physicist call

[Taera]

Hey there, im creating my RP race now and i want it to be a gravity-based race.

Is there anyone who knows something about physics of gravity? Any help appreciated. IF there's anyone i'll post my questions.

[ January 07, 2003, 05:15: Message edited by: Taera ]

[Fyron]

Just post your questions now.

[Suicide Junkie]

Gravity-based you say?

As in composed of gravitiational fields? Or some sort of self-maintaining gravitational wave pattern?

I would suggest you go with some gravitational lensing effects as your images.

Such as this: (from the hubble)


There is a gravitational lensing plugin for photoshop linked to on this page: http://leo.astronomy.cz/grlens/grl0.html

Having invisible ships that distort the background stars to show their shape would IMO, be really cool

Here's some more:

from Google's archive (source page no longer available), and http://www.fnal.gov/pub/inquiring/matter/
respectively

[ January 07, 2003, 04:48: Message edited by: Suicide Junkie ]

[Skulky]

is that that thing when you drop an apple and a feather and they fall at the same rate? or is it more like when you get stuck to the core of jupiter and can't get up?

[Taera]

Sorry SJ i've no idea what is this
What i mean is - anyone remember my TechnoLogic?
Im rebuilding them as RP race but i want them to use gravity technology as a racial trait (at least for the RP part). I also have some ideas for a new set but i want it to be realistic.

My questions are:
*Ships that utilize gravity force-field technology (gravity weapons, gravity stasis-trap armor, gravity field shield -- just my first ideas) need to have a good shape to support those technologies. Somewhere i've read that spheric shapes work the best. is that a correct assumption? Theoretically, of course.
*Theoretically again how would gravity based weapons look like? Should i use the basic cone-with-toruses-around-it?
*Theoretically can gravity fields be used to stop particles, no matter the size/type/velocity? (shields stopping APBs, PPBs, DUCs and so on)
*What are gravitons? How are they related to gravity? (same root)
*What are possible ways of harnessing gravity technology? especially for weaponry (excluding standard brute gravity power used by Graviton Hellbore)

Thats all for now, i will probably have more questions later.

[Fyron]

*What are gravitons? How are they related to gravity? (same root)

I think that they are not real particles. They only exist in sci-fi. There, they are normally used as particles that carry the gravitic force, just like photons carry the electro-magnetic force. Of course, I could be wrong.

[Suicide Junkie]

My questions are:
*Ships that utilize gravity force-field technology (gravity weapons, gravity stasis-trap armor, gravity field shield -- just my first ideas) need to have a good shape to support those technologies. Somewhere i've read that spheric shapes work the best. is that a correct assumption? Theoretically, of course.
*Theoretically again how would gravity based weapons look like? Should i use the basic cone-with-toruses-around-it?
*Theoretically can gravity fields be used to stop particles, no matter the size/type/velocity? (shields stopping APBs, PPBs, DUCs and so on)
*What are gravitons? How are they related to gravity? (same root)
*What are possible ways of harnessing gravity technology? especially for weaponry (excluding standard brute gravity power used by Graviton Hellbore)

There is no gravity manipulation devices even theoretically except for accumulations of mass. Some black holes and heavy duty tractor repulsor beams to swing 'em around in patterns, perhaps?

Gravitons are unobserved, but are the theorized particle that mediates gravity.
You may as well consider it the particle of gravity, like a photon is a particle of electromagnetic energy.

You could use a black hole streched out around your ship... It would naturally absorb anything that comes at you, but it would absorb anything you try to shoot outwards too. I suppose you could swing it around, or have a bunch of separate hole shields with gaps for your guns.

Heck, why not go for a wormhole shield, one mouth on each side, so that weapons and energy pass around your ship...

Of course, if you could do that, you could throw planets at your enemies.

Perhaps better would be if you just had "classic sci-fi" artificial gravity technology.
Then you'd put an outward gravity force starting just above your armor, so weapons are slowed down (less kinetic damage) and energy beams are redshifted down to less harmful energies.

You could have very high accelerations for your missiles / torpedoes without damaging any components inside...
you could manouever your ship at over 2 g accelerations.

You could probably also make a Gravy Gun, by projecting a small zone of pull, surrounded by a zone of push gravity. Punch neat holes in the enemy ship from close range. Or just randomize the gravity pattern, and shred the ship.

There is the possibility of reasonable artificial singularities, and you could make a safe Hawking reactor without worring about your black hole sterilizing the starsystem if it gets out of control.
(Tiny black holes radiate energy, the smaller, the faster, in a direct mass to energy conVersion (E=MC^2) without any need for antimatter)

[Taera]

Interesting.
Yes, i want something around "classic sci-fi" gravity manipulation.

Question: is "annihilation" of matter in large quantities somehow related to gravity?

[Kamog]

is that that thing when you drop an apple and a feather and they fall at the same rate?

Yes, but only in a vacuum. When you drop them in the atmosphere, the feather falls slower because its shape has greater air resistance.

or is it more like when you get stuck to the core of jupiter and can't get up?

The surface gravity of Jupiter is 2.53G. You would weight 2.53 times as much on Jupiter.

*Theoretically can gravity fields be used to stop particles, no matter the size/type/velocity? (shields stopping APBs, PPBs, DUCs and so on)

Yes, but you will need an extremely powerful gravitational field.

*What are gravitons? How are they related to gravity? (same root)

A graviton is a theoretical particle that carries the gravitational force. Its existence has not yet been confirmed experimentally.

Question: is "annihilation" of matter in large quantities somehow related to gravity?

Yes, not only does matter annihilation produce a large amount of energy, the reaction will also produce gravity waves. Gravity waves could possibly be used as a weapon if they could be focused and directed.

[Timstone]

Please remember that this is a sci-fi game and everything you make or invent is as credible as a graviton drive for a modern day satellite.
All the stuff about the gravity and the particles that mediate (nice word) for gravity is unfortunately very theoretical. I suggest you read the book that Stephen Hawking wrote about gravity and the universe or his book about time and space. Very informative for the people who never got into contact with such reading-matter. IUt's written in a way that everyone who has a basic grip on physics can read it.