Re: Expanding Shields/Statis Shields

Excerpts from FT: 4-Apr-97 Re: Expanding Shields/Stati.. by "Brian
Bell"@csi.com 
> The Langston field originaly was a set size. As it absorbed energy and
> converted it to Heat energy, the heat energy bled off into space (a
> questionable prospect in space). The idea behind the Motie expanding
field
> was that as the field absorbed engergy, it increased in size providing
a
> greater surface area to blead the heat. As the energy was blead off,
the
> shield contracted back to the "standard" size.

Ah... so that's how the things worked.	I'd gotten the impression they
were just expanding on their own... I certainly don't recall any mention
of the shields shrinking back down in either novel.

Still, if one of the shields has expanded like that, then you could
still maneuver between the shield and the ship generating the shield and
blast it to pieces... the description of the burn-throughs on the
MacArthur indicated that the shield was basically a "shell" rather than
solid all the way through.  (Well, barring the volume occupied by the
cruiser.)

(And thanks to Phil P. for also pointing that out.)

		    Aaron Teske
		    Mithramuse+@cmu.edu