From: christophershay@worldnet.att.net   
      
   Oh well... so I guess using your nuclear EMP to detonate a superconducting   
   ring for an extra Orion-style kick every time you fired a round wouldn't add   
   anything useful.   
      
      
   "Ian Stirling"  wrote in message   
   news:dOPUb.617$h44.109689@stones.force9.net...   
   > Oren Tirosh  wrote:   
   > > "Christopher Shay"  wrote in message   
   > > ..   
   > >> > > You missed one.  In a collision things break. When your   
   superconductor   
   > >> > > breaks all that magnetic energy has to go somewhere. In this case   
   I'd   
   > >> > > expect a rather showy explosion.   
   > >> >   
   > >> > Indeed --- you are quite correct.   
   > >> >   
   > >> >   
   > >> > -- Gordon D. Pusch   
   > >> >   
   > >> A showy explosion, eh?  *Now* we're getting somewhere!  Could this   
   showy   
   > >> explosion be, ah, directed along a particular path?  Say, behind a   
   vehicle?   
   > >> Or toward a target?   
   > >   
   > > You might be able build an Orion-like system where each "bomb" is a   
   > > superconducting ring in which a very high current has been induced. As   
   > > soon as it heats enough to lose its superconductivity the stored   
   > > energy is released explosively.   
   > >   
   > > Does anyone know what's the limit on the energy density in a   
   > > superconducting ring? How does it compare to chemical and nuclear   
   > > explosives?   
   >   
   > Assuming you've got a magic superconductor with zero mass and infinite   
   > magnetic limits.   
   > You'r still bound by the tensile strength.   
   > This is quite a bit below what a nuclear bomb can do, even assuming   
   > that 200GPa carbon nanotube composite is available.   
   > It's not much, if any better than chemical explosices.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)