Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military
From: brown@ncratl.Atlanta.NCR.COM (Kyle Brown)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: Particle Beam Gun
Summary: Particle beam weapons will remain in the realm of science
Message-ID: <10184@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 13 Oct 89 02:39:58 GMT
References: <10149@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: NCR Corporation, E&M Atlanta
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Approved: military@att.att.com



From: brown@ncratl.Atlanta.NCR.COM (Kyle Brown)

In article <10149@cbnews.ATT.COM>, 10e@hpcvia.hp.com (Steven_Tenney) writes:
> 
> 
> From: 10e@hpcvia.hp.com (Steven_Tenney)
> 
> A few months ago I read a short blurb on the feasability of using
> particle-beam technology as a form of future fire power.  A particle
> beam gun would shoot proton energy pellets.  Has anyone heard of this
> possibility?
> 
> Steve Tenney

There are some *major* problems with using particle beams as weapons.
Not the least of which is that the power required to make a particle beam
do anything interesting (say cut through armor more than paper thin) is
in the megawatt range.  Also, Proton beams are the only candidates for such
weapons, and these are *not* easy to generate or play with (any plasma
physicists out there want to elaborate?)

This topic will have to stay in rec.arts.sf-lovers for a couple o' decades

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