[TML] A little tinkering with Lasers

[James Ramsay]

Jerry W Barrington wrote:
> I don't like the meson guns at all.  They work on a completely flawed
> premise: that the mesons will decay in a bunch at a preset distance.
>
> Actual particle decay occurs in half-lives, and would be totally useless as
> a weapon.  The decay would be spread out over the line of fire, and the bulk
> of it would happen just out of the barrel of the gun!

So you have problems with a hand wavium particle that doesn't decay 
realistically? I think the designers knew well enough how particles 
decay, and didn't make a mistake with the meson gun. Just as Traveller 
ships consume far more "fuel" than is realistic, don't worry about mass 
for propulsion, psychic powers, and a long list of other hand waves.

P.S. And I think the concept behind the meson gun is that the particles 
are shot at the speed needed for most of the decay to happen near or in 
the target. And of course mesons could have other properties which make 
this possible (eg a chain reaction decay, which is possible given the 
existence of meson shields, or a drop in speed before they decay).

-- 
the_raptor
"As for sniping... Dude, I was a freaking sniper!
 It's what I do!" - Doug Berry