Barriers and Force Fields

[Toku Warrior]

This is something that I've been wondering. We all know that in Sci-Fi a force field and/or barrier of energy is the norm for most super powered beings or battle ships. But I want to know the science behind them.

What type of energy actually makes up the field? How does it really work? Can a force field be used to actually deflect a barrage of missiles and energy blasts back at the attacker?

Could said force field also absorb the attack as incoming energy ans revert it as an attack on the attacker but in a totally different form of energy?

Also, what would be needed to generate a field of energy that could be used as a defensive countermeasure for the body? And do we have any technology that can currently generate such a field?

What do you all think about this subject?

[durendal]

I think the question would be what kind of energy barrier that can exists. I think there are several kinds of barriers with different theories to their workings. One barrier that I can think of is an electromagnetic barrier. With enough power and the right frequency, it could repel incoming projectiles. Energy barriers could also work with lasers. Focusing an intensified beam of light from various satellite into a pattern with no gaps could weave an energy barrier that could incinerate any object that comes close to it. Gravity could also be a factor in barrier technology.

Shockwave can also be used as a barrier. Though the challenge would be in generating a contained and continues wave strong enough to repel most objects.

[*Jess♥]

the most straightforward and easy to imagine type of barrier would be useful against light based weapons.

imagine in star trek, the borg use energy barriers against energy weapons but cannot deflect physical blows.

this is what seems most realistic to me at first.

i say this because a strong magnetic field will cause an electric field to turn. that is how they fire beams around the large hadron collider. they use strong magnets to turn the particles into a large circle.

the magnetic field, if strong enough would turn a beam of light completely to one side and so a laser beam would be deflected by said magnetic field.

you wouldn't be able to see through it though.

unless it was accurately timed to only activate when sensing an incoming attack.

in terms of physical repulsion though....

I'm not sure how realistic that actually is.

to repel mass, you need mass.

the reason a shockwave works is because the speed of the particles will increase their momentum and thus their effective mass.

to have that type of increased momentum indefinitely, the particles would have to be constantly moving, you're talking about a sustained explosion, which would need a lot of fuel. and also would need to be held in somehow to avoid constantly killing anything within radius.

the type of technology to repel matter in such a way is tantamount to anti-gravity. i am pretty sure antigravity is worked on at the moment.

I am not too clear on the theory involved, but there are youtube videos on it.

i think i would be curious to study it at some point.

a thought i had, static electricity will cause objects to repel each other. if you charge your body with static, your hair will stand on end because each strand is trying to get away from the others. if you can keep your body and another body statically charged, then each will repel each other. but that means a massive charge and that type of electricity would probably fry you when it discharges.

well there's plenty here to think about. come back to me on this, lets get some discussion and it'll set my brain working some more.

[LordSpleach]

The shockwave barrier sounds like they do now with tanks. They put explosive changes around the vehicle and when a tank rounds hits, the charge explodes outwards minimizing the damage of the explosion.

[Salkafar]

I'm pretty sure a magnetic field does not affect light. But it would be effective against a charged particle beam, like the Megasmasher.

You could use an imaginary technology which sounds sort of real: a force field based on the strong nuclear force. Only without the atoms.

[*Jess♥]

I've been pretty sure for a while that magnetic field would bend light, but research tells me that was wrong.

curse the source that told me that.

charged particles, yes good one. that's what i meant, honest.

well the thing about the borg is still good, but under different circumstances.

a laser is pretty much constant. like, all the light beams are exactly the same wave form and pulse at the same speed etc. so if you get the frequency of it, you can filter it very specifically.

but you would need something to actually do the filtering.

[Toku Warrior]

Cool guys. Thanks for answering these questions for me. I have always been wondering the basis on barriers and fields so now these answers help answer my questions. It also helps some of my writing for some of my fanfics as well.

thanks again everyone.

[Salkafar]

Mind you, in "Guyver" there's lots of stuff going on that is beyond modern science, especially with the Zoalord. Their abilities seem to be more psionic than physical.

Also, I overlooked the Guyver's (and presumably Guyot's and Mirabilis') gravitonic force fields. Not sure how they work. Maybe they suck the inertia out of whatever hits them, taking away its impact.

[*V Guyver]

Mind you, in "Guyver" there's lots of stuff going on that is beyond modern science, especially with the Zoalord. Their abilities seem to be more psionic than physical.

Also, I overlooked the Guyver's (and presumably Guyot's and Mirabilis') gravitonic force fields. Not sure how they work. Maybe they suck the inertia out of whatever hits them, taking away its impact.

Well gravity is for the most part a mystery. A lot of planets have varying fields of gravity, though the biggers ones tend to have more gravity then smaller ones. But when you try to apply the theory of relativity to gravity, math doesn't add up. So they have to make other theries to try and explain it. They believe there is an unseen force somewhere between the fiber of reality with ths untapped energy source, and that it's made up of tiny massless particles call gravitons that emminate these fields. But it's a theory and no one really has a means of measuring and understanding it yet. But if the Guyver's gravity orb and Guyot can generate these particles, then it would explain alot.

[Salkafar]

Um... V, the force of gravity of a particular object - like a planet - is determined by its mass. Nobody knows what mass is, exactly, but they are hoping to discover the hypothetical mass entities, the so-called 'Higgs boson' using the Large Hadron Collider.'Gravitons' on the other hand, are the hypothetical carriers of gravitonic force between masses.

The other aspect you were describing seems more like 'dark matter' and 'dark energy'. Those phenomena were 'discovered' when it came out that more than 9/10ths of the mass of the universe cannot be directly detected by any means we possess. But it does exist.

"when you apply the theory of relativity to gravity the math doesn't add up" is an epic sentence. It its way.

Edited December 21, 2010 by Salkafar

[*V Guyver]

Um... V, the force of gravity of a particular object - like a planet - is determined by its mass. Nobody knows what mass is, exactly, but they are hoping to discover the hypothetical mass entities, the so-called 'Higgs boson' using the Large Hardon Collider.'Gravitons' on the other hand, are the hypothetical carriers of gravitonic force between masses.

The other aspect you were describing seems more like 'dark matter' and 'dark energy'. Those phenomena were 'discovered' when it came out that more than 9/10ths of the mass of the universe cannot be directly detected by any means we possess. But it does exist.

"when you apply the theory of relativity to gravity the math doesn't add up" is an epic sentence. It its way.

That's the thing, the Mass... well it seems normal enough for planets and asteroids to have mass and in turn have gravity relative to that mass, right? But we keep running into objects that no longer have mass like blackholes. You are spot on about it being dark Matter and Energy. Which brings us another problem... now we have two things that can't be properly measured, Dark Matter and Gravity... and they are both connected by some unseen variables. A few years ago we proved that Dark Matter Exists and reversed the judgemntal redicule people had on "Einstein's folly".

It's stuff like this that science fiction writers love, because you can stretch out the truth and make things up along the way. XD

[durendal]

Um... V, the force of gravity of a particular object - like a planet - is determined by its mass. Nobody knows what mass is, exactly, but they are hoping to discover the hypothetical mass entities, the so-called 'Higgs boson' using the Large Hardon Collider.'Gravitons' on the other hand, are the hypothetical carriers of gravitonic force between masses.

The other aspect you were describing seems more like 'dark matter' and 'dark energy'. Those phenomena were 'discovered' when it came out that more than 9/10ths of the mass of the universe cannot be directly detected by any means we possess. But it does exist.

"when you apply the theory of relativity to gravity the math doesn't add up" is an epic sentence. It its way.

I'm really sorry Salkafar, but I just can't resist this, but whatever you do, don't let any women go near that collider! BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Ahem. Anyway, I'm sure as soon as we discover any new source of energy particles, we'd be able to develop new technology around it. Perhaps when we discover the Higgs Boson particle, we might be able to develop boson barriers. (or bossom barrier )

[Salkafar]

I did not make that typo!

[*Jess♥]

I did not make that typo!

there's no shame in it, we all make mistakes.

your post hasn't been edited. unless it was a member of staff and that wouldn't happen.

[*V Guyver]

everytime I come back to this thread... I want to reply seriously... but I keep on laughing so hard at " Large Hardon Collider" That always gets me in a good mood.

Also I have to point out no one would of editted that quote... it's too good to be editted. I mean... come on, it's comic gold. In fact, you should be proud of that and present it to the ladies as a subject of interest.

[Salkafar]

So you are openly admitting you find the word "hardon" so funny you can laugh at it again and again and again.

[*V Guyver]

So you are openly admitting you find the word "hardon" so funny you can laugh at it again and again and again.

Of course not. I'm not so blase to be lughing at a work like Hardon. No I'm laughing at "Large Hardon Collider", it sounds so much more impressive.