Weapons Systems

w Weapons Systems

Section Links
X 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Starship

___

TAB 40

Weapon Systems

The most practical use for a powerful laser is to vaporize bits of debris in the path of the spacecraft. Even a small speck of dust can cause lots of damage, at such high speeds. Other uses are as a defensive, or offensive, weapon; and as an experimental laser to test the composition of cosmic clouds, comets, or planets for content by studying the spectrum emitted when decomposed.

Given the vast distance that the laser must travel, the beam must be non dissipating. Theoretically, the best way to do that would be to have two particle beams intertwined like a double helix, one proton bases and the other electron based; so the two attract and remain intertwined. Small bits of neutral matter can be introduced to increase the power/strength of the laser as needed. Thus, you have a Three Body Problem in cross section, what with the proton, neutron, and the much smaller electron.

A Periodic Orbit through L1 and L3

Such a triplex beam is quite versatile because it has the five Lagrange points as control points - making the beam autonomous in its trek through space, seeking/avoiding mass or charge as the case may be. Otherwise, manipulation of the L1, L2 and L3 points allows a measure of control from the source while the beam is being emitted from the vessel. (You can see why gravity is a triplex'd string.)

The best possible artificial source for this type of laser energy is the homopolar - basically a charged disk rotating extremely fast that when stopped (or slowed down quickly) emits a burst of extremely high voltage. Three such devices, configured as stability drivewheels (two of which are coincident wit the warp drives) for the gravity deck, that can be synchronized to emit a pulse along the centerline of the spacecraft.

________________________________
your banner could be here

© 2004 WH Clark