scope:

Scope and object

This section of IEC 1000-2 defines the high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) environment that is one of the consequences of a high-altitude nuclear explosion.

Those dealing with this subject consider two cases:

 - high-altitude nuclear explosions;

 - low-altitude nuclear explosions.

For civil systems, the most important case is the high-altitude nuclear explosion. In this case, the other effects of the nuclear explosion: blast, ground shock, thermal and nuclear ionizing radiation are not present at the ground level. However the electromagnetic pulse associated with the explosion may cause disruption of, and damage to, communication, electronic and electric power systems thereby upsetting the stability of modern society.

The object of this standard is to establish a common reference for the HEMP environment in order to select realistic stresses to apply to victim equipment for evaluating their performance.