I challenge darkstar to a debate

[Praeothmin]

Typical containers go on for several decades. Same goes for fishing boats. Some may even passed down from one generation to another.

Luxury Cruisers are in use for decades, airplanes will fly for 20 years, most of the people who can actually own cars will keep theirs for at least ten years, if not more...

Ships in SW are like airplanes, more than cars...
Han Solo's MF is like the smuggler's biplane running from Florida to Cuba...
Saying every body can afford one is as stupid as saying everybody today can and do own small planes... :)

[2046]

There is no maximum range in space. Shots - be it projectiles, lasers or particle beams - keep going until they hit something. Only thing is that last two may loose cohesion (density) by increasing cross-section during flight. But, individual particles/rays will still go on until they hit something, althought they may not cause damage. So, theoretically, there is no maximum range in space. Practically, once shot is unable to do useful damage, you could speak about maximum range. So, do TL bolts lose cohesion over time?

Likely yes. Turbolaser bolts, assuming a similar theory of operation to their blaster cousins, are galvened particle beams. The galvening/packeting does fail over time, leaving a radioactive fog. This is all per the RotS novelization:

"Consoles exploded in fountains of white-hot sparks as they ripped free of their moorings and hurtled through the air. Dead hands spasmed on triggers and blaster bolts sizzled through impossibly intricate lattices of ricochet.

Obi-Wan barely caught some and flipped them at Anakin: a desperation move. Anything to distract him; anything to slow him down. Easily, contemptuously, Anakin sent them back, and the bolts flared between their blades until their galvening faded and the particles of the packeted beams dispersed into radioactive fog."

Also, mark one in the "win" column for Oragahn's use of the response "Snacks."

[Picard]

How they do damage, then? Beacouse particle beams aren't going to do much damage moving at speeds seen.

[2046]

Presumably it's the old sci-fi yarn of plasma weapons, perhaps including the part where the packeting is even being sustained somehow by the energy of the plasma itself, so that the two sort of dissipate together, leaving only some low-energy but radioactive gas behind. Recall the plasma torpedo dissipation in "Balance of Terror".

At short ranges, then, you get the full effect on impact of the hot plasma which is suddenly released, any KE it might have, and so on.

Wong actually does a decent job explaining some of the problems with the concept, though naturally this was before it was clear that Star Wars was using the idea:

http://stardestroyer.net/Empire/Essays/ ... apons.html

[Picard]

So, turbolasers are basically plasma weapons, and do damage throught heat transfer. That, however, leaves shields to contend with.

@mods

If you want to move these few last technologically-oriented posts, I have created Star Wars technology mechanics and physics background -no EU thread.

[Mr. Oragahn]

There is no maximum range in space. Shots - be it projectiles, lasers or particle beams - keep going until they hit something. Only thing is that last two may loose cohesion (density) by increasing cross-section during flight. But, individual particles/rays will still go on until they hit something, althought they may not cause damage. So, theoretically, there is no maximum range in space. Practically, once shot is unable to do useful damage, you could speak about maximum range. So, do TL bolts lose cohesion over time?

Unless you've found a perfect system, all systems will have a weakness meaning that the projectile will get weaker over time. Even in space, fuel and the capacity to change course and avoid space hazards and other gravitic fields means that range is limited.

A good example of a plasma bolt losing coherency in found in some episode of Stargate SG-1. In one of the oldest epidodes, Sokar is chasing Apophis and fires homing plasma bolts. One of them overshoots and dissipates ahead of Apophis' Death Glider. More bolts are fired, not suffering of this, showing that the "lifespan" of the bolts were further adjusted, notably to cope with the fact that they had now to track the DG through the atmosphere.

[Picard]

It would also be logical to allow bolts to dissipate beacouse you don't want them striking something you did not intend them to strike. Dissipation might be adjusted, but I still don't see how that allows for ranges longer than 3000 kilometers in ship-vs-ship (around 6 000 kilometers is maximum seen, from Hoth ion cannon, but given that only ship can manouver there, while in ship-vs-ship we have... surprise... two ships, that would most likely cut range in half). Is there anything in TCW to give ranges longer than that?

[Praeothmin]

At ASVS, we had that discussion as well, and the general concensus was that they resembled Hellbores, Bolo weapons.

Wiki says:

Hellbore ammunition consists of slivers of highly-pressurized frozen deuterium which, when fired, are ignited (by a laser) in a fusion reaction. The resulting bolt is contained and directed using strong magnetic fields in the breech and barrel. The resulting plasma travels at a considerable fraction of light speed and is not affected by planetary gravity. However, since the Hellbore was designed as naval armament for Concordiat warships, modifications had to be made to avoid losing a significant portion of the shot's energy to atmospheric attenuation. To this end, a fraction of a second prior to deuterium detonation, a laser is fired along the path of the bolt to create a momentary vacuum.

Looks like TL bolts to me... :)

[Picard]

The resulting plasma travels at a considerable fraction of light speed and is not affected by planetary gravity.

Except for that part.

[Praeothmin]

TLs did not seem to be affected by gravity last time I checked...
TL bolts fired in high orbit did not seem to curve down towards the planet...

And as for speed, isn't 0.01% c a high percentage? ;)
Anyways, comes close enough... :)

[Picard]

Regarding gravity, bolts fired in ANH Tantive IV chase scene did seem wierd, but that is probably due to perspective and me not watching that movie for a quite some time (since last Wars-related update to my site, at least).

As for speed... well, if you're Jabba the Hutt, any percentage of light speed is too high to move away from.

EDIT: Almost any.

[2046]

Actually, if you watch RotS closely during the broadside with the Invisible Hand, you'll note that the bolts curve toward the rear of the ship, as if due to air resistance.

[Praeothmin]

Really?
You must have a 60 inch tv, 'cause my 42" didn't show me this... :)


(I'll pay more attention next time I watch the scene)

[KSW]

Actually, if you watch RotS closely during the broadside with the Invisible Hand, you'll note that the bolts curve toward the rear of the ship, as if due to air resistance.

Wasn't the battle fought in the upper atmosphere of Coruscant?

[KSW]

There is no maximum range in space. Shots - be it projectiles, lasers or particle beams - keep going until they hit something. Only thing is that last two may loose cohesion (density) by increasing cross-section during flight. But, individual particles/rays will still go on until they hit something, althought they may not cause damage. So, theoretically, there is no maximum range in space. Practically, once shot is unable to do useful damage, you could speak about maximum range. So, do TL bolts lose cohesion over time?

Unless you've found a perfect system, all systems will have a weakness meaning that the projectile will get weaker over time. Even in space, fuel and the capacity to change course and avoid space hazards and other gravitic fields means that range is limited.

A good example of a plasma bolt losing coherency in found in some episode of Stargate SG-1. In one of the oldest epidodes, Sokar is chasing Apophis and fires homing plasma bolts. One of them overshoots and dissipates ahead of Apophis' Death Glider. More bolts are fired, not suffering of this, showing that the "lifespan" of the bolts were further adjusted, notably to cope with the fact that they had now to track the DG through the atmosphere.

An even better one is the Romulan plasma-bolt in "Balance of Terror," where the Romulan plasma weapon actually chases and pursues the Enterprise, but then it reaches the end of its range and explodes.