Re: [FT] How screens work (was Re: UNSC designs)

In a message dated 1/12/00 7:35:26 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
thomas.anderson@univ.ox.ac.uk writes:

> speed isn't necessarily good; if they go faster, they suffer more from
>  magnetic fields (the force on a moving charge in a magnetic field is
>  proportional to its speed, as well as to its charge and the field
>  strength), plus electrons are lighter than, say, protons or ions, so
they
>  are going to get knocked about more than other particles by the same
>  forces; both of these things make electron beams easier to deflect
than
>  proton/ion beams.
>  

Well, I think that in the case of space combat, where we are talking
really 
big ranges (and targets that move fast to boot), speed is critical in a 
weapon that is not self-guiding.  Remember, you have that speed-of-light

delay (2 x) when using radar to receive info on the position of your
target 
(not to mention processor time, but we'll skip over that).  Then weapon 
alignment time, then the time the "beam" takes to reach the area that
the 
target should be in, assuming your computers have correctly guessed its 
probable manuevers in the meantime.  Until you get fairly close, then
the 
heavier/slower weapons could come in really handy.

On the other hand, what's the point of firing something that won't cause
the 
other guy any damage?  Oh well, them's the breaks I guess.

Rob