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[[File:COIL-Schematic-1S.gif|frame|Schematic of an early Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser]] |
[[File:COIL-Schematic-1S.gif|frame|Schematic of an early Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser]] |
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'''Chemlasers''' are [[beam weapon]]s which use a chemical reaction to produce a contained field of charged plasma, which is then electrically stimulated between a matched set of mirrors. This causes the charged plasma to lase, producing a powerful pulse of coherent light: a laser beam. Heavy chemlasers are the standard medium-range beam armament on most starships. Smaller chemlasers may be mounted on vehicles, for a light [[PDL|point-defense battery]], or even used as heavy weapons by [[Power Armor|power-armor]] troopers. |
'''Chemlasers''' are [[beam weapon]]s which use a chemical reaction to produce a contained field of charged plasma, which is then electrically stimulated between a matched set of mirrors. This causes the charged plasma to lase, producing a powerful pulse of coherent light: a laser beam. Heavy chemlasers are the standard medium-range beam armament on most starships. Smaller chemlasers may be mounted on vehicles, for a light [[PDL|point-defense battery]], or even used as heavy weapons by [[Power Armor|power-armor]] troopers. |
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| + | Heavy chemlasers mounted on warships have an effective range of about 800,000 kilometers in the vacuum of space. Smaller chemlasers used on a planetary surface (with an atmosphere) would have a much shorter range. |
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[[Category:Technical Terms]] |
[[Category:Technical Terms]] |
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Revision as of 14:46, 20 August 2013
Schematic of an early Chemical Oxygen-Iodine Laser
Chemlasers are beam weapons which use a chemical reaction to produce a contained field of charged plasma, which is then electrically stimulated between a matched set of mirrors. This causes the charged plasma to lase, producing a powerful pulse of coherent light: a laser beam. Heavy chemlasers are the standard medium-range beam armament on most starships. Smaller chemlasers may be mounted on vehicles, for a light point-defense battery, or even used as heavy weapons by power-armor troopers.
Heavy chemlasers mounted on warships have an effective range of about 800,000 kilometers in the vacuum of space. Smaller chemlasers used on a planetary surface (with an atmosphere) would have a much shorter range.