Greetings all.
Currently i'm looking at the missile/rocket theory and interested in finding a fit for the condition of the snow and the victims.
Regular readers will know that i've been interested in nitric acid for a while as a possible explanation, this chemical is a common component of rocket fuel both now and during the period concerned -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nedelin_catastrophe But rocket/missiles with liquid fuels typically have two components so what about other chemicals that could partner nitric acid?
Surfing around on this i've found hydrazine -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrazine it has various names including UDMH as used in the Nedelin disaster.
Note the health effects - "
Hydrazine exposure can cause skin irritation/contact dermatitis and burning, irritation to the eyes/nose/throat, nausea/vomiting, shortness of breath, pulmonary edema, headache, dizziness, central nervous system depression, lethargy, temporary blindness, seizures and coma. Exposure can also cause organ damage to the liver, kidneys and central nervous system.[24][25] Hydrazine is documented as a strong skin sensitizer with potential for cross-sensitization to hydrazine derivatives following initial exposure"Bingo!?
Also note this :-
- "Hydrazine is a convenient reductant because the by-products are typically nitrogen gas and water. Thus, it is used as an antioxidant, an oxygen scavenger, and a corrosion inhibitor in water boilers and heating systems."
- "These derivatives are used in two-component rocket fuels, often together with dinitrogen tetroxide, N2O4. These reactions are extremely exothermic, and the burning is also hypergolic (it starts burning without any external ignition)"
So the two fuels combined are extremely exothermic (= produce heat) but this chemical also reacts with oxygen, which (i assume) also generates some heat. So hydrazine on it's own would heat up the air and warm the snow and deposit warm water? Hmmm apparently it is a clear liquid (unlike nitric acid).
Now all of this is from a layman with no chemistry knowledge. So i'd be interested in any expert opinion. One of the avenues to chase along is the dark orange skin that curiously appeared post autopsy. I've been reading about the decomposition of human bodies
https://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2015/may/05/life-after-death and come across this -
"As damaged blood cells continue to leak from disintegrating vessels, anaerobic (bacteria) convert haemoglobin molecules, which once carried oxygen around the body, into sulfhaemoglobin.".
Maybe there's a chemical reaction there to explain this?
So imo the rocket theory has legs. :-
- The fuels can explain Yuri K's burnt leg.
- The persistent footprints, the snow melted and then refroze.
- Gives a reason for Zina to just lie down and die and her bruise on her side, she might have been blinded and unable to continue. The autopsy notes her corneas were cloudy.
- Rustem got smacked hard on the head by some fragment and then tumbled badly this explains his head injuries and internal bleeding.
- Yuri D and Yuri K demonstrate asymmetric frostbite relative to the others because Yuri K was burnt on the descent and he only got to the cedar (with YuriD's full assistance) after a considerable period giving the windchill far more time to take effect.
- Yuri D climbed the cedar to call out to Zina (who he had dated in the past) and Rustem who he had left on the slope to assist Yuri K. Then he fell down dead with a pulmonary edema.
- The area at the cedar was littered with fragments of partly burnt clothing.
- Explains why the cedar was abandoned, after Yuri D died of an edema staying in the open air clearly carried substantial risk. Best to dig a hole in the snow with as little ventilation as necessary. They had the expert in Semyon.
- Igor had vomited and had bleeding orifices.
- Both Igor Yuri D and Yuri K have similar marks on their skin which include "stripes" and right angles. Right angles are not common in nature -
- The injuries to the hands could be explained as an attempt to protect the face/head from further burns/impacts. (Zina/Igor/one of the Yuris).
As you probably know my explanation for the deaths of the ravine four is -
https://forum.dyatlovpass.com/index.php?topic=398.90"May they rest in peace".
Regards.