Is a Plasma Shield Possible for Military Vehicles?

[Kalrag]

Is it possible to make a plasma shield by using Radio Frequency from a microwave and making plasma. I know that part is possible, here's the tricky part. Having magnets with the right ratio of pull and push so the plasma can "shield" an object. So, is it possible?

 

[zhermes]

Yes, the general idea is theoretically possible. It would be hard and extremely energy-costly.

How does one use RF to make a plasma? Radio isn't ionizing radiation.

 

[K^2]

EM radiation is ionizing at sufficient energies. At extremely high frequencies, e.g. gamma or x-ray, a single photon is ionizing. At RF frequencies, you need sufficient electric field to cause ionization, but you can still have ionizing microwaves, for example. It's been done.

 

[berkeman]

Is it possible to make a plasma shield by using Radio Frequency from a microwave and making plasma. I know that part is possible, here's the tricky part. Having magnets with the right ratio of pull and push so the plasma can "shield" an object. So, is it possible?

What do you want to shield against?

 

[Kalrag]

It would hopefully be made as a sheild for tanks and vehicles that would have to take bullets and rockets.

 

[berkeman]

It would hopefully be made as a sheild for tanks and vehicles that would have to take bullets and rockets.

That's what I thought. An ionized gas isn't going to shield against solid projectiles. It will shield against radio waves pretty well (like the radio "blackout" period for the Space Shuttle returning into our atmosphere), but that's no help against solid military weapons.