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Chaos025@aol.com
Fri, 17 Nov 2000 03:21:55 EST
In a message dated 11/16/00 9:21:57 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
lim_jyue@pacific.net.sg writes:
> I'm not totally convinced of this, but I'll leave it off
> here because I'll need to research into this before
> I could comment.
No problem. My work with lasers has been with class III only, which can only
blind you, not actually cut anything (a class IIIa and IIIb lasers are what
you would find in a laser pointer, or in a laser detection system, which is
what I use). The know I have of high power lasers comes from research work I
did in college.
> I mean, could a connected-component ammunition
> survive the acceleration forces when shot out the
> barrel of a railgun? Will the round break up due to
> stresses in the connecting areas?
Scientists are launching sensitive scientific equipment into concrete at
thousands of miles per hour to see if such equipment can survive high speed
impacts while landing on Mars (actually, the idea for "landing" is to use the
speed to drive probe deep below the surface).
And guess what? The probes survive fine, and seem to work very well after
impact. And if a scientific probe can do it, a military grade piece of
ordinance surely can.
> My original question was a stupid question. =) You've
> already said the heat from the plasma would probably
> melt the insulator. So why not a casing too? Or is the
> time period too small to make a difference?
If the insulator is on the outside, and the time index of the actual launch
is slow enough, then you may or not see significant damage to the insulator.
The idea of using an armored casing, with the expected equipment to make the
package work, would mean that for the most part, to not use this package as a
self targeting missile is to waste the technology you put into it when you
use it as simple mass.
Or, to put it plainly (for once, I guess), you will do as much damage with an
ultra high speed inert rod of metal as you would with a moderately high speed
explosive package. My point is that if you want the explosive package, then
make target better by allowing it to correct its approach, preventing the
target from dodging out of the way. But if you want an ultra high speed
round, then just launch a metal spike and be done with it. The damage will be
the same, but the inert spike will cost less and will be easier to
manufacture, store, and use.
But that is my opinion, only.
SJ
EXO Mechanical Editor & Mecha Designer
http://www.exo-armor.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0b3 on Fri Nov 17 2000 - 17:06:35 JST