AiS Challenge Team Interim Report

Team Number: 011

School Name: Bosque School

Area of Science: Environmental Science

Project Title: Modeling the Spread of Radiation From A Dirty Bomb

Problem Definition:


 America is at war with a skeletal force scattered across the world, the terrorists. In the past these terrorists have attacked America with tremendous and surprising after affects. These attack methods include, biological radioactivity, soldier warfare, and the common hijacking and bomb method. In our project we have set up a scenario in which a dirty bomb (a bomb containing radioactivity) explodes at a subway station in New York City. At 12:00 pm the bomb will detonate. The wind in the subway tunnels made from the subway speed and the negative pressure underground combined with the positive pressure above ground will make draft coming out of the subway station entrances. Thus spreading the radiation above ground. Everybody, underground and above ground will be affecting by this radiation just by walking through it or breathing it.

Problem Solution:


 The detonation and after affects of the dirty bomb explosion will be all modeled using StarLogo. It will explode in Queens Station; the program will model the radiation spread and the people who have been infected by it. We believe that we will have to have more than one computer working on this problem at once. Or somehow layer the program so we can simulate the difference between the subway and the surface.

Progress To Date:


 All of our team members are new to supercomputing and are still learning how to use StarLogo, the program we will be using to model our problem. So far using the program, we have learned to make the turtles explode and turn when they hit obstacles. We think have done sufficient research to know enough about radiation and its affects on people and the things around them. We have exactly 5 sources (4 from internet, 1 from book) which are listed below.

Expected Results:


 After finishing the program, we will run it numerous times to come up with a conclusion. After that we will probably expand the experiment to next year if we decide to compete in the AIS Challenge. We hope that the information compiled can help the US defend cities against a dirty bomb explosion in the near future.

Bibliography:


Bobick, James, and Margery Peffer. Science and Technology Desk Reference Second Edition. 1996: Gale, 1996. Page: 447-448

Burgess, Mark. “PASCAL’S NEW WAGER: The Dirty Bomb Threat Heightens.” February 4, 03. CDI. 10/12/04. http://www.cdi.org/terrorism/dirty-bomb.cfm

Groleau, Rick. “Sources of Radiation.” February 2003. PBS. 10/12/04. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/dirtybomb/sources.html

Langer , Gary “Terror vs. Liberties Poll: Americans Believe Stopping Terror Is More Important Than Privacy” http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/terror_ poll020610.html

Map Quest. 2004. MapQuest.com. 10/12/04. http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?country=US&co untryid=US&addtohistory=&searchtype=address&cat=&address=&city=New%20York%20City&state=NY&zipcode=&search=%20%20Search%20%20& searchtab=address

NYC Subway. NycSubway.com. 5/24/04.http://www.nycsubway.org/maps/route/

“New Safety Standards Proposed for Dirty Bomb Attacks” NPR. Mar. 7, 2002. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=3623 230

Weather Underground. WeatherUnderground.com 10/12/04.http://www.weatherunderground.com/h istory/airport/KNYC/2003/5/15/DailyHistory.html

Team Members

Sponsoring Teacher(s)