physics 280  3

• Physics 280 is an Advanced Composition Course
• Previous credit for a Composition course is an
  absolute prerequisite
• Even if you have already met the UI Advanced
  Composition requirement, you must do all the
  writing assignments
• You must submit four Required Essays (40 of
  total course score)
• 1, 2, 3, and 4 pages in length, respectively
• Each must be revised once
• Both versions count equally
• High penalty for late submissions
• You may submit up to two Extra Credit Essays (1.5
  pages ea.)
• Each counts the same as one version of an essay
• Scores add to total essay score until 100 is
  reached

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Introduction to Physics 280  4

• You must submit a Research Paper (30 of total
  course score)
• On a topic chosen in consultation with the
  instructor
• Your proposal must be approved on advance by the
  instructor
• Your paper must address both technical and policy
  aspects of some issue (balance need not be 5050)
• Grades on first and second versions count equally
• An early start is imperative!
• We strictly enforce the UIs rules on academic
  integrity
• All assignments are checked by course staff for
  compliance with the UIs rules on academic
  integrity( see the course web site for a link)
• All writing assignments are scanned using
  plagiarism detection software

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Introduction to Physics 280  5

• In-Class Mid-Term Exam (10 of total course
  score)
• Closed book
• Tests factual knowledge and understanding
• Writing quality not graded
• Scheduled Final Exam (20 of total course score)
• Closed book
• Tests factual knowledge and understanding
• Writing quality of answers not graded
• Will emphasize material presented after midterm
  exam

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Physics 280 Session 1

• Plan for Next Session (Thursday)
• Questions and Announcements
• Video Race for the Superbomb (PBS), Part 2
• Discussion of the video
• Write Required Essay 1 Version 1 (RE1v1) in
  class
• Your RE1v1 must be handed to a TA before you
  leave class

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Physics 280 Session 2

• Race for the Superbomb, Part 2

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Physics 280 Session 2

• In-class Writing AssignmentRequired Essay 1,
  Version 1 (RE1v1) must be handed in before
  leaving class
• Choose one important problem related to nuclear
  weapons that the United States currently faces.
  It need not be the most important problem. It
  should involve a technological issue, a policy
  issue, or both. Write a 2-paragraph essay with
  the following structure
• In the first paragraph, state clearly the problem
  and why it is important.
• In the second paragraph, give your recommendation
  for how the United States should deal with the
  problem.
• Further guidance
• Each paragraph should begin with a strong topical
  sentence that tells the reader what to expect in
  the paragraph.
• If your essay has more than 2 paragraphs, you
  will receive a score of zero!
• Do not make the paragraphs too long. This is a
  1-page (typed) essay.
• Use active voice!
• You will be graded on the content and clarity of
  your writing, not the number of words.
• Avoid unnecessary words, especially adjectives an
  adverbs.
• A 2-paragraph essay has no room for telling the
  reader what you will do or for repetitionjust
  say what you want to say, once!

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Physics 280 Session 3

• Race for the Superbomb, Part 3

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Physics 280 Session 3

• Discussion ofRace for the Superbomb

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Physics 280 Session 3

• Weapons of Mass Destruction

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Nuclear Weapons Are the Only True Weapons of
Mass Destruction

• Only nuclear weapons are truly weapons of mass
  destruction and only nuclear weapons threaten
  the survival of the U.S.
• Nuclear weapons are the only weapons that could
• Kill millions of people almost instantly
• Destroy the infrastructure and social fabric of
  the United States
• Even a simple fission weapon can release a
  million times more destructive energy per
  kilogram than conventional explosives.
• Chemical and biological weapons do not have this
  capacity.
• For these reasons, nuclear weapons were for
  decades considered the only weapons of mass
  destruction.

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Weapons of Mass Destruction

• In recent years there has been a tendency to
  include in this same category
• radiological weapons (dirty bombs)
• chemical weapons
• biological agents
• a single hand grenade!
• Broadening the definition in this way obscures
  the profound differences in the
• lethality and destructiveness
• timescales on which effects are felt
• possibility of protecting against them (or not)
• Broadening the definition in this way also
  distracts us from focusing on the most dangerous
  threat, the threat posed by nuclear weapons

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Radiological Weapons

• A radiological weapon is a device that spreads
  radioactive material
• Such a weapon is a weapon of mass disruption, not
  a mass destruction
• Release of radioactive material in a city would
  not
• physically damage structures
• immediately injure anyone
• It probably would
• contaminate a few city blocks with intensely
  radioactive material
• contaminate a larger area with more weakly
  radioactive material
• If explosives were used to disperse the material,
  the explosion could cause a small amount of
  damage and some injuries.
• Depending on their exposure to radiation and how
  they were treated 
• 100 s or perhaps even 1,000 s of people could
  become sick
• a larger number could have a somewhat higher
  probability of developing cancer or other
  diseases later
• The main effect would be to create fear and
  disrupt normal activities

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Chemical Weapons

• A chemical weapon is a device that releases toxic
  chemicals.
• Release of toxic chemicals in a city would not
  cause mass destruction but would 
• create fear
• disrupt normal activities
• possibly cause a large number of casualties.
• The most deadly chemicals, such as nerve gases,
  are complicated to synthesize, extremely
  dangerous to handle, and difficult to use
  effectively.
• A complex long-term effort would be needed to
  develop and effectively deliver such an agent.
• If dispersed effectively, a chemical agent could
  contaminate a substantial area.
• If toxic enough, it might cause 100 s or even
  1,000 s of casualties, but it would not destroy
  buildings or vital infrastructure.
• Precautions before and after such a release and
  rapid medical treatment and decontamination
  afterward could reduce substantially the number
  of casualties, especially for less deadly agents.

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Biological Weapons

• Release of a biological agent would create fear
  and disrupt normal activities, but would not
  cause mass destruction.
• In order to cause mass casualties, substantial
  amounts of agents such as anthrax, smallpox, and
  plague would have to be converted into tiny
  particles and then dispersed in an aerosol.
• Because these agents are so deadly, the required
  forms and the equipment needed to disperse them
  are difficult to come by.
• A complex long-term effort would be needed to
  develop and effectively deliver such an agent.
• A pathogen such as anthrax that does not produce
  contagious disease could be used to attack a
  particular building or city.
• A pathogen such as smallpox that produces a
  deadly contagious disease would be a doomsday
  weapon, because it could kill millions of people
  around the glob, including the group or nation
  that released it.
• In countries with an effective public health
  service, prompt quarantine, vaccination, and
  other measures could reduce the number of
  casualties, the area affected, and the time
  required to get the disease under control.
• In less-developed countries, a contagious deadly
  disease could be devastating..

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Nuclear Weapons

• In contrast to a chemical or biological agent, a
  small (10 kiloton) nuclear weapon detonated in
  a major city would kill more than 100,000 people
  and reduce tens of square kilometers to rubble
  almost instantly.
• Even a crude nuclear device that fizzled would
  destroy many square kilometers of a city and kill
  tens of thousands of people.
• A large (1 megaton) nuclear weapon could kill
  millions of people and destroy hundreds of square
  kilometers within a few seconds.
• Those who survived a nuclear explosion would
  have to deal with severe physical trauma, burns,
  and radiation sickness. Vital infrastructure
  would be destroyed or damaged, and radioactivity
  would linger for years near and downwind of the
  explosion.
• Unlike the effects of a chemical or biological
  weapon, the devastating effects of a nuclear
  weapon on a city cannot be reduced significantly
  by actions taken before or after the attack.