Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
(OP)
I happened to see a show the other day on possible weapons of the future. I've seen a couple of shows in the past that were quite similar and each time they've brought up the possibility of controlling weather and using it as a weapon. As an offshoot of weather weapons, the always mention lightning and how controlling it would make for a spectacular weapon but so far there have been no practical theories on how to achieve control over where the bolt will go. Quite a few years ago I was thinking about that same concept and problem of control and a possible answer popped into my head as I was studying solid state lasers. The problem of control of the lightning bolts path is that in order to get the electricity to hit a specific target you would need to provide a conductive path from the electrical source to the intended target. Reading about lasers and their ability to ionize the air its traveling through I thought to myself, can a sufficiently ionized path through the air provide enough of a conductive path for the electricity to flow to a target? Would it be possible to make it flow in the intended direction and not back through the beam into the laser source, destroying the wrong end of the conductive path? Can an optical diode, in essence, be created allowing electrical flow in only one direction? One would think that a laser would be perfectly accurate and could provide astonishing ranges delivering near instantaneous destruction when coupled with the electrical potential equal to a bolt of lighting. It could theoretically be the most devastating weapon ever devised especially when used with today's targeting systems, or at least that's what I always liked to imagine. What do you think? Is it possible? Can it be built?
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RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
If a laser would work to create an ionized conductive link between you and your target that would solve one of the issues needed to make the weapon. The next hurdle would be in keeping the electrical flow going in the right direction, down the beam, from you to the target. Diodes keep electricity from going the wrong direction in solid conductors but how you'd create that effect for a non-solid conductor I haven't a clue. Maybe you wouldn't need anything at all. I haven't gotten into that aspect of the system yet. If you conquered that issue, the only significant one left would be in how to generate the electrical potentials you'd require. I'm sure it can be done but can it be done in the field?
RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
I've messed around with homemade masers before, but I simply don't have the background (or resources) to play with anything beyond that. Even with the financial resources, my lack of knowledge on the subject would certainly get me into trouble.
Interesting topic!
RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
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RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
KENAT,
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RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
Overall target location performance is worse than that.
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RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
Now getting a GPS guided store that accurate is limited by the control laws of said store and being able to reliably correct the location etc. which you probably know more about than I.
However, on a reusable airborne platform where you could afford fancy GaINS etc. I reckon you could probably do better than 6 meters, at least some of the time.
KENAT,
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RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
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RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
I always find this quoted accuracy stuff amusing. I've seen multiple stores that supposedly had an accuracy of several tens of meters hit almost the same spot on a target. In one case we thought we'd lost track of one untill we realized it went through an existing whole.
I've also seen similar stores repeatedly miss a target almost as big as their CEP.
However, I better stop there.
KENAT,
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RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
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RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
KENAT,
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What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
TTFN
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RE: Next Generation Weapons - Directed Lightning Strikes
Interesting.
KENAT,
Have you reminded yourself of FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies recently, or taken a look at posting policies: http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?