impossibility of the deathstar laser

[OleNewt]

Could it be (power generation and construction issues aside) that it's not so impossible?

tying light into knots

I'm wondering if such a thing could form similar structures in plasma, like in a lightsaber. :lol:

 

[bdewoody]

I would say that as descibed and shown in Star Wars that a death star laser capable of destroying a planet is impossible. Whether or not a beam weapon capable of that much power is in our future is anybody's guess. We know that certain types of dying stars emit a strong burst of radiation capable of destroying planets so we might be able to harness and direct that type of energy burst. I just hope we can stay out of the way of one.

 

[ZenGalacticore]

Seems like a very large proton beam could slice a planet apart, but not as 'fast' as in the movie.

Keep in mind that there is very little science in 'Star Wars'. Some call it Science Fantasy, others call it Space Opera. I think a more apt description would be "Space Fantasy", as opposed to pure Science Fiction.

Science Fantasy makes the impossible possible, Science Fiction makes the improbable plausible.

 

[Solifugae]

Destroying a planet doesn't break any laws of physics, it's just that as seen in the movie, the Death Star does not conform to any currently known requirements on how to do that. It would need enough mass to provide the energy required (well over 2.4E32j in the case of Earth). The Death Star would more likely look like two giant spheres joined together, with the sphere in tow encasing the enormous small moon sized amounts of mass required for the needed energy. Issues such as getting rid of excess heat, or just plain exploding, are challenges to overcome.

A laser could make a planet explode even though it only targets a specific area. A laser with enough energy (it would be better to use Gamma rays) could pierce through the planet, heating it up as it does so. The entire planet would melt and then vaporize (You would need ENORMOUS amounts of power to do this in a reasonable time frame). The next stage is continued high-power heating to create a plasma in which the velocities of the particles exceed the gravitational binding energy of the object as a whole. This would mean that outside of influence from other bodies, all the particles exceed their local escape velocity, making the planet permanently destroyed. You'd better not be in the way when this happens though.

This would be ridiculously inefficient and uneconomical. I know the Death Star is a terror weapon, but it's not worth its cost in resources. It's much more practical to bombard the surface of a planet and turn it into an uninhabitable wasteland. The worst part about the Death Star is that even when it fails after only one demonstration, the Emperor orders a new, EVEN BIGGER one to be constructed WITH THE SAME WEAKNESS AS BEFORE. Gah. This would be like if Nazi Germany squandered all their money on creating a 100 meter long super cannon, it was destroyed after only one shot by a guy shooting a pistol into its heat vent, and then they went and wasted all their money building an EVEN BIGGER 1km intercontinental death cannon WITH THE SAME WEAKNESS AS BEFORE...

The most nonsensical part of the Death Star isn't the physics; it's the logistics.

 

[yevaud]

The most nonsensical part of the Death Star isn't the physics; it's the logistics.

We tried to run that point by the Imperial Chief Logistics Officer. His one and only comment was, "Meesa think you-sa should leave."

 

[CalliArcale]

I don't think he's talking about its massively improbable power output. I think he's talking about the way a bunch of beams come from the rim of the Death Star's dish, merge in the center, and then come out from there as a single beam. Also, whether or not you could make a lightsaber.

 

[ZenGalacticore]

Probably not possible anytime soon, but it sure was cool! :lol:

Maybe some of the physics buffs around here can chime in on combined multiple beams contributing to one super-beam.

I think an anti-matter beam of pure anti-proton would do the job. Isn't that what the "Doomsday Machine" in Star Trek used?

 

[Couerl]

I think an anti-matter beam of pure anti-proton would do the job. Isn't that what the "Doomsday Machine" in Star Trek used?

Best episode by far, giant ice cream cone in space and decker was my hero. Forget the technical gobblydygook, but ya, the ice cream cone chopped up planets and ate them up for fuel. "There is no 3rd planet"... "Don't youuu think I knowwwww thaaaaaaat"? :lol:

 

[ZenGalacticore]

Actually, the original Star Trek did a good job of not overdoing the techno-gobbly ****. You're perhaps thinking of TNG.

 

[bdewoody]

Actually, the original Star Trek did a good job of not overdoing the techno-gobbly ****. You're perhaps thinking of TNG.

No it was the original series where a large robotic weapon that looked lile a club gobbled up planets and wrecked a sister ship of the Enterprise. They finally destryed it by flying the wrecked starship into the beast and detonating the antimatter onboard.

 

[Mee_n_Mac]

Actually, the original Star Trek did a good job of not overdoing the techno-gobbly ****. You're perhaps thinking of TNG.

No it was the original series where a large robotic weapon that looked lile a club gobbled up planets and wrecked a sister ship of the Enterprise. They finally destryed it by flying the wrecked starship into the beast and detonating the antimatter onboard.

I believe Zen knows that, he was the 1'st to mention it. That said I was also trying to puzzle out his post you quote above ....

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/The_Doo ... e_(episode)

 

[ZenGalacticore]

Actually, the original Star Trek did a good job of not overdoing the techno-gobbly ****. You're perhaps thinking of TNG.

No it was the original series where a large robotic weapon that looked lile a club gobbled up planets and wrecked a sister ship of the Enterprise. They finally destryed it by flying the wrecked starship into the beast and detonating the antimatter onboard.

I believe Zen knows that, he was the 1'st to mention it. That said I was also trying to puzzle out his post you quote above ....

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/The_Doo ... e_(episode)

Great Pic!!! And yes, I was talking about the techno gobbly-**** of TNG, not the "Doomsday Machine" episode itself. And an "anti-proton" or proton beam weapon is hardly gobbly-****-speak. I did like the new guy's comparison to an ice-cream cone though! :lol:

Before they remastered the effects-including the pic above- I always thought it looked like a giant piece of s---, only tapered on one side. :lol: