Editing Nuclear electromagnetic pulse (section)

{{Short description|Effect of a nuclear explosion on electronic equipment}}
{{About|nuclear-generated EMP|other types|Electromagnetic pulse}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}

A '''nuclear electromagnetic pulse''' ('''nuclear EMP''' or '''NEMP''') is a burst of [[electromagnetic radiation]] created by a [[nuclear explosion]]. The resulting rapidly varying [[electric field|electric]] and [[magnetic field]]s may couple with electrical and electronic systems to produce damaging current and [[voltage surge]]s. The specific characteristics of a particular nuclear EMP event vary according to a number of factors, the most important of which is the [[altitude]] of the detonation.

The term "electromagnetic pulse" generally excludes optical (infrared, visible, ultraviolet) and ionizing (such as X-ray and gamma radiation) ranges. In military terminology, a nuclear warhead detonated tens to hundreds of miles above the Earth's surface is known as a high-altitude electromagnetic pulse (HEMP) device. Effects of a HEMP device depend on factors including the altitude of the detonation, [[nuclear weapons yield|energy yield]], [[gamma ray]] output, interactions with the [[Earth's magnetic field]] and [[electromagnetic shielding]] of targets.