![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The
overall combat paradigm of Star Wars is relatively consistent within
the
movies.
Blaster
rifles may be relied upon for up to 10-250
kilojoules per shot. AT-STs or
squad weapons may be relied upon for 1-10 megajoules per shot. AT-ATs can
provide 10-100 megajoules per shot. Fighter-grade
proton torpedos have a yield between 1 and 10 terajoules. A seismic charge has a yield
between 420 terajoules and 4.2 petajoules. Turbolasers
commonly used on ISDs have a per-bolt energy falling
between 4.2 terajoules and 420 petajoules (100 megatons). The overall
observed rate of
fire appears to be relatively low at 23 terawatts - 84 petawatts. The high end of this range is to be preferred as comparing more reasonably as a fraction of overall power generation. Firepower up to one order of magnitude greater in bombardment situations is possible. This is
seen in TESB most
directly, but is suggested throughout the series by the amount of
damage seen inflicted by blaster bolts on inanimate and unarmored
objects. Armored targets are more difficult to gauge. AT-STs are
seen in detail in ROTJ . AT-ATs are
seen in detail in TESB . If a proton
torpedo contains a proton soup - i.e., hydrogen-1 -
in its most dense known form (metallic) and reacted the most
energetically (i.e., by fusion) then it could have a total explosive
yield of up to ~1 exajoule per cubic meter. Given the size of the
actual
missile (30 centimeter cone), this gives an absolute maximum
theoretical
yield of ~1.68 megatons. Ordinary frozen hydrogen filling half the cone
would give a yield of up to ~22 kilotons. Modern nuclear warheads in
this size range have been tested at just under 1 terajoule of
yield.Proton torpedos and the small blue bombs dropped by TIE bombers produce incandescent fireballs not far from this range. Even accounting for minor improvements between TPM and later movies, it seems likely that fighter-grade proton torpedos fall in the range of 1-10 terajoules of yield; more than modern devices, but well under the theoretical maximum. We may suggest that a thermal detonator is, in fact, another compact thermonuclear device. Assuming a similar ratio of volume to yield as a proton torpedo gives us a yield of 0.2-2 terajoules. The destruction created by proton torpedos appears to exceed the destruction of single bolts from fighter beam weapons. The seismic
charge is discussed in the AOTC Weapons article. TESB
calibrates 50m bolts for us; ROTJ shows 500m bolts. Considering the
reasonable range of scalings for the TESB asteroids (up to a bit over
half the length of the bolts, or about the same length as the Falcon),
per-bolt yields may be as high as 100 megatons. However, observed rates
of fire are no more than several bolts per second for the smaller
bolts, and one bolt per several seconds for the longer bolts. |
SWTC: ISDs
have 500 exawatts of sustained firepower. G. M. Sarli
says firepower 1000x less than SWTC above (500 petawatts). ST-v-SW.net:ISDs gigawatts of firepower, individual bolts up to 23 GJ. SDN:Bolts up to 44 megatons. Overall output 7.8-600 petawatts(2). ST-v-SW:Fighter weapons distinctly sub-kiloton. |
| |