Laser weapons : Fallout: New Vegas

» Mon May 04, 2009 2:04 am

How exactly does this work? A laser is a powerful, focused beam of light. In this case, powerful enough to harm creatures. I'm pretty sure light makes no audible sound, so why can creatures hear it? Also, unless it has something to do with the discharge of energy, how would a laser weapon, basically a light emitter, have a kickback? Please answer my questions about the laser weapon physics. I would ask my friend, but then he would literally give me a full lesson about it. So I was hoping you guys could answer my questions.

» Mon May 04, 2009 3:34 am

The air burning making a rapid crinkling noise, rapid expansion of heated air from the laser in front of the gun pushing it back?

» Sun May 03, 2009 5:02 pm

Heh, yeah, I think if the laser is powerful enough it would superheat air and make a loud noise. But it most certainly would not be "pew pew pew." Have no idea if a laser weapon that could instantly melt a hole in flesh would have to be that powerful...I suspect not.
You can pretend that laser gun designers add a mechanism to create noise & vibration in order help shooters who were initially used to having such (or as some kind of general public safety/law measure)...and the addition became expected/never removed from production.

» Mon May 04, 2009 3:18 am

Science !!!! is the answer for these issues.

However a laser used as a weapon would either..
A: require a heavy power source to provide a long ( in length ) continious ( in time ) beam, even then the drain of energy and heat would make it a danger to use for long.
B: Use short rapid bursts, this would require far less energy, be man portable and be safer for the weapon and housing system.
It would require still a fair bit of energy due to putting out an energy that could burn at range.
To do this it would most likely build up and store a charge to power up for that quick burst, then as soon as soon as triggered build up again.
This build up could be what makes the pew noise, just as a defibrillator does.

» Sun May 03, 2009 4:11 pm

Yeah...the reality of laser weapons is...well not quite how we would traditionally view them (and how they are portrayed in Fallout 3) but like Madocmayhem said this isn't science. This is Science!

Laser weapons fit in perfectly with the retro-futuristic setting.

» Sun May 03, 2009 4:29 pm

The air burning making a rapid crinkling noise,
I'd go for heating and expanding (not burning) and the loud clap of cold, heavy air rushing back in (thunder?!)

rapid expansion of heated air from the laser
See? You got it!

in front of the gun pushing it back?
Nope. Thanks for playing

Science !!!! is the answer for these issues.
This^^^^^^^

However a laser used as a weapon would either..
A: require a heavy power source to provide a long ( in length )
Photons only appear to be a beam, extending from emitter to target; distance is limited by the Inverse Square Law (basically twice the distance = i/4 the effect)

continuous ( in time ) beam, even then the drain of energy and heat would make it a danger to use for long.
B: Use short rapid bursts, this would require far less energy, be man portable and be safer for the weapon and housing system.
Technically Photons are particles so it isn't a beam and emission isn't a continuous stream or beam. But you are correct in stating that most power lasers are pulse devices. Like machineguns of light (rather than light machineguns :wink_smile: ) Much of the power of a machine gun results from the aggregate effect of the bullets striking quickly in succession is greater than the sum. It might also be the same with lasers.

It would require still a fair bit of energy due to putting out an energy that could burn at range.
To do this it would most likely build up and store a charge to power up for that quick burst, then as soon as soon as triggered build up again. This build up could be what makes the pew noise, just as a defibrillator does.
The power of the Fallout Future seems to be fusion based. This might negate the need for capacitance power supplies.
Actually, the power build up of a laser is within the crystal itself, where the photons bounce back and forth until they are energetic enough to escape.

Yeah...the reality of laser weapons is...well not quite how we would traditionally view them (and how they are portrayed in Fallout 3) but like Madocmayhem said this isn't science. This is Science!
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMBut mostly, this ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

» Sun May 03, 2009 7:22 pm

'sWhy i put a question mark.

» Mon May 04, 2009 12:18 am

You're thinking to much into it, but if I had to geuss it's probably the power source or emitter of the ray that makes the sound and the intence force created by it forces the rifle to jerk back.

» Sun May 03, 2009 10:26 pm

Well, if you think about it. The ammo for a laser rifle is the Microfusion Cell. That could mean breaking it down to certain base elements and then emitting out high speeds of light and other elements but not so fast to break the sound barrier. That's why I'm never the science type. You can hack a terminal, or you can go in and be "The last thing they never see."

» Mon May 04, 2009 5:54 am

Science !!!! is the answer for these issues.
This^^^^^^^

However a laser used as a weapon would either..
A: require a heavy power source to provide a long ( in length )
Photons only appear to be a beam, extending from emitter to target; distance is limited by the Inverse Square Law (basically twice the distance = i/4 the effect)

continuous ( in time ) beam, even then the drain of energy and heat would make it a danger to use for long.
B: Use short rapid bursts, this would require far less energy, be man portable and be safer for the weapon and housing system.
Technically Photons are particles so it isn't a beam and emission isn't a continuous stream or beam. But you are correct in stating that most power lasers are pulse devices. Like machineguns of light (rather than light machineguns ) Much of the power of a machine gun results from the aggregate effect of the bullets striking quickly in succession is greater than the sum. It might also be the same with lasers.

It would require still a fair bit of energy due to putting out an energy that could burn at range.
To do this it would most likely build up and store a charge to power up for that quick burst, then as soon as soon as triggered build up again. This build up could be what makes the pew noise, just as a defibrillator does.
The power of the Fallout Future seems to be fusion based. This might negate the need for capacitance power supplies.
Actually, the power build up of a laser is within the crystal itself, where the photons bounce back and forth until they are energetic enough to escape.

Thank you for that Edouard, it was very interesting to read cheers.

» Sun May 03, 2009 9:11 pm

@Edouard: You are incorrect in labeling photons only as particles. They are considered to behave both like a particle and a wave, thus not fitting neatly in either category. For all intents and purposes the beam is as continuous as it's emitting source allows it.

» Mon May 04, 2009 5:07 am

Thanks guys. While we're at it, talking about Fallout physics, how is it that I could still RUN while my legs are CRIPPLED. You don't see people get their legs broken, then walk away. Maybe we should make a Fallout physics forum with a better title......

» Mon May 04, 2009 4:09 am

Superheating the air in front of the barrel could cause enough expansion to push the gun backwards.

And discharging enough focused energy to kill would probably make some kind of noise.