Scientific Questions

[Krakenup]

Originally posted by Batman:
If we take the output of photons to be constant, then the same amount of photons is spread over a spherical shell at a distance R from the sun. The area of this shell is A=4/3*Pi*R^3. A sail of area B captures B/A of the total photons emitted by the star. At double that distance from the star, the area of the shell is A2 = 4/3 * Pi * (2R)^3 = 8*4/3*Pi*R^3 = 8*A. So the same sized sail now captures only B/(8*A) of the total photons (because they are less dense). At double the distance, the sail is 1/8 as effective, and so on. So it should be big if it is to maintain effectiveness for the whole voyage.

That's the volume of a sphere. The surface area is A=4*Pi*R^2. At double the distance, the sail is 1/4 as effective. (Yeah, I know, but I'm a member of the pick-a-nit-a-day club).

[Batman]

You're absolutely right.

I can't believe I screwed that up. That'll teach me to try and show off on the Boards. I'm surprised is wasn't caught sooner

[Taera]

hey thanks, all the stuff makes a lot of sense.
Meson BLasters shoot... balls of sub-atomic particles right?

As for phased stuff, i recall my older theory - it was that the phased weapons shoot multiple shots at once with different phasing, polar and so on stuff so finaly they simply pass the shields that cannot stand the multiple different attacks. Is that any right?

Will: thanks for explaining the NullSpace to me. Had a similar idea but you shaped it out realy nice.
So practically its a generator of nothingness just anywhere i wish (say - the command center of the ship) right?

[capnq]

However, it would be very hard to navigate with such a sail as you can only sail with the photons (i.e. away from the nearby sun)

It doesn't work the same way as sailboat tacking against the wind, but a solar sail can change your distance from the sun in either direction.

It works because of orbital mechanics. You're orbiting the sun at a certain speed, and can angle the solar sail such that it either increases or decreases your orbital speed; the change in speed then changes the radius of your orbit.

Magnetic sails (indirect link) and related tech are even more promising.

[Krsqk]

I think the Trek-equivalent phased shields are called "multi-phasic." I would assume, then, that normal shields would allow a certain frequency of radiation to pass through unblocked (unique to each shield's settings, of course), while multi-phasic shields constantly change the "phase," or frequency which will pass through. This makes it much less likely that the EM radiation hitting the shields will happen to be the correct frequency.

ISTR something ST where some rogue aliens in a Bird of Prey captured Visor-Boy and programmed his visor to broadcast back to them. Then they read the settings on the engineering display to find out the frequency of the Enterprise's shields, allowing them to bypass the shields completely. That is, until someone got smart and changed the shields and blew them out of the water.

[Suicide Junkie]

That is, until someone got smart and changed the shields and blew them out of the water.

Actually, they never clued in as to why. They just knew the shields weren't helping, and started looking for a cheap way out.

They technobabbled the BoP, causing its shields to drop, and vaped the enemy with superior firepower.

Because of the battle damage it sustained in the meantime, the Enterprise then proceeded to both blow up (stardrive section) and crash land (saucer) on the planet surface.

Then the planet got destroyed as the sun went nova, adding that extra bit of overkill.

[ June 11, 2002, 03:58: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[Fyron]

Star Trek: Generations

[ June 11, 2002, 04:40: Message edited by: Imperator Fyron ]