The Langston field originaly was a set size. As it absorbed energy and
converted it to Heat energy, the heat energy bled off into space (a
questionable prospect in space). The idea behind the Motie expanding field was
that as the field absorbed engergy, it increased in size providing a greater
surface area to blead the heat. As the energy was blead off, the shield
contracted back to the "standard" size.
By the way has anyone tested using a Ringworld inspired statis field for
screens/shields? It would protect from all damage, but also allow no
attacks, thrust, maneuvers, etc. on the target ship. Probably would drain the
ship's energy pretty fast as well.
Brian Bell pdga6560@csi.com
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/pdga6560/fthome.html
Includes the Full Thrust Ship Registry Is your ship design here?
Excerpts from FT: 4-Apr-97 Re: Expanding Shields/Stati.. by "Brian
Bell"@csi.com
> The Langston field originaly was a set size. As it absorbed energy and
Ah... so that's how the things worked. I'd gotten the impression they were
just expanding on their own... I certainly don't recall any mention of the
shields shrinking back down in either novel.
Still, if one of the shields has expanded like that, then you could still
maneuver between the shield and the ship generating the shield and
blast it to pieces... the description of the burn-throughs on the
MacArthur indicated that the shield was basically a "shell" rather than solid
all the way through. (Well, barring the volume occupied by the cruiser.)
(And thanks to Phil P. for also pointing that out.)
> At 04:54 PM 4/4/97 -0500, Brian Bell wrote:
Heat can be disapated in space, it's called radiant heat, the same heat you
feel on your face when a fire rages in your fireplace. It is more efficient to
heat your house by allowing the heated gas (air) flow through your house by
allowing the coals to burn. By the way in the sequel we find that there are
times when having an expanding shield is very bad, like inside a red dwarf
where the larger your sheild the more heat it absorbs... You also increase
your target ratio that way... Phil P.
> At 05:41 PM 4/4/97 -0500, Aaron Teske wrote:
The idea behind the Motie expanding field
> was that as the field absorbed engergy, it increased in size
Niven says the Moties are working on a self expanding shield (does not require
heating), might be usefull on carriers to capture fighters or in trojan
asteroid fields to collect materials... To open a portal in the shield you
need control over the area, as it gets hotter you lose that control. The olny
way to get inside the shield is to drift through it or assume that you enemy
is an idiot and allows you to get through a window. Otherwise if you dive
through it, you will lose momentum (Langston Fields absorb KE) and absorb a
lot of the heat retained in the field. I just don't see how you will get into
the field since it is globalur in nature with windows opening for weapons,
sensors etc...