Star Wars Question!

[oo7]

Star Wars Blasters; what exactly are they exactly? Is it a form of LASER emitting device?

Perhaps a focused beam of plasma or something silly? :-P Starwars.com tells me nothing and Wookieepedia is unclear.....

[Mr Hobbles]

Here you go: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blaster_%28Star_Wars%29 :-)

I love Google + Wikipedia!

[Asuka]

Theforcenet is a good place for some insight, althogh that special theme

[oo7]

"A squeeze of a trigger emits volatile blaster gas into a conversion chamber, where it is excited by energy from the weapon's power source. The agitated gas is then funneled through the actuating blaster module, where it is processed into an intense particle beam. A prismatic crystal focuses the beam, and passes it through a refinement chamber which galvanizes the beam into its final bolt shaped like a cone, similar to the shape of the ballistic coefficient."

Blaster Gas!! Excited by energy! Prismatic Crystal! A rock in the shape of a prism!

Galvanizes the beam into a shape?!?!?!?!?!?! It coats it with zinc? WTF!?!?

ALTHOUGH IT'S ALIEN TECHNOLOGY OF UNTOLD CAPABILITIES, IT STILL MAKES NO SENSE! X-D

Is it focused visible light? Is it plasma? Is it EM radiation? Is it some beam of untold subatomic particles?

[Starwars4J]

"A squeeze of a trigger emits volatile blaster gas into a conversion chamber, where it is excited by energy from the weapon's power source. The agitated gas is then funneled through the actuating blaster module, where it is processed into an intense particle beam. A prismatic crystal focuses the beam, and passes it through a refinement chamber which galvanizes the beam into its final bolt shaped like a cone, similar to the shape of the ballistic coefficient."

Blaster Gas!! Excited by energy! Prismatic Crystal! A rock in the shape of a prism!

Galvanizes the beam into a shape?!?!?!?!?!?! It coats it with zinc? WTF!?!?

ALTHOUGH IT'S ALIEN TECHNOLOGY OF UNTOLD CAPABILITIES, IT STILL MAKES NO SENSE! X-D

Is it focused visible light? Is it plasma? Is it EM radiation? Is it some beam of untold subatomic particles?

Well you answered it yourself! They tend to use Tibaana Gas, which is why they can run out of "charges" and need to "reload". All it is, is super-excited, super-heated gas sent out at tremendous velocities

[oo7]

So blasters are aerosol cans on steroids?

It's a corrosive gas loaded into a gun and it is condensed into a focused beam by an "actuating blaster module". Some meaningless technobabble, I assume? Do we know how it is propelled out of the barrel? And what's all that galvanization nonsense? 8-|

[Starwars4J]

So blasters are aerosol cans on steroids?

It's a corrosive gas loaded into a gun and it is condensed into a focused beam by an "actuating blaster module". Some meaningless technobabble, I assume? Do we know how it is propelled out of the barrel? And what's all that galvanization nonsense? 8-|

It's accelerated by some advanced version of an ionic accelerator, basically using magnetic fields to do the job. It doesn't work in practicality, otherwise we'd make them now :-P

[captaintau]

It doesn't work in practicality, otherwise we'd make them now :-P

Or maybe we would, IF we had Tibanna gas on Earth? ;-)

[oo7]

So we know it's gas and that it is shot out by electromagnetic repulsion........

It's pretty pathetic. :-P Wookeepedia says

And, unlike those of lasers, blasters' firing cycles had more proficient recharge rates, allowing them to be capable of attaining much higher rate of fire, though at a loss of distance and accuracy.

So they are less accurate than a laser, but they don't need to 'reload' as much as a laser gun needs to.

They tend to use Tibaana Gas, which is why they can run out of "charges" and need to "reload".

Although both recharge, the baster does not need to as frequently. That sounds like a very stupid compromise to me, considering all the action is Star Wars consists of our heros dodging stormtrooper's baster shots, our heros maneuvering their ships in order to dodge baster shots, and our heros articulating their lightsabers in such a way that it deflects blaster shots.

Since lasers are so slow to reload, what happens if you just shoot one laser beam at a jedi? He cannot manipulate his lightsaber faster than the speed of light, now can he? That would make him relatively helpless unless he can use the force to stop time. :-P Because as we know, a jedi usually will not anticipate a shot heading toward him until after the enemy has shot it.

Also, lasers can travel through multiple jedis! X-D

[Starwars4J]

So we know it's gas and that it is shot out by electromagnetic repulsion........

It's pretty pathetic. :-P Wookeepedia says

So they are less accurate than a laser, but they don't need to 'reload' as much as a laser gun needs to.

Although both recharge, the baster does not need to as frequently. That sounds like a very stupid compromise to me, considering all the action is Star Wars consists of our heros dodging stormtrooper's baster shots, our heros maneuvering their ships in order to dodge baster shots, and our heros articulating their lightsabers in such a way that it deflects blaster shots.

Since lasers are so slow to reload, what happens if you just shoot one laser beam at a jedi? He cannot manipulate his lightsaber faster than the speed of light, now can he? That would make him relatively helpless unless he can use the force to stop time. :-P Because as we know, a jedi usually will not anticipate a shot heading toward him until after the enemy has shot it.

Also, lasers can travel through multiple jedis! X-D

Hm, I actually think you're mis-interpreting it. When they say lasers need to "recharge" they mean it needs a cool down time before it can fire again. However when I talk about reloading a blaster, I mean the physical cartridge containing the gas

[Privateer]

Haha, I must say, the most amusing part of this thread is reading your posts, oo7. :-D

[trooperdavinfelth]

I am saying this to clear on thing or another up: Blasts are more than likely made out of thousands of different materials. But surely a weapon such as a simple BlasTech E-11 B Blaster Rifle would have at least 1 thing in common with each other: Heat. When you see Boba try to shoot Luke on Cloud City, he misses and hits the wall. The wall explodes into black ashes, and part of it is lit aflame.

[zouave]

I never really thought about this. I just as a lightsaber shot out of a gun.

[oo7]

Hm, I actually think you're misinterpreting it. When they say lasers need to "recharge" they mean it needs a cool down time before it can fire again. However when I talk about reloading a blaster, I mean the physical cartridge containing the gas

Whatever the case, with the accuracy of the much acclaimed Boba Fett, a laser should be a one-hit KO against any Jedi.

Haha, I must say, the most amusing part of this thread is reading your posts, oo7. :-D

X-D

Great avatar, by the way! *y*

I am saying this to clear on thing or another up: Blasts are more than likely made out of thousands of different materials. But surely a weapon such as a simple BlasTech E-11 B Blaster Rifle would have at least 1 thing in common with each other: Heat. When you see Boba try to shoot Luke on Cloud City, he misses and hits the wall. The wall explodes into black ashes, and part of it is lit aflame.

Each other? which? 8-| 'Each' is implying that there is more than one subject. ;-)

I never really thought about this. I just as a lightsaber shot out of a gun.

But it's not, it's much more clumsy and random. :-D

[Sir Dillon]

Heh heh. Here is a quote from FBTB user Don Solo. It isn't in answer to this particular question, but I think it can fit:

"Interesting observation, but my personal belief is you have to take it all or none. You can't nitpick the movies apart and only say "this wouldn't work" or "that doesn't work" because pretty much everything is flawed in some minor way. Just take it all in... you saw it, so if anything in Star Wars is possible, it all is."

X-D

[JINZONINGEN73]

Blaster Gas!! Excited by energy! Prismatic Crystal! A rock in the shape of a prism!

Galvanizes the beam into a shape?!?!?!?!?!?! It coats it with zinc? WTF!?!?

ALTHOUGH IT'S ALIEN TECHNOLOGY OF UNTOLD CAPABILITIES, IT STILL MAKES NO SENSE! laugh2.gif

Is it focused visible light? Is it plasma? Is it EM radiation? Is it some beam of untold subatomic particles?

Woah, woah, easy.

Truth be told, we've already experimented with such things in the real world.

Plasma guns For The Win.

But the main problem with plasma guns in the real world is, just like with why we don't have giant mecha, is because it would take a MASSIVE power source, like a mini nuclear generator.

Also, at some point the "projectile" would leave the shape-confining science inside and directly outside the weapon, probably quickly turning into a larger blob instead of a nice beam.

::goes searching for links::

Edited June 30, 2007 by JINZONINGEN 73

[JINZONINGEN73]

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7077

[trooperdavinfelth]

What I mean by each other is that all E-11Bs are created alike in one way or another. In KotOR, a blaster can be upgraded threefold: A Power Cell, a Scope, and a Firing Chamber. The Power cell obviously charges the blast, the scope helps to target, and the chamber spices up the blast en route from the barrel of the gun. As for lightsabers, there is a Cell, a Lens, an emitter, two power crystals, and a color crystal. The cell is what makes the beam, the lens focuses it by means of reflection, the emitter emits the beam, the power crystals boost the power of the beam, and the color crystal colors the beam. One way or another, it's plasma. Plasma grenades in KotOR do heat damage because plasma is one of the first five, earth, air, fire, water, and plasma. Plasma can only be contained inside something, hence the reason it's in a grenade or a cell. In a blaster, the plasma is contained within the chamber and whatever else is in the chamber and it jumps on the the blast created from the Power Cell. I hope this clears up one thing or another; I'm done.

[Asuka]

http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7077

Very interesting, thanks for that link. *y*

[yellost]

So blasters are aerosol cans on steroids?

Loooool I'd love to see Han Solo with his Axe Gravity can and a small Lighter trying to get rid of a stormtrooper... :-D

Because of course, the Stormtrooper has a far more powerful one : A Rexonna 24/7 with a match! X-D