Abstract and subjects
If a large explosive event were to occur in a modern, urban area, the resulting overpressure would propagate outwards in a roughly spherical shell at a velocity greater than the speed of sound. The resulting destruction of the infrastructure of the area will occur along the leading edge of the expanding shock wave causing damage to electric devices that may fail at the precise time that the wave passes over. By noting the time that computers, cell phones, cell phone towers, and networking equipment cease operation, it is possible to construction a map of the time that each device ceased communicating. This provides data that can be used to the determine the originating position of the blast. The speed of the resulting shock wave as a function of the radial position will also provide an estimate of the energy released from the explosion. This information can be used by first responders to estimate the region of greatest damage for allocation of resources. Nuclear forensics experts responsible for determining the origin and nature of the explosive device would also have an immediate assessment of the explosive energy, information that can be used to determine whether the device was made from conventional explosives or nuclear fission or fusion based. The method for obtaining this information is outlined, including the modified simplex optimization method used to process the data.