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Some time ago, I've begun to hinder local folks by my knowledge in high energy physics. I still think that "realistic" weapons and armor can't make StP more doomed it's already is
. I do remember lot of ways of bringing good things to death, all are worst.
1. Rail guns. Employs electromagnetic force (Amper's law) as way of acceleration. This stuff consists of two sturdy conductive "rails" with small constant width gap inside. This rays are connected to high power pulsed voltage generator (what currently means _huge_ capacitors battery; this batteries generally aren't easy to climb on). Projectile is placed between rails. After pulse, rails are connected via streamer type discharge. This discharge forms Pi-like contour which "want" to remove projectile from itself. Naive estimations may say what theoretical limit of velocity is c, but there are some really nasty plasma ion instabilities what hinder human-kind lust of blood and place ceil near 10 km/s. Real rail guns I've seen made something like 4-7 km/s, or 2-3 times better than chemical guns. Disadvantages: needs huge pulsed power supply, rails become terrible twisted after single shot, projectile becomes heated and deformed. There is huge room for improvement, BTW.
2. Advanced conventional guns. Conventional == stuff with long accelerator barrel which pushes projectile via pressure. Modern chemical guns are near their theoretical limit, and its hard to improve. Bacicaly, it depends on specific energy of gunpowder and molecular weight of its burn products. But barrel itself may be to young to die.
a) Two-stage guns. This stuff is used in high energy physics, especially in America (Russians prefer explosives) and consists of ordinary gun barrel that accelerates heavy piston. This piston then compress light has (H2, He) is so-called high pressure camera. Real projectile is placed in second barrel, just near intake, so it can be "escaped" by working pressure but not before. This projectile can be accelerated as fast as ~10 km/s. Disadvantages: huge size, extremely slow fire.
b) Plasma gun. Rather than gunpowder, we may use other propelent with external energy source, so specific energy limit may be effectively overridden. Disadvantages: needs huge power source, so may fire slow. Barrel will be surely damaged by superheated plasma. Scheme with internal nanite repair is left for readers exercise.
c) Laser or beam acceleration. This stuff is like previous, but we may use rear part of projectile as propelent (much like rocket), with laser or beam heating. Currently, people accelerate thin foils to ~100 km/s. Disadvantages: needs much power, laser beam will be blocked by spreading plasma cloud. This stuff isn't especially "conventional", as it may be used without any barrel. Why I placed it here?
3. Plasma cannons. This stuff isn't as deadly as old Doomers may think. In fact, it's almost harmless. Plasma may be really hot, but its density is too low. Wonder if may be used in any atmosphere. In vacuum, spreading will limit range, too. Concerning Star Trek plasma torpedo: even this stuff isn't total buzzword, it's really hard to implement. Hot plasma tends to cool down really quick (in matter of microseconds), it's intrinsically unstable and hard to control even with lots of huge magnets hoarding around. IMHO, it may be even theoretically impossible to bind this stuff from inside... But, plasma tech may be used inside warheads of missiles (or "drones" in Star Trek science blasphemy).
4. Particle cannons. This stuff may be really nasty way of sending stuff to hell. Particles may be easily accelerated to speeds indistinguishable from speed of light in sense of targeting, so it isn't easy thing to dodge. Currently, "military grade" accelerators may be subdivided into 3 ranges:
a) Electron beams. This stuff may be done huge, pulsed beams may be almost arbitrary energy, end their efficiency is about 50% (without battery). Disadvantages: electron beams tend to collapse, producing "overkill" energy fluxes, electrons have too small penetration depth even against "light" materials, producing too quickly attenuating shock waves (compared to projectiles), it may be deflected using electromagnetic methods.
b) Proton beams. This ones are bigger, more energy intense, and more costly bigger brothers of electron beams. They are less efficient, too. But protons have much more penetration, while they tend to produce so-called Bragg's peak.
c) Heavy ions & friends. Currently, they're junk. While the above accelerators are, in general, "streamers", or, more precise, linear, ions currently can't be accelerated to dramatical energies and needs so-called accelerating rings - bulky, heavy, inefficient. Heavy ions can't be accelerated in much quantities, and while energy flux isn't as bad, total energy is pity.
Common disadvantages: All the above needs really lot of energy to operate.
5. Static cannons. These ones are basically macro-particle linear accelerators,
usually powered by Van-der-Graff statical high (several MV are easy) voltage generators. They accelerate micron-sized particles which are charged beforehand. Achieved velocities may be as high as several hundred km/s, but ROF and general kinetic energy flux isn't as spectacular.
6. Explosive acceleration. Plate placed on big explosive charge may be easily accelerated to several km/s (depends on explosive used, TNT < RDX < HMX~the_best). With some tweaking, this tech may be employed for killing stuff. In fact, it's already used. BTW, thiner plate = more velocity, but long projectile is far better is senses of both penetration and ballistics. This problem may be resolved by specially shaped charge that deforms accelerated plate (in fact, real deformation occurs after acceleration) and makes it "flying fist" rather than flying pancake, but I fear I shouldn't say any further. Use your imagination for details...
Analogous stuff may be performed using so-called electrical explosion of conductors, which occur then conductive media is almost instantly overheated to plasma temperatures via _huge_ current. BTW, electricity makes better energy than chemicals, but chemicals are "encapsulated" energy and easily available at any time, while electricity or likewises must be produced, not-so-easy stored and then used in one unit. Suggestions?
7. Lasers. Lasers definitely are more dangerous in SCSI-fi rather than real life, but it may eventually change (still unlikely, tough). The main problem with laser "fire" is its extremely low penetration depth (~wavelength in metals) and easy blocking by plasma. Inside atmosphere, it causes so-called laser "spark" which is due to avalanche-like heating of air initiated by hot plasma emitted form the target. This phenomenon may even damage or destroy laser itself. Hey, laser may be destroyed by single dust particle sitting on its "face" surface, as it particle will explode, generate cloud of plasma and eat all the pulse energy in deathly dangerous vicinity. So really powerful lasers are placed inside "clean rooms" what is really far relative to battlefield.
If your fire laser and still alive, you mustn't be disappointed by the fact that only first several ns of your pulse are really effective. After this time (more if target is covered by something hard to vaporize, say, tungsten or niobium carbide) laser beam in fact heats cloud of plasma rather than target. It's exactly like earth ionosphere what mirrors long radio waves, but much more dense. OK, target is still heated by cloud's IR radiation, heat transfer and attenuated laser beam, but it not such fun as at beginning. So you must choice: either you make really short pulses (wasting much of laser's energy via so-called "efficiency modulation" technique) or waste pulse energy by heating air and generating nice bright flash. Your desire.
Recently, new kind of lasers was introduced, namely femtosecond lasers (1 fs = 10^-15 s). This stuff hinders matter by different way. It's pulse if to fast to do something with ion lattice, as their time of response is something about ~10^-12 s. Electromagnetic field in this beam is so strong that it can easily stone electrons from atoms. This electrons become really fast and run away from beam like mad. Ions become disappointed by this and also become angry, just after 10^-12 s. This stuff is called "Coulomb's explosion".
So modern lasers are strange creatures, but they're still hardly usable for military. But, this problems may be overridden via either sheer pulses energy or clever and novel techniques that I'm unaware of, like spatial energy profiling and so. Later, I may question my colleagues that are in it. Currently I know that ring patterns are more profitable to use, they are less hindered by plasma and shock wave may be focused at desired depth in target, forming so-called Mach's surface. Periodical wave strobing is also OK, as it cloud may dissolve between pulses.
8. Microwave. Your can toast your enemies from great distances using pulsed microwave energy emmiters. This waves may be aimed using so-called phase lattices. This stuff is fairly [cost]effective, easy to use and not so disappointing as lasers. Microwaves may be stopped by any conductive material, but they tend to use even tightest flaws to break thru. It's great stuff for melting enemy's circuits, cooking brains of their soldiers etc.
9. Sonic. Sonic waves may be dangerous. They may be focused to small surface and bring the power for people - unwanted power. Infra-sonic waves are deadly for living creatures. It's natural precursor for many catastrophic events and wreaks terror even among steel-heart ones. High intensities are in fact deadly. It's almost impossible to insulate from (cause it the same as with "long projectile is better", can your comprehend it? If not, I need to explain this better). But this stuff still needs some media, earth or water if better than air, but air is enough to kill lot of people... kinda neutron bomb without radiation... dirty thing.
10. Nanites. This thing seems to be favorite gadget in StP, but it was mentioned as armor enhancements. BTW, all-eating nanites may become deadly weapon. BTW, I'm still wondering about their energy source, communications and control.
11. Missile/bomb/mine warheads. The main problem with missiles and their ilk is traveling to its prey, which among other things encompasses propulsion problem. But, StP is something about space colonization, so let's say we have pretty good prop in hand. I'm not a rocket engine expert, but I really know how they really work (including real working examples... fear I can't say which examples and how good they are except that they are exciting good in some aspects) and modern propulsion tech are close to its theoretical limit (darned specific energy and molecular weight). So you need something really new. Concerning warheads:
a) Chemical ones, currently 99.9% of net use:
a1) HE - most commonly used, dumb type known several centuries (to Chinese at least). Penetration depth is roughly proportional to caliber and isn't exceptionally fascinating. Warhead may "wait" some time from impact before actually detonate as it may penetrate deeper into enemy structure or unit. BTW, buildings are more easily exploded from low levels and perfectly placed charged or bombs must be somewhere deep, preferably nearby carrier walls. This is also true for killing, say, ships.
a2) Cumulative ones: form tight stream of really fast "heavy metal" (it's fun, but this metal isn't dramatically hot, at least until it strikes something; it's "dissolved" by pressure rather than heat; shock waves in general aren't especially good heaters while they're not really "strong"; without much of math, common explosive wave isn't especially "strong" while air wave generated by a-bomb is). This stream splices thru armour and makes big deals. Warhead can't be rotating. Velocity may be about ~10 km/s, and even more for electrical collapce.
a3) Napalm and friends: Either day is to cold or morning isn't smelly, you may bring more warm to your life using this sticky jelly. In general, napalm consist of some fuel combined with jelly to stick to walls, ceil, skin etc. _Some_ states (NATO and USSR for sure) add some more dopes which makes cure for burns impossible. This stuff is usually employed in special containers what spread it over great territory. Napalm tends to sink even into smallest flaws, easily burns on ceiling, and tends to drop oxygen level dramatically. Isn't especially good against armour.
a4) Volume explosion. Warhead expands great amount of gaseous fuel into air, then ignite. Ka-boom! Great, strong, "long" explosion from that isn't easy to hide.
b) Fission: BTW, a-bombs tend to decrease their size over time, today it may be fitted into 230 mm gun and even less.
c) Fusion: way to dirty, big and lethal, this things may really object minaturisation. BTW, "inertial confinement fusion", dream of at least 50% physicist in high energy physics (hey, this dream is too long!) may eventually lead to production of really small fusion _targets_, but they must rely on some external energy source. For example, attacker may "ignite" it via some beam if it's pretty nearby some sweet victim.
d) Anti-matter? Much a bang for much a buck, this stuff isn't easy to obtain and even harder to store. This thing may eventually become ultimate killer, obliterating entire worlds with suitcase-sized gadget. Dust sized ones may be used for killing tanks or so. Someone knows how to create this stuff en mass?
e) Collapsars? BTW, these ones may be formed by sending lot of matter (or energy) into small volume (its size for spherical geometry is known as Shwarchshield's radius if I spell correctly). This matter/energy will form "black hole". Unless you're sending something really heavy (earth mass fits), this black hole will "evaporate" in matter of fractions of femtosecond, forming storm of high energy particles. So your effectively waste your energy, converting form one form into another, less suitable for destruction. If formed inside target, it may eat atom or two before collapsing, if it's extremely lucky. Any reasonable big black hole must be _*H*E*A*V*Y*_. Moving collapsar may trek thru its victim, eating unlucky sparse particles and will eventually explode, so this stuff may be used as form of "delayed explosion", but it must be really fast in order to travel any macroscopic distance. Gravitation forces isn't as dramatically huge as one may think. BTW, two gravitation acting on pair of electrons placed with 1 m in between is ~ as electrostatical force acting on pair of electrons placed in ~700.000 l.y. So I still thing collapsars as weapon simply can buy the candles.
Almost all of the above needs _LOTS_ of energy to operate. Currently common schema involves huge capacitor batteries. For example, my favorite e-beam is feeded by battery of 20 sections of 7 capacitors in each. Every single capacitor weights something like 32 kg. This accelerators is fairly compact, more powerful have even more disappointing properties.
Please stop crying, now good news. This parameters seems to steadily improve, but I think that it will hinder high-tech weaponry for long time in future. We may use other energy sources. For example, coil "capacitors" are almost 100 times more light, but less reliable and more costly. Explosive generators are also good asset, as they transform chemical energy into electrical pulse of great power (GWts are possible) by collapsing electrical contour from which magnetic field can't escape due to conductive shielding. The same may be used for would-be fusion generators. Use your imagination. I'm already bored and need some time to recharge my batteries.
. I do remember lot of ways of bringing good things to death, all are worst.1. Rail guns. Employs electromagnetic force (Amper's law) as way of acceleration. This stuff consists of two sturdy conductive "rails" with small constant width gap inside. This rays are connected to high power pulsed voltage generator (what currently means _huge_ capacitors battery; this batteries generally aren't easy to climb on). Projectile is placed between rails. After pulse, rails are connected via streamer type discharge. This discharge forms Pi-like contour which "want" to remove projectile from itself. Naive estimations may say what theoretical limit of velocity is c, but there are some really nasty plasma ion instabilities what hinder human-kind lust of blood and place ceil near 10 km/s. Real rail guns I've seen made something like 4-7 km/s, or 2-3 times better than chemical guns. Disadvantages: needs huge pulsed power supply, rails become terrible twisted after single shot, projectile becomes heated and deformed. There is huge room for improvement, BTW.
2. Advanced conventional guns. Conventional == stuff with long accelerator barrel which pushes projectile via pressure. Modern chemical guns are near their theoretical limit, and its hard to improve. Bacicaly, it depends on specific energy of gunpowder and molecular weight of its burn products. But barrel itself may be to young to die.
a) Two-stage guns. This stuff is used in high energy physics, especially in America (Russians prefer explosives) and consists of ordinary gun barrel that accelerates heavy piston. This piston then compress light has (H2, He) is so-called high pressure camera. Real projectile is placed in second barrel, just near intake, so it can be "escaped" by working pressure but not before. This projectile can be accelerated as fast as ~10 km/s. Disadvantages: huge size, extremely slow fire.
b) Plasma gun. Rather than gunpowder, we may use other propelent with external energy source, so specific energy limit may be effectively overridden. Disadvantages: needs huge power source, so may fire slow. Barrel will be surely damaged by superheated plasma. Scheme with internal nanite repair is left for readers exercise.
c) Laser or beam acceleration. This stuff is like previous, but we may use rear part of projectile as propelent (much like rocket), with laser or beam heating. Currently, people accelerate thin foils to ~100 km/s. Disadvantages: needs much power, laser beam will be blocked by spreading plasma cloud. This stuff isn't especially "conventional", as it may be used without any barrel. Why I placed it here?
3. Plasma cannons. This stuff isn't as deadly as old Doomers may think. In fact, it's almost harmless. Plasma may be really hot, but its density is too low. Wonder if may be used in any atmosphere. In vacuum, spreading will limit range, too. Concerning Star Trek plasma torpedo: even this stuff isn't total buzzword, it's really hard to implement. Hot plasma tends to cool down really quick (in matter of microseconds), it's intrinsically unstable and hard to control even with lots of huge magnets hoarding around. IMHO, it may be even theoretically impossible to bind this stuff from inside... But, plasma tech may be used inside warheads of missiles (or "drones" in Star Trek science blasphemy).
4. Particle cannons. This stuff may be really nasty way of sending stuff to hell. Particles may be easily accelerated to speeds indistinguishable from speed of light in sense of targeting, so it isn't easy thing to dodge. Currently, "military grade" accelerators may be subdivided into 3 ranges:
a) Electron beams. This stuff may be done huge, pulsed beams may be almost arbitrary energy, end their efficiency is about 50% (without battery). Disadvantages: electron beams tend to collapse, producing "overkill" energy fluxes, electrons have too small penetration depth even against "light" materials, producing too quickly attenuating shock waves (compared to projectiles), it may be deflected using electromagnetic methods.
b) Proton beams. This ones are bigger, more energy intense, and more costly bigger brothers of electron beams. They are less efficient, too. But protons have much more penetration, while they tend to produce so-called Bragg's peak.
c) Heavy ions & friends. Currently, they're junk. While the above accelerators are, in general, "streamers", or, more precise, linear, ions currently can't be accelerated to dramatical energies and needs so-called accelerating rings - bulky, heavy, inefficient. Heavy ions can't be accelerated in much quantities, and while energy flux isn't as bad, total energy is pity.
Common disadvantages: All the above needs really lot of energy to operate.
5. Static cannons. These ones are basically macro-particle linear accelerators,
usually powered by Van-der-Graff statical high (several MV are easy) voltage generators. They accelerate micron-sized particles which are charged beforehand. Achieved velocities may be as high as several hundred km/s, but ROF and general kinetic energy flux isn't as spectacular.
6. Explosive acceleration. Plate placed on big explosive charge may be easily accelerated to several km/s (depends on explosive used, TNT < RDX < HMX~the_best). With some tweaking, this tech may be employed for killing stuff. In fact, it's already used. BTW, thiner plate = more velocity, but long projectile is far better is senses of both penetration and ballistics. This problem may be resolved by specially shaped charge that deforms accelerated plate (in fact, real deformation occurs after acceleration) and makes it "flying fist" rather than flying pancake, but I fear I shouldn't say any further. Use your imagination for details...
Analogous stuff may be performed using so-called electrical explosion of conductors, which occur then conductive media is almost instantly overheated to plasma temperatures via _huge_ current. BTW, electricity makes better energy than chemicals, but chemicals are "encapsulated" energy and easily available at any time, while electricity or likewises must be produced, not-so-easy stored and then used in one unit. Suggestions?
7. Lasers. Lasers definitely are more dangerous in SCSI-fi rather than real life, but it may eventually change (still unlikely, tough). The main problem with laser "fire" is its extremely low penetration depth (~wavelength in metals) and easy blocking by plasma. Inside atmosphere, it causes so-called laser "spark" which is due to avalanche-like heating of air initiated by hot plasma emitted form the target. This phenomenon may even damage or destroy laser itself. Hey, laser may be destroyed by single dust particle sitting on its "face" surface, as it particle will explode, generate cloud of plasma and eat all the pulse energy in deathly dangerous vicinity. So really powerful lasers are placed inside "clean rooms" what is really far relative to battlefield.
If your fire laser and still alive, you mustn't be disappointed by the fact that only first several ns of your pulse are really effective. After this time (more if target is covered by something hard to vaporize, say, tungsten or niobium carbide) laser beam in fact heats cloud of plasma rather than target. It's exactly like earth ionosphere what mirrors long radio waves, but much more dense. OK, target is still heated by cloud's IR radiation, heat transfer and attenuated laser beam, but it not such fun as at beginning. So you must choice: either you make really short pulses (wasting much of laser's energy via so-called "efficiency modulation" technique) or waste pulse energy by heating air and generating nice bright flash. Your desire.
Recently, new kind of lasers was introduced, namely femtosecond lasers (1 fs = 10^-15 s). This stuff hinders matter by different way. It's pulse if to fast to do something with ion lattice, as their time of response is something about ~10^-12 s. Electromagnetic field in this beam is so strong that it can easily stone electrons from atoms. This electrons become really fast and run away from beam like mad. Ions become disappointed by this and also become angry, just after 10^-12 s. This stuff is called "Coulomb's explosion".
So modern lasers are strange creatures, but they're still hardly usable for military. But, this problems may be overridden via either sheer pulses energy or clever and novel techniques that I'm unaware of, like spatial energy profiling and so. Later, I may question my colleagues that are in it. Currently I know that ring patterns are more profitable to use, they are less hindered by plasma and shock wave may be focused at desired depth in target, forming so-called Mach's surface. Periodical wave strobing is also OK, as it cloud may dissolve between pulses.
8. Microwave. Your can toast your enemies from great distances using pulsed microwave energy emmiters. This waves may be aimed using so-called phase lattices. This stuff is fairly [cost]effective, easy to use and not so disappointing as lasers. Microwaves may be stopped by any conductive material, but they tend to use even tightest flaws to break thru. It's great stuff for melting enemy's circuits, cooking brains of their soldiers etc.
9. Sonic. Sonic waves may be dangerous. They may be focused to small surface and bring the power for people - unwanted power. Infra-sonic waves are deadly for living creatures. It's natural precursor for many catastrophic events and wreaks terror even among steel-heart ones. High intensities are in fact deadly. It's almost impossible to insulate from (cause it the same as with "long projectile is better", can your comprehend it? If not, I need to explain this better). But this stuff still needs some media, earth or water if better than air, but air is enough to kill lot of people... kinda neutron bomb without radiation... dirty thing.
10. Nanites. This thing seems to be favorite gadget in StP, but it was mentioned as armor enhancements. BTW, all-eating nanites may become deadly weapon. BTW, I'm still wondering about their energy source, communications and control.
11. Missile/bomb/mine warheads. The main problem with missiles and their ilk is traveling to its prey, which among other things encompasses propulsion problem. But, StP is something about space colonization, so let's say we have pretty good prop in hand. I'm not a rocket engine expert, but I really know how they really work (including real working examples... fear I can't say which examples and how good they are except that they are exciting good in some aspects) and modern propulsion tech are close to its theoretical limit (darned specific energy and molecular weight). So you need something really new. Concerning warheads:
a) Chemical ones, currently 99.9% of net use:
a1) HE - most commonly used, dumb type known several centuries (to Chinese at least). Penetration depth is roughly proportional to caliber and isn't exceptionally fascinating. Warhead may "wait" some time from impact before actually detonate as it may penetrate deeper into enemy structure or unit. BTW, buildings are more easily exploded from low levels and perfectly placed charged or bombs must be somewhere deep, preferably nearby carrier walls. This is also true for killing, say, ships.
a2) Cumulative ones: form tight stream of really fast "heavy metal" (it's fun, but this metal isn't dramatically hot, at least until it strikes something; it's "dissolved" by pressure rather than heat; shock waves in general aren't especially good heaters while they're not really "strong"; without much of math, common explosive wave isn't especially "strong" while air wave generated by a-bomb is). This stream splices thru armour and makes big deals. Warhead can't be rotating. Velocity may be about ~10 km/s, and even more for electrical collapce.
a3) Napalm and friends: Either day is to cold or morning isn't smelly, you may bring more warm to your life using this sticky jelly. In general, napalm consist of some fuel combined with jelly to stick to walls, ceil, skin etc. _Some_ states (NATO and USSR for sure) add some more dopes which makes cure for burns impossible. This stuff is usually employed in special containers what spread it over great territory. Napalm tends to sink even into smallest flaws, easily burns on ceiling, and tends to drop oxygen level dramatically. Isn't especially good against armour.
a4) Volume explosion. Warhead expands great amount of gaseous fuel into air, then ignite. Ka-boom! Great, strong, "long" explosion from that isn't easy to hide.
b) Fission: BTW, a-bombs tend to decrease their size over time, today it may be fitted into 230 mm gun and even less.
c) Fusion: way to dirty, big and lethal, this things may really object minaturisation. BTW, "inertial confinement fusion", dream of at least 50% physicist in high energy physics (hey, this dream is too long!) may eventually lead to production of really small fusion _targets_, but they must rely on some external energy source. For example, attacker may "ignite" it via some beam if it's pretty nearby some sweet victim.
d) Anti-matter? Much a bang for much a buck, this stuff isn't easy to obtain and even harder to store. This thing may eventually become ultimate killer, obliterating entire worlds with suitcase-sized gadget. Dust sized ones may be used for killing tanks or so. Someone knows how to create this stuff en mass?
e) Collapsars? BTW, these ones may be formed by sending lot of matter (or energy) into small volume (its size for spherical geometry is known as Shwarchshield's radius if I spell correctly). This matter/energy will form "black hole". Unless you're sending something really heavy (earth mass fits), this black hole will "evaporate" in matter of fractions of femtosecond, forming storm of high energy particles. So your effectively waste your energy, converting form one form into another, less suitable for destruction. If formed inside target, it may eat atom or two before collapsing, if it's extremely lucky. Any reasonable big black hole must be _*H*E*A*V*Y*_. Moving collapsar may trek thru its victim, eating unlucky sparse particles and will eventually explode, so this stuff may be used as form of "delayed explosion", but it must be really fast in order to travel any macroscopic distance. Gravitation forces isn't as dramatically huge as one may think. BTW, two gravitation acting on pair of electrons placed with 1 m in between is ~ as electrostatical force acting on pair of electrons placed in ~700.000 l.y. So I still thing collapsars as weapon simply can buy the candles.
Almost all of the above needs _LOTS_ of energy to operate. Currently common schema involves huge capacitor batteries. For example, my favorite e-beam is feeded by battery of 20 sections of 7 capacitors in each. Every single capacitor weights something like 32 kg. This accelerators is fairly compact, more powerful have even more disappointing properties.
Please stop crying, now good news. This parameters seems to steadily improve, but I think that it will hinder high-tech weaponry for long time in future. We may use other energy sources. For example, coil "capacitors" are almost 100 times more light, but less reliable and more costly. Explosive generators are also good asset, as they transform chemical energy into electrical pulse of great power (GWts are possible) by collapsing electrical contour from which magnetic field can't escape due to conductive shielding. The same may be used for would-be fusion generators. Use your imagination. I'm already bored and need some time to recharge my batteries.
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