SW Shield Tech

[2046]

I'd been pondering once whether SW vessel shields are usually complete affairs, given the example of the statements about the Invisible Hand ("Did you notice the shields are still up?"), though of course this could've simply referred to the landing bay.

In other words, the thought crossed my mind from that example that perhaps the shields of SW capital ships actually might usually afford only partial coverage. This would presumably occur over sensitive areas (e.g. "bridge deflector shield"), much like the Death Star had a specially-shielded exhaust port.

Meanwhile, Spacebattles folks seem to be pondering the idea that SW starship shields are simply powerful magnetic fields . . . a concept also discussed here a year ago, albeit modelled by the simplest most non-sci-fi magnetic field possible.

Assuming a magnetic "force wall" similar to the plasma containment doodad in this link, one not requiring a surrounding wall and capable of being shaped to a standoff distance from the hull a la Anakin's fighter in the Droid Control Ship (TPM), do magnetic shields become more likely?

[GStone]

More likely, as in the reason why shields would be partial protectors? Maybe, but if they are magnetic, I don't see a reason why the ray and particle shields wouldn't both be magnetic.

However, there is something else I've wondered about. Often over the years, I've seen people mention the link between shields and the generator. It's been used to try to explain lower figures for Trek shields and to explain by some that feel Wars shields simply put the energy out there and the often said idea that the shield's strength is based on how well the generator itself can withstand the stress and how well it's bolted to the floor.

If this was really the way Wars fields operate, wouldn't someone have come up with a way to absorb the stress without it hitting the generator? Some kind of additional field or whatever? Otherwise, not only are you putting the safety of the ship in the hands of *bolts*, you're giving the other side a way to set off a bomb inside the ship by just knocking out the shields.

Who is gonna ride in one of those? Do they make the generator have fault points to let it fall apart inward and not explode? That'd just make it easier to set off the generators by weakening them. When they implode a building, they make premade cut points for the shaped charges, so it breaks apart and falls inward instead of exploding outward.

You'd think that if they've got the neutrino generator to get rid of captured energy, that they'd use it to relieve the kinetic stress put on the shield generator before it reaches the bolts.

[Mike DiCenso]

The idea of the magnetic shields for SW ships came from trying to explain the whole concept of the big sensor/shield domes on the ISD conning towers, and how they could possibly work, if indeed magnetic based. Other possibilities include perhaps a series of nested localized magnetic shields, which would explain the Falcon and some of the other smaller ships, which appear to have at least two, and possibly more based on what Han and Threepio say in TESB:

THREEPIO: Sir, we just lost the main rear deflector shield. One more
direct hit on the back quarter and we're done for.

HAN: Turn her around.

Chewie barks in puzzlement.

HAN: I said turn her around! I'm going to put all power in the front
shield.

This shielding system suggests two large primary shield coverages for the front and rear of the ship, perhaps projected as lobes; plus smaller, weaker shields, which may explain the ability of the Falcon's shields to be "angled" for maximum deflection. The starfighters in ANH appear to operate on multi-shield coverage for the front and rear arcs:

RED LEADER: (over headset) Switch your deflectors on.

INTERIOR: ANOTHER COCKPIT.

RED LEADER: (over headset) Double front!


GOLD LEADER: Switch power to front deflector screens.

GOLD FIVE: Stabilize your read deflectors. Watch for enemy fighters.

If the larger captial ships work this way, it would go a good deal towards explaining what we see with the Avenger, and Invisible Hand. Though with the IH, the "shields are still up" bit looks to be referencing the hanger bay shields, and that is why Anakin specifically targets the oddly exposed shield generator, and collapses it, rather than having to worry about the entire ship's shielding system.
-Mike

[Mike DiCenso]

More likely, as in the reason why shields would be partial protectors? Maybe, but if they are magnetic, I don't see a reason why the ray and particle shields wouldn't both be magnetic.

The funny thing is that when we get a second example of ray shields in action in RoTS on board the Invisible Hand, it not only prevents the lightsabers from penetrating it, but apparently is good enough to prevent people and droids from exiting it as well. So ray shields also stop at least some KE as well?
-Mike

[Kazeite]

It's possible that ray shields give nasty "electric" shock to unshielded human body, which is why you can pass it while inside a starfighter, but not wearing cotton/leather Jedi robes :)

[Mike DiCenso]

Possibly, much as we see in Trek when someone contacts a brig or containment force field. However I might also point out that Artoo was also there, and you would think that he would have been insulated from such a shock, or the force of Anakin and Obi-Wan pushing their lightsaber blades through would have done the trick, particularly in destroying the ray shield's emitter.
-Mike