Question of the Day #785

Ukraine conflict: What is a vacuum or thermobaric bomb?

From the headline of this article at BBC.com.

  上記の文で、thermobaric bombの意味は？
In the sentence above, what does "thermobaric bomb" mean? 

  答えは、コメントに書いてください。
Write your answer in the Comments.

明日、ここに答えを書きます。
I will add the answer and other remarks here tomorrow.

 

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解答

意味：
RNN時事英語辞典によると、

気化爆弾、サーモバリック爆弾

とありますが、深く探ると「気化爆弾」は「燃料気化爆弾」の略だとわかります。その燃料気化爆弾の仕組みは、Weblioによると、

揮発性及び引火性の高い液体（酸化エチレン・酸化プロピレン・ジメチルヒドラジンなど）を、爆薬によって瞬間的に加圧・沸騰させて空気中に散布し、適度な濃度で着火して爆風と衝撃波を発生させる爆弾。
また「サーモバリック爆弾(Thermobaric Bomb)」とも呼ばれるが、これは液体燃料の代わりに固体燃料を用いて小型化したものを指す場合が多い。

Weblioの記事のつづきがありますので、もっと深く知りたい方は是非リンク先で読みましょう。

Answer

According to the following BBC.com article (which also uses the alternate name "vacuum bomb,"):

A vacuum bomb, also called an aerosol bomb or fuel air explosive, consists of a fuel container with two separate explosive charges.
This can be launched as a rocket or dropped as a bomb from aircraft. When it hits its target, the first explosive charge opens the container and widely scatters fuel mixture as a cloud.
This cloud can penetrate any building openings or defences that are not totally sealed. A second charge then detonates the cloud, resulting in a huge fireball, a massive blast wave and a vacuum which sucks up all surrounding oxygen. The weapon can destroy reinforced buildings, equipment and kill or injure people.  

Examples

• The Russian media immediately reminded us that their own thermobaric bomb – the “father of all bombs” – was four times as powerful: “Kids, meet Daddy,” was how the Kremlin mouthpiece Russia Today put it. - The Guardian, Apr 17, 2017
• “a thermobaric bomb can create overpressures equal to an atomic bomb”
• Previously, Duong was director of Science and Technology at the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Indian Head Division, where she developed the thermobaric bomb. - Washington Post, Aug 20, 2010
• Ukraine's Ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, has accused Russia of attacking Ukrainians using thermobaric bombs, also known as vacuum bombs, during its invasion of the country.
• Thermobaric munitions can be traced back to World War Two, when they were initially used by the German army.

 

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