Rakaydos

Free Electron lasers use electrons as the lasing medium, but the electrons dont leave the weapon. It's like the difference between black powder gun and a gunpowder gun- they have different shot caracteristics, power and velocity and such, but in the end, it's still a piece of lead coming to put a hole in you. "A free-electron laser (FEL), is a type of laser that shares the same optical properties as conventional lasers such as emitting a beam consisting of coherent electromagnetic radiation that can reach high power, but that uses some very different operating principles to form the beam. Unlike gas-, liquid-, or solid-state lasers such as diode lasers, in which electrons are excited in bound atomic or molecular states, free-electron lasers use a relativistic electron beam that moves freely through a magnetic structure,[1] hence the term free electron as the lasing medium.[2][not in citation given] The free-electron laser has the widest frequency range of any laser type, and can be widely tunable,[3] currently ranging in wavelength from microwaves, through terahertz radiation and infrared, to the visible spectrum, ultraviolet, and X-ray.[4]" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free-electron_laser

Otherwise known as "Particle beam weapons" or "Plasma weapons" Which are a completely differnet category from "Laser weapons", which lack that magnetic field weakness, but have their own drawbacks.

Light Amplification (through) Stimulated Emission (of) Radiation Lasers are strictly visible length electromagentic radiation. (lights) Replace "Light" with "Microwave" for a Maser, ect.

Then you need to provide evidence that an external magnetic field can alter the propagation path of a self-sustaining Electric and magnetic wave. Because the wikipedia entry for Photon gives it an electric charge value of 0, and so unaffected by electromagnetic fields (as described by clicking the Electric charge link)

Seriously, KASA, judging by your replies and questions, you seem to be heavy into particle and atomic theory, but a bit light on electromagnetic theory. I believe you are honestly confusing how Alpha "Radiation" and electromagnetic "Radiation" interact with a magnetic field, because you'd be completely right if were were talking charged ions and not a self propagating wave.

Valence... damn, I know that word, but... is it the electron loaned to another atom for a non-ionic, non metalic bond? (A valence bond, as it were yep, I'm pretty sure it's right) Quantum Entanglement is a relationship that two particles can be in where they will have the same quantum state when that state is revealed, even though the state itself is not known. The electron energy levels of an atom are built up in a pattern. The innermost shell has only two slots- when only one of those slots is filled, you have a highly reactive element (hydrogen) and when both are filled, you have a highly UNreactive element (helium) The next two shells are 8 electrons, the next two are 16, and the two after that are (however large the transuranic elements are). Because these electrons deturmine the chemical properties, you can often predict the properties of an element by what elements have a similar atomic structure. Getting a little deeper into light and lasers, since that's the source of the current debate problems. What happens when a continius beam of light passes between the poles of a continius magnetic field? How does this compare to the path of a free electron passing between the same magnets, as in a Cathode Ray tube? (remember the maxwell equations!)

Isnt quantum foam something to do with spontaneous generation of sub-nanoscopic black holes below Plank length? I'd have to look it up to be sure. Dont know the exact number for the speed of light, but chemical reactions are caused by the electron clouds, not the nucleus, which is what makes quantum dots work. Tokomok is the term for torodal fusion devices, something about being able to compress a plasma magnetically in a circle, then capping the ends with more circles until you wrap it around to where you started. My turn. What's the difference between an alpha particle and a gamma ray? What does LASER stand for and how is the light it produces differet from "normal" light?

I think you need to read the orion document again. Casabla Howetzer was NARROWING the beam of the orion shells, to try and get more range out of them.

I'm sorry, but "Small" and "Efficent" are opposites when it comes to nuclear material. The more material you have, the more efficently it uses that material. You can stack on more explosives, making a subcritical mass dence enough to start going supercritical, but the reaction will blow itself apart before 90% of the nuclear material is consumed.

Isnt "Colont by 2050" one of the stipulations of this thread?

No, Mun's got too much gravity. a single ion engine, no fuel or power, has a TWR of .25. Once you add Xenon, structure, a probe core, and enough power to run them, your TWR is below .1 I have landed on munmus with them, though.

I always had more fond feelings for Homeworld and Independance War. Give me things larger than a snubfighter.

How about Fighter-missiles? Launch them from a linear accelerator, (railgun) they use low temperature RCS for guidance/evasion, and when they get close they use a turreted, modular weapon system system. Shaped charge nuke, Explosively formed projectile or chemical laser for high closing velocity, where you would only get one shot. Directional sensor jamming, Maser EMP and conventional missiles if the FMs are able to match velocities well enough for a significant engagement time.

I designed an ion powered lifter to bring kethane from minmus to minmus orbit. It's only cappable of launching at sunrise or sunset, and can only land at midday at the target site. And it brings a single FL400- equivilant tank of Kethane.

Well, then that AI then gains the right to own property, and all the other rights of a Corporate Entity.

I seem to remember hearing that Spiders adapted very well to space. Not sure if that was ISS or Spacelab, though,

A NERVA is safer than three mile island was. And while Three mile island and Chernoble spread radiation around, they didnt go up in a mushroom cloud. At worst, a NERVA will radioactivly contaminate it's payload. Probaby not the best for passangers, but not catestrophic for a cargo flight.

Or design a "bolt on" asparagus stage, designed to lift itself while fueling one other identical engine. In the center you have 1 engine. It has 4 "bolt on" asparagi attached to it. Asparagi pair A feed themselves and Asparagi pair B, asparagi pair B feed Center engine (at half rate because there's two sources.) Second stage, Asparagi pair A drops empty. Asparagi pair B's "other engine tanks" are half empty, while their "self lift" tanks are full. they continue to feed the center engine. Both sets of tanks will empty at about the same time. Third stage, Asparagi B drops away, leaving the center stack at max fuel.

Hmm... My biggest problem with it is shutting off the drive ruiins the drive. It's effectively an infinite SRB.

Fusion power has been "A decade away" for the last half century. :/

Yes, you would test stuff like artificial gravity and 6 months witout resupply closer to home. When we get the political will to start the mars mission, we'll put an artificial gravity wheel in orbit to test it. Meanwhile an antarctic base will test the life support system. (because when testing your air system, even being 40 minutes from help can be lethal)

I am of the opinion that a true "Robot overlord" AI will see humans like humans see housecats. Aww, arnt they so adorable, look at all the silly things they're doing... and now it's demanding to be fed. Such is existance being "owned" by a human...

"But the problem with metastable helium is not with obtaining it, but storing it. The 2.3 hour limitation only applies to a completely isolated atom; metastable helium packed in with anything else, even other metastable helium atoms, will result in jostling and it losing its metastable state in a fraction of a second." Ouch.

Out of curiosity, is the fuel costs for a non-hoffman transfer dependant entirely on how close you are to a proper hoffman transfer, or are there other points in the orbit where, say, a Bi-eliptic transfer (or other tranfer types) will cost less Dv than they would otherwise?