Destruction of USS Yamato

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I recently saw a clip from TNG: "Contagion" where the Galaxy-class USS Yamato was destroyed. Shortly after a large explosion we see the saucer fly forward and quickly be destroyed by the explosion. But it does so in a fashion similar to a phaser's vaporization effect.



http://tng.trekcore.com/hd/thumbnails.p ... =45&page=3

Often people will argue that phasers must be reaction weapons/something-other-than-thermal-energy because of that odd effect. Now here we see the same effect being used elsewhere. Given the destruction is likely caused by an explosion heating the hull, it seems fairly safe to say this is a thermal event. So the argument that because of odd visuals phasers can't be thermal weapons seems somewhat less applicable in light of the same effects use in a clearly thermal situation.