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        TITLE: A History of the Semipalatinsk Nuclear Test Site
	ALTERNATE TITLE: Soviet Nuclear Testing: The Legacy of Semipalatinsk
        AUTHOR: Gary K. Au, BSc.(Hons) Ph.D, (University of Melbourne)
	PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press, U.K.
        PROJECTED RELEASE DATE: Late 1997
        PAGES: approx 400

	CONTENTS, PREFACE

	FOREWORD

	ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

	INTRODUCTION (description of the test site and its facilities)

	CHAPTERS

        1.) Selection of the Test Site by Russian authorities
	2.) Fission Bomb Testing
		- reasons for Russian development of fission bomb
			- response to American fission stockpile
		- work towards the bomb, and facility construction
		- contributions by Kurchatov, Khariton, Shchelkin, Zel'dovich
			and Flerov to the bomb program
		- Aug 29, 1949 first Russian 20kt fission bomb
			- descriptions and experiences of the test
			- Burnazin's tanks
		- Sep 25, 1951 40kt U-235 and Pu bomb
		- Oct 18, 1951 first air drop from Tu-4 bomber
		- Aug 1953 refinements to fission bomb 
		- other 1953 fission bomb tests
		- Sep 14, 1954 Totskoe medium fission bomb during troop exercises
		- Sept-Oct 1954 series of fission bombs, Oct 19 fizzle
		- Jul 29, 1955 5kt fission bomb
		- Aug 2, 1955 25kt fission bomb
		- Sep 21, 1955 Novaya Zemlya 20kt underwater test
		- military effects testing
			- animal exposure experiments
			- hardware exposure
			- exposure of military personnel
			- military "war" exercises in ground zero
			- scientific data on experiments
	3.) Thermonuclear Bomb Testing
		- reasons for Russian development of thermonuclear bomb
		- would Russians have made H-bomb if Americans didn't?
		- Sakharov's 3 breakthroughs on thermonuclear bomb design
			- separation of primary and secondary stages
			- radiation imposlosion via X-ray fluourescence
				of high-Z bomb casing
			- subsequent compression of Li6D fuel
			- parallels to U.S. "Ivy Mike" device by Ed Teller and S. Ulam
		- Aug 12, 1953 first 400kt thermonuclear bomb
		- Nov 6, 1955 version of Aug 12, 1953 design, 215kt
		- 1956 first 2 stage H-bomb test, 1.6MT
		- the 60MT test
	4.) Atmospheric Testing (1949-1962)
		- scientific data on the 90 shots (11 clouds drifting beyond test area)
		- 26 ground tests, and exposure rates
		- fallout cloud maps, detailing areas affected
	5.) The Move to Underground Testing (1962-1989)
		- the Partial Test Ban Treaty
		- the 350 underground explosions and venting
		- the 30 cases where people have been affected by venting
		- comparisions with U.S. testing at Nevada test site, and
			Chinese testing at Lop Nor
	6.) Other Kazakh Test Site Histories
		- Emba
		- Sary Shagan
		- Number 170, 171, 85, 231 (aviation test centre), and
			29 (communications test site)
	7.) Medical Effects of Fallout and Contamination
		- Azgir area and radiation leakages reported there
		- Atyrauski Region contamination
		- fallout on city of Semipalatinsk 
		- medical reports and statistics of radiation illness
			- leukemia, and other cancers
			- birth defects/infant mortality rates
			- Sr-90, Cs-137 levels in soil and food chain
	8.) Closure of the Site
		- breakup of Soviet Union
		- transfer of Russian nuclear weapons from Kazakh territories
		- ramifications of Nazarbaev's decision on Aug 29, 1991 
		- history of "Nevada-Semipalatinsk" group headed by
			Suleimenov, with Nazarbaev's permission
		- possible interviews with NNC personnel
	9.) The Future of Semipalatinsk-21
		- current collaborations with U.S. organisations
			- Columbia U. joint-seismological stations
			- defense conversion
		- further collaboration with Russian military
		- collaborations with the Chinese
		- future of the NNC personnel
		- decontamination efforts

	COLOUR PLATE SECTION

		- colour photos/archive film of major testing events
			- first fission bomb (mushroom cloud and bomb case)
			- first H-bomb (mushroom cloud and bomb case)
			- first superbomb (mushroom cloud and bomb case)
			- the enormous 60 MT test 
			- underground tests
		- panorama footage of the Semipalatinsk-21 site, and bomb craters
		- main buildings at the site
		- military effects testing
		- photos of the main scientists/project leaders at the site

	APPENDICES

	a.) List of all announced Soviet tests in Kazakhstan, detailing yields,
		locations, and other data
	b.) Detailed maps of the test sites
	c.) Chronology of major Kazakh events related to Semipalatinsk-21 testing

	GLOSSARY (of nuclear test terms) 

        FURTHER READING

        INDEX

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