Re: Further thoughts on hitting with lasers

Thomas Barclay wrote:
> 
> Roger spake thusly upon matters weighty:
> 
> > Best bet is to compare the transit time of the beam (0.03 seconds
for
> > 6,000 miles, for example) with the velocity change the ship can
manage
> > in that time (0.005 m/s if it has 1G acceleration).
> >
> > It's still the case that, normally, if you can target it you can hit
it.
> > The beam transit time only becomes significant enough to prevent a
hit
> > at much longer distances (or higher accelerations).
> 
> I would imagine futuristic combat vessels would require either
> 1. outrageous ECM suites to fool the enemy targetting
> 2. high maneouvre caps (crew inside liquid or foam suspension
> capsules to cushion against G shock or some such. I saw one book
> where they suggested replacing blood with a synthetic that took G
> compression better and modifying space crew bone structure etc). I
> would think this would be on the order of 5-10 Gs if not more.
> 
> Probably a lot of #1 and at least some of #2.
> 
> Tom.
> /************************************************
> Thomas Barclay

Or like fleet battles in the "Mote in Gods Eye" by Niven and Pournell,
I takes a while for laser fire to overload a ship's sheilds and score a
kill.  A space
battle is described as a black golbes(sheilds) floating in space
connected but red lines
of laser fire, broken up by the occasional energy torpedo.  The point is
that ships don't
dodge, the just take it, untill the energy becomes to much, then either
flee or face
damage

later
christopher pratt
valen10@flash.net