[Batman]

I was looking through the weapons database on the wiki and found that the Shivan red beams do more damage than the Terran Green beams. From the physics I have taken (only AP Phys B) it would make more sense for the green beams to do more damage since green light has more energy than red light (higher on the electromagnetic spectrum). I was wondering if anyone out there with a better understanding of physics had any input on how the red beams would end up doing more damage. I was thinking maybe depending on how they focused the beams or something like that, but I wasn't really sure how that would affect the beams power since the beams don't appear to be focused to hit a specific point at a specific range.

[Mathwiz6]

FS caares nothing for physics in beam terms. If you want an explanation, the red beamz lose less energy in transit, as they emit light which is lower on the spectrum, and so has less energy, in comparison to the incredibly inefficient terran beam, which wastes energy emmitting green.

Essentially, Shivans have superior beam focusing technology, allowing less energy lost in transition. And because they have higher tech. And red is the 

[Turey]

*hums Batman theme*

oh. Sorry.

Anyways, it could be the larger cross-section of the beam, or that a lower-powered beam causes more collateral damage than a high powered beam with little spill-over.

[Flipside]

I can't wait till BW sees this thread......

Yeah, it's just a question of technology, I suspect Shivans have a heck of a lot better power supply and cooling system on their own ships, since the beams can fire faster, longer and hotter than Terran or Vasudan equivalents.

[BlueFlames]

Light capable of cutting big chunks of metal or rock doesn't exist in the visable spectrum, so no, red beams won't deal more damage than green beams, but about all you can do with either is blind people with the intensity of the beam.  Of course, if it's a collimated beam, even in the visable spectrum, all you'll see is a dot on the target anyway....

Physics and science fiction rarely get along.

[GenericCorvette]

Shivan Red is evil and therefore more powerful. GTA Green is good and therefore not as amazingly powerful. PVN Yellow is a mix between Shivan Red and GTA Green.

No wonder the Vasudans had better beams. They got closer to Shivan Red than we did.

[Mongoose]

Wasn't the general consensus in some thread a little while back that beam weapons in the FS universe are most likely some sort of magnetically-contained superheated plasma?

[jr2]

...don't forget the mesons.

Remember those briefings about finding heavy traces of meson particles wherever the Shivans had attacked.

[castor]

Even though there is a red or green light, it could still be just a side-effect.

[TrashMan]

...don't forget the mesons.

Remember those briefings about finding heavy traces of meson particles wherever the Shivans had attacked.

Nope...never heard of that.

FAIK - beams are pure plasma...and plasma generally has white color when it's uperheated (which is allways since it wouldn't be plasma if it's no superheated, now would it? )

[jr2]

And, now I can't find it.  Darn it!  I'm sure something of the sort was said.  Sooner or later... I'll have to get back to you on this one.