As an exercise for those out there with some education in physics,
Calculate the diameter of the laserbeam from a laserrifle out at very long
range. 'The Traveller Book' claims that the beam is 2mm diameter and has a
wavelength in the infrared.
And since diffraction through small openings isn't likely to change with
the techlevel...
A friend of mine got the figure 2 meters diameter at 500 meters range :-)
It seems that manportable lasers are a shortrange weapon.
(And if we look at ships weapons we might find out that ship to ship
combat with lasers at the ranges given are physically impossible :-)
My 1/4cred about hole vs. vapour explosion:
I think it is highly dependant on the material of the target. I would imagine
that metals would get a hole and squishy things with lots of fluids (PCs :-)
a vapour explosion.
On the other hand, don't over estimate the effect of an vapour explosion.
There has been a number of handgun bullets developed that had all kinds of
outlandish shapes, supposedly to better transfer their kinetic energy into a
shockwave in the target. They didn't work very well.
About point defence:
Even if the PD weapon had a 100% effectiveness, it has a rate of fire (which I
don't remember, I think it is about 30 shots per minute for turreted weapons?)
and if more bombs arrive in less time than there is turrets to handle them,
a lot of them is going to get through.
This is the tactics used today for missile attacks against ships. And iron
bombs, even with a laser guidance pack, are harder targets than sea skimming
missiles.
- -bertil-
- --