P4 2 Atmospheric Ignition

Abstract

This paper examines the theoretical risk of triggering a chain reaction in Earth’s atmosphere due to the detonation of a nuclear fission bomb, during the Trinity test from the Manhattan Project. It explores nuclear fusion processes, specifically nitrogen fusion reactions, and calculates the energy and temperature thresholds required for such a reaction to occur. The analysis shows that the bomb's core reaches an upper limit temperature of approximately 1.29 MeV, with an extremely low probability (8.542 x 10⁻⁵⁰$) of initiating a chain reaction. Leading to the conclusion that the possibility of atmospheric ignition from a nuclear bomb detonation is virtually non-existent, despite concerns raised during the development of the bomb.