The forum discussion centers on the implications of using a disintegrator, invented by Dr. Someguy, to clear rock in a cave system. Participants conclude that the disintegrated material would likely result in loose particles, posing a choking hazard, rather than disappearing entirely, which would imply significant energy release. The conversation highlights the potential dangers of using such a device indoors, including collateral damage and radiation hazards, particularly if the energy conversion leads to neutron density. The need for a user manual and safety precautions is emphasized, as well as the dramatic narrative potential of explosive decompression in a story context.
PREREQUISITESWriters, physicists, and science fiction enthusiasts interested in the implications of advanced technology and its narrative potential, as well as safety considerations in fictional scenarios involving energy conversion and disintegration.
I was wondering about "collateral damage", meaning "the shooter done killed hisself." I wonder if Dr. Someguy could have included a way of directing that energy away from the shooter.phinds said:"disappearing implying energy release" would likely be way beyond lethal so you'd best go with the dust
So ... don't use it in doors?newjerseyrunner said:Even directing the energy away would be rough on anything else nearby. If you're talking about converting it to pure energy, you have to remember just how much energy is contained in matter. One gram of matter, converted to energy is equivalent to detonating a 43KT nuclear weapon.
*Shoots a pebble*
*Accidentally incinerates a city*
He's terrible when it comes to things like that. Drives his intern, Igor, crazy.stefan r said:Dr Someguy should have included a user manual.
Any guesses as to the velocity of the particles?If your disintegrator breaks the grain boundaries in the rock then you usually get silt and sand. You can see crystal grains on extruded pipe railings. Separated grains could be flakes or needles depending on how the material was processed. In order to really separate grains there has to be a gap which means it has to expand.
Noisy Rhysling said:Any guesses as to the velocity of the particles?
stefan r said:Why would there be much velocity? You may have to test it a few times. If you want velocity you can always add steam.
Gravity can move sand and gravel quickly:
It would depend on "how" the disintegrator works. For example, assume that it just cancels out inter-molecular bonds. The molecule themselves in the target are vibrating. Remove the bonds holding them together, and they will fly off at whatever speed and direction they were moving at the moment.Noisy Rhysling said:He's terrible when it comes to things like that. Drives his intern, Igor, crazy.
Any guesses as to the velocity of the particles?
Say they needed a tunnel a meter across and ten meters long. There wouldn't be enough matter converted to "neutron density" to cause mobility problems?DHF said:Another idea is that the device could increase the matter's density, causing the molecules within the affected area to collapse together, perhaps even to neutron density. so zap a door and the door would seem to vanish, the matter the door was made of would still be there, it would just be a microscopic spec of material on the floor.
Any radiation issues with breaking the bonds?Janus said:It would depend on "how" the disintegrator works. For example, assume that it just cancels out inter-molecular bonds. The molecule themselves in the target are vibrating. Remove the bonds holding them together, and they will fly off at whatever speed and direction they were moving at the moment.
If you just weaken the bonds, but not to the point where they break, you could soften or liquify the target.
Noisy Rhysling said:Say they needed a tunnel a meter across and ten meters long. There wouldn't be enough matter converted to "neutron density" to cause mobility problems?
What about 300 cubic meters of rock?DHF said:Most of what makes up matter is pretty much space, consider an actual neutron star, it has a mass greater then our own sun, yet on average, they are only a few kilometers across. Collapsing down 300sq. meters of rock would still take up a microscopic amount of space.
300 cubic meters of granite would compress to a cube ~134 micrometers across.Noisy Rhysling said:What about 300 cubic meters of rock?
;)
Would it gain any relative velocity during that fall? Become a missile hazard?Janus said:300 cubic meters of granite would compress to a cube ~134 micrometers across.
The big problem will be what happens after this cube falls out of the influence of the beam. By itself it is not stable. That small an amount of neutronium won't have enough gravity to prevent the neutrons from decaying into a proton and electron via beta decay.
Noisy Rhysling said:Would it gain any relative velocity during that fall? Become a missile hazard?
I could solve that if Our Hero is boring at a downward slant?
Let's put it this way. The 300 cubic meters of rock it converted to that tiny volume. Which falls to the floor of the tunnel. Once it hits the floor of the tunnel (which also is the outside edge of the boring ray.) it keeps going because it is so dense that the rock can not support it. It now starts to decay with a half-life of 15 min, producing protons and electrons. These will take up more room than the neutrons they decayed from. In other words the mass will be trying to revert to it original volume, but now is surrounded by more rock. Something is going to have to give, big time!Noisy Rhysling said:Would it gain any relative velocity during that fall? Become a missile hazard?
I could solve that if Our Hero is boring at a downward slant?
Would the time limit vary a great deal with the rate of drilling? Very high rate means very large explosions very quickly, but a slow rate means smaller explosions farther apart? I'm looking for a doable rate of drilling.DHF said:The side effect of explosive e-comprresification leads to an interesting drama point in the story. The tunnel is only a meter wide by 10 meters long so it is going to take time to crawl through it. As stated however, as the effects of the ray dissipate, the original mass will begin to explode out of the floor. So as your hero is making his way to the end of the tunnel, he knows he has a time limit before contact explosions begin going off.
Just having some fun. ;-)PS. sorry for my estimate of 300 cu meters, I misread your dimensions for the tunnel.
Sounds like Our Hero will need a cable tied to one or both feet with people ready to pull him out when needed. Time keeper outside the tunnel. And, of course, several Bad Guys barging in unexpectedly and a brawl started. Will they get Our Hero out in time? Stay tuned to this station!DHF said:Janus said the half life was about 15 minutes so that gives you a time frame to work with. Could your character crawl 30 feet in 15 minutes? probably, so maybe make it a longer tunnel. and I would say being out of the tunnel when the first explosion happens would be a good idea because after the first explosion you would have to worry about the rest of the tunnel caving under stress of the explosions.