Nature of Empire vs. Federation technology

[Lucky]

They know how to control gravitons, as clearly seen in G-canon... :)

That's again quite a leap.

They may know how to "create" gravitons as mankind knew how to "create" photons for a long time - even before it knew that there are such things like photons.

But as mankind didn't really knew that there are such things like photons and even now its ability to "control" photons is very limited, we can not simply assume, that they are able to "control" gravitons.

There are many people out there, who are claiming to have created a device that can either create gravity or anti-gravity. Among them are even "scientists" like Martin Tajmar or Eugene Podkletnov. Even if we assume that their experiments were successful and they had indeed created a kind of gravity or ant-gravity device, although then we would be able to create gravitation or anti-gravitation, as we are able to create light and darkness, we would not be able to "control" gravitons.

Yoda's repulsor chair shows them negating gravity as well (it's certainly not a jet or thruster equipment, since it has no visible exaust), and gravity plates shows them creating, or simulating, gravity.
They have gravity sensors as well.
What more do you require?
How can you control things that much, measure it so precisely, but have no knowledge on how to manipulate it?

In the original version of Star Wars repulsor lift things had a "force field" under them often.

What source says repulsor lifts are gravity based?

[Praeothmin]

Lucky, please explain how a force-field not graviton-based below the chair can allow it to move around as if it was floating on air?

A field of anti-gravitons would explain this nicely and neatly...
The chairs are said to be repulsor based, which in turn are said to affect gravitons...

[Who is like God arbour]

Even in theory, the existence of anti-gravitons is more than dubious.

But let us assume, there are anti-gravitons.

How do you think do they work?

By annihilating the for the chair reaching gravitons?

Are they then releasing energy as the reaction of each particle and anti-particle would?

Are there small explosions under the chair?

Or is it maybe more plausible, that there is a kind of force field, that prevents gravitons from reaching the chair or at least reduce the amount of gravitons that reach the chair.

Or maybe there are no anti-gravitons but a particle that is doing the opposite of a graviton. The graviton attracts and the other particle repels.

[Kor_Dahar_Master]

Or maybe there are no anti-gravitons but a particle that is doing the opposite of a graviton. The graviton attracts and the other particle repels.

I would go with this one personally, or a creation of a field that reverses the effect of normal gravitons within its area.

[Praeothmin]

Which implies mastery over Gravitons, which is my original point.
How it works does not matter, the fact that it does, and effects gravity, is what is important...

[Lucky]

Lucky, please explain how a force-field not graviton-based below the chair can allow it to move around as if it was floating on air?

A field of anti-gravitons would explain this nicely and neatly...
The chairs are said to be repulsor based, which in turn are said to affect gravitons...

Watch the original version of A New Hope there should be a "energy field" under Luke's speeder. I believe they removed the effect in later versions. It was done to hide the wheels. I believe it was talked about in the Special Addition.

Electromagnetism can be used to over come gravity in the real world the way repulsor lifts do, and that fits Star Wars tech better then gravity.

[Praeothmin]

Electromagnetism can be used to over come gravity in the real world the way repulsor lifts do, and that fits Star Wars tech better then gravity.

Really?
How, praytell, can it be used in such a way?
And how, again, can a culture create artificial gravity such as seen in the MF with no control over gravity?

[Mike DiCenso]

Star Wars certainly does use an advanced form of artifical gravity, and if we go by the EU, Interdictor class Star Destroyers can create artifical gravity wells.
-Mike

[Mike DiCenso]

I just remembered this passage from the ANH novelization on page 110:

"The mathematics of spacedrive were simple enough even to Luke. Antigrav could operate only when there was a sufficent gravity well to push against---like that of a planet---whereas supralight travel could only take place when a ship was clear of that same gravity. Hence the necessity for the dual-drive system on any extrasystem spacecraft."

So it would seem that replusorlift is an antigravity system, not simply electromagnetic.
-Mike

[Who is like God arbour]

Push against gravity? That sounds as if it works by action and reaction. But how can one push against gravity?

[Mike DiCenso]

Probably it "pushes" in the colloquial sense with a stream of anti-gravitons, which becomes less and less effective since gravity falls off with the inverse square law.
-Mike

[Jedi Master Spock]

Push against gravity? That sounds as if it works by action and reaction. But how can one push against gravity?

All that's required is a sufficiently creative pseudoscientific explanation.

For example, suppose that instead of absorbing a particle mediating a gravitational pull, you have a special type of directional field in which matter reflects a certain percentage of gravitational interaction instead of absorbing it, and in that reflection, transform it from a "pulling" particle to a "pushing" particle.

A 50% reflection and inversion on a certain section of shield would cancel the acceleration due to gravity in that direction. A 100% reflection and inversion would lead to a pushing force exactly equal to current gravity.

If you vary the reflectance and angle appropriately across the surface, you could use it to "surf" around sideways in a strong enough gravitational field. Presumably, by working with gravity, you avoid all the normal inefficiencies of reaction mass. This, or something like it, is the sort of pseudoscientific mechanic that would go along with the description of the ANH quote - one that gives you maximum acceleration proportionate to what your gravitational acceleration should be.

The difference between this and a classical repulsor is that the classical repulsor will be generating magical "push" particles, while the antigravity somehow uses existing gravitational "pull" as fuel or stock to transform into "push" particles.

[User1446]

All that's required is a sufficiently creative pseudoscientific explanation.

I'll say: inertia is created by universal gravity, therefore one could repulsor-move in any direction, just by repulsing against inertia in the opposite one. The fact that it only works against the local gravity of a planet, indicates that they don't know much.

50% reflection and inversion on a certain section of shield would cancel the acceleration due to gravity in that direction. A 100% reflection and inversion would lead to a pushing force exactly equal to current gravity.

If you vary the reflectance and angle appropriately across the surface, you could use it to "surf" around sideways in a strong enough gravitational field.

Like the universe: that's how Star Trek drives work, IIRC (which is rare :-)

[Jedi Master Spock]

I'll say: inertia is created by universal gravity,

Is it? Are you sure?

We "know" at least the simpler fact that inertial mass and gravitational mass are intrinsically linked in the ST universe, thanks to - oh - "Deja Q." We strongly suspect they're intrinsically linked in reality, too. But does this hold in the funsics of SW? We can't be quite sure without checking to see if there's an exception buried somewhere in whatever we consider canon.

therefore one could repulsor-move in any direction, just by repulsing against inertia in the opposite one. The fact that it only works against the local gravity of a planet, indicates that they don't know much.

Not necessarily. There can be all manner of reasons why the antigravity "lenses" or "mirrors" might only be able to effectively focus/reflect the gravitational fields of easily perceived objects, or for an antigravity "field" to only be sensitive to the differences locally visible within it.

We know, in other words, that antigravity drive has these limitations in SW; we don't know if it's intrinsic to the type of technology, or if they simply haven't figured out how to use it properly as you seem to be suggesting.

[Who is like God arbour]

Push against gravity? That sounds as if it works by action and reaction. But how can one push against gravity?

All that's required is a sufficiently creative pseudoscientific explanation.

That's funny.