From: CXMP <CXMP@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA>
Subject: Re: Phasers; edited, updated and reposted
Organization: McGill University
Date: Mon, 28 Sep 1992 03:41:09 GMT

In article <8337@dirac.physics.purdue.edu> hinson@bohr.physics.purdue.edu (Jason W. Hinson) writes:
>CXMP@MUSICA.MCGILL.CA (CXMP) writes:
><Where do the particles come from?  What are they?  Now this *is*
><arbitrary, but suppose we were to ask instead: what would be a really
><nifty explanation?  I propose that the particles in question are
><electrons and positrons.
><
><Why?  Well, one result of Quantum Electrodynamics (see above) is that
><empty space is filled with electron/positron pairs.  As these particles
><aren't going anywhere and together have no net charge, you'd never even
><know they were there unless you were to take a graduate level course in
><physics. :) So what does the warp field do?  It accelerates these
><particles and the result is a really nasty beam.
><
><Why is this explanation nifty?  Well, for one thing, the phaser would be
><virtually empty (or rather empty except for that which is virtual -
><sorry, it's QED joke :) ) and this would make it light to carry;
><perhaps a phaser would consist of a "simple" mechanism powered (somehow)
><by a small dilithium crystal and a small warp field chamber by which
><the particles are accelerated.                              ^^
>
I changed the word "in" to by to be more general as per the following
discussion.

>Interesting: So to strike your opponent, you do not have to accelerate
>a virtual pair from your ship to there ship, but the warp field you
>are useing to accelerate the pairs must get to a virtual pair near the
>opponent and accelerate it into the opponent (of course all other pairs
>between you and the opponent would also be accelerated in the field, but
>the time between your firing and and the initial hit only depends on the
>speed of the warp field).  Sort of like the time between making a
>connection in one part of a wire and current flowing in another part--
>this time depends on the speed of the electric field through the wire
>not the small speed of the electrons.
>
Actually, I was thinking about hand phasers.  It's true that ship's
phasers do have to cover a lot of distance.  The same can be said of
the transporter beam.  Hmm.

>By the way, what is the probablility that a virtual pair exists in
>a given region of space at a given time? ie. what is the "density"
>of virtual pairs in a vacuum?
>(I guess I should know how to answer this, but it escapes me at the
>moment)

This is a good real world question, but phaser power would depend on
other things such as beam width, the momentum given the particles and
duration.
>
>OH, another thing: If you did have to get a virtual pair from your
>ship to theirs, you would have to do it MIGHTY fast since the lifetime
>of a pair is limited by the uncertainty principle.
>
>-Jay
>
My thinking is that ship's phasers travel at warp speed so that the
opponent's ship can't simply outmanuever them.  Now, the consensus
seems to be that you have to be in a warp field to travel at warp
speed.  Thus, even if the particles do travel all the way from one ship
to the other they have to do so in a warp field.  I certainly don't
have any problem with what you suggest.

As for the uncertainty principle, I think I'll reserve comment until
after I see "Realm of Fear".

Possible dialogue:

Barclay: Geordi, I don't think transporters are safe.
Geordi:  But, Reg, we've been using them for a long time now.
Barclay: But, Geordi, hasn't it ever bothered you that the idea of
         reconstructing a human being is a clear violation of the
         uncertainty principle?

**NOTE** This is my second attempt at posting this.  Hope it works!

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