Exploring Energy Shields in Star Wars Fiction

[Khatti]

In a space opera I work on starships are surrounded by a nanobot-rich fluid contained in a carbon bag that surrounds most of the ship except for ports to the outside. The idea was that some engineer got the idea that the best way to protect a ship from hard radiation and flying debris in deep space was to do it the way planet Earth does it: by having a deflecting medium between outer space and the ground--namely the atmosphere. The exotic physics used to in the stardrive require the ship to be pulled not pushed, so the drive is in the nose of the ship. The image I have of these ships is they look something like a dirigible with a submarine silhouetted inside the center of the dirigible. The nano-gel also has uses as a deflector shield.

 

[GTOM]

In a space opera I work on starships are surrounded by a nanobot-rich fluid contained in a carbon bag that surrounds most of the ship except for ports to the outside. The idea was that some engineer got the idea that the best way to protect a ship from hard radiation and flying debris in deep space was to do it the way planet Earth does it: by having a deflecting medium between outer space and the ground--namely the atmosphere. The exotic physics used to in the stardrive require the ship to be pulled not pushed, so the drive is in the nose of the ship. The image I have of these ships is they look something like a dirigible with a submarine silhouetted inside the center of the dirigible. The nano-gel also has uses as a deflector shield.

I also had a similar idea, using lots of metallic cells, and magnetic fields to keep them together. If a laser, or smaller slug/shrapnel damages the armor, the magnetic fields could rearrange the cells to prevent drill-through.
Maybe the stuff could be entirely fluid, if really strong fields could prevent vaporization, or held between layers of armor, and the outer layer could be quickly sealed.

Although i think, that only stationary targets have really though defences, ships are only resistant to lasers thanks to reflective armor... and nothing is really resistant against bigger missiles, not to talk about asteroid bombs.

 

[Khatti]

I also had a similar idea, using lots of metallic cells, and magnetic fields to keep them together. If a laser, or smaller slug/shrapnel damages the armor, the magnetic fields could rearrange the cells to prevent drill-through.
Maybe the stuff could be entirely fluid, if really strong fields could prevent vaporization, or held between layers of armor, and the outer layer could be quickly sealed.

The original idea I had was that there would be no carbon skin. The nanoids on the surface of the gel would lock together when they interacted with hard vac and, in essence, became a skin for the ship. I may go back to that. the other thought I had was that this form of nanotechnology might have other applications like asteroid mining. Just plop some of this gel on an asteroid and let the little buggers go to work.

 

[GTOM]

Nano miners, good idea, although i think they would need an energy source nearby also.
Another idea that would be similar to energy shield : some very strong laser/plasma point range defence on stationary targets.
You can attack them with kinetics from an almost unlimited range, but the defence can eat a swarm of kinetics. I thought the ideal way to counter them would be a combo of kinetic attack, and send laser units nearby, taking advantage of horizont (if it is a ground installation) When the defence system fires, laser mirrors and plasma stuff heats up - then they are very vulnerable, and even smaller lasers can damage them.

 

[Khatti]

Although i think, that only stationary targets have really though defences, ships are only resistant to lasers thanks to reflective armor... and nothing is really resistant against bigger missiles, not to talk about asteroid bombs.

Yeah...the only way to deal with anything big is to not be there when it comes through. Either that or deal with it before it arrives on target. Perhaps the best way to deal with attacks in an asteroid belt is to spread your people and resources over many asteroids. One thing you could do with such a defense is create a kill-zone for whoever is coming at you. If you lack the resources for this sort of thing perhaps the best idea is to have only temporary bases, encampments if you like. Something that can be deserted at a moment's notice.

 

[AlephNumbers]

After browsing this thread, it seems that the best way to deal with incoming deathrays/flying potaotes will probably always be to just dodge it.

 

[Khatti]

After browsing this thread, it seems that the best way to deal with incoming deathrays/flying potatoes will probably always be to just dodge it.

Depends on how much of a head start you get on the potato. And, of course, if said death ray moves at the speed of light well...
I'm not sure you're taking this entirely seriously

 

[Nyrath]

The only "energy shields" known to science are electromagnetic and electrostatic fields.
Well, there are gravitational fields but you need black-hole level intensities in order to have any useful effect. Not exactly off-the-shelf technology.

Unfortunately electromagnetic and electrostatic fields have no effect on laser weaponry or non-particle nuclear radiation (x-rays and gamma rays). This includes blasts from nuclear warheads.
Neither do they have any effect on kinetic energy weapons unless your enemy was stupid enough to make the projectile out of ferrous material. In any case, physical armor would be more cost-effective.
They also will have no effect on plasma weapons because there is no such thing as a plasma weapon. At least there are no such weapons that have a range of over a meter or so.

About the only thing electromagnetic or electrostatic fields will help defend against are particle beam weapons and nuclear shaped charges.

 

[GTOM]

Depends on how much of a head start you get on the potato. And, of course, if said death ray moves at the speed of light well...
I'm not sure you're taking this entirely seriously

Well, acceleration also plays a significant role in my setting against missile shrapnels, blinded missiles and coilgun slugs, but big targets has to be resistant to smaller projectiles at least, and fighters has to be laser resistant enough to overload defence in squadrons.

 

[Khatti]

Well, acceleration also plays a significant role in my setting against missile shrapnels, blinded missiles and coilgun slugs, but big targets has to be resistant to smaller projectiles at least, and fighters has to be laser resistant enough to overload defence in squadrons.

Oh yeah, I get.