Can a gauss rifle make a body explode?

[solidsamurai]

This is a question I thought I'd ask.

It isn't about the technology, or the science. The technology would partake to why it's called a rifle, and what 'gauss' implies.

The science is electromagnetic conduction, as all of us nerds probably know.

My issue is that that is the above is the only science we're willing to look at - is there other science? We tend to view physics as something that gets in the way - many of the more mature among us will hand wave.

I do agree to hand waving and phlebotinum for fictional SCIENCE! from time to time - but, what does real science say about a gauss rifle?

Not the technology - not the science that we already know.

The physics? What does the trajectory physics say? Yeah, we all hate physics and how finicky it is for sci fi, I know, I know...

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But - I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that anything in excess of mach 10 can make a surface liquify on impact. But because a body in motion tends to remain in motion though, the actual bullet doing the impact will not liquify with the surface.

The above fact I read about was regarding meteorites, which tend to move at hypervelocity (mach 10 and above). Meteorites can travel hundreds (thousands?) of kilometers in a trajectory through the atmosphere, where they appear as shooting stars. Their duration of travel is the instant in which you can see them as a fireball - far less than a second. So you can guess at how fast hypervelocity really is (roughly 20km per second).

But that's not the root of my question. My real question is - wouldn't any bullet fired by a gauss rifle burn up? And even if it didn't, wouldn't it cause the enemy extreme pain? Interestingly, the ideal point for soft targets to engage gauss rifle wielders is at 'medium range' - wear they avoid the overpressure wave (which would gruesomely explode bodies like a bunch of granadas) and the point where the bullet encounters enough air drift to turn itself into a fiery streak, capable of setting fire to anything in its way. This mid-way point would be a fairly brief window, though.

Maybe that's the only real damage the gauss rifle does? Sear its target? Or explode it with a lucky point blank shot? Set any soft target on fire (including zerglings, explaining why they chow down and why my theory that .50 cal HMG as the cheapest modern thing stopping them might hold)?

Anyway, if the answer is yes - then there's hard science fiction proof for why terran soft armor sucks. If gauss rifles are so easy to produce, why bother with bullets that can set you on fire and melt your expensive (catch anything) fabric?

Even with long advances in hard armor for vehicles - gauss rifles can still cause liquefaction with their very high firing rates (which is why I considered 1800rpm in my game from long ago).
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Just some food for thought. Asimov style. >_>

[Visions of Khas]

We've made working gauss rifles and rail guns. The United States Navy's R&D has made a giant rail gun that's some 30 feet long, I think. You can find videos of it on youtube. The projectile's sheathed in a sabot round for an armature to conduct the electromagnetism and propel the slug.

I read somewhere it might combust the atmosphere, which is sort of supported by the youtube footage I refer to. As to the type of damage, I'm not sure. The damage caused by the gun was fairly well localized, so I'd say mostly penetrating damage.

[solidsamurai]

We've made working gauss rifles and rail guns. The United States Navy's R&D has made a giant rail gun that's some 30 feet long, I think. You can find videos of it on youtube. The projectile's sheathed in a sabot round for an armature to conduct the electromagnetism and propel the slug.

Yeah I kno. As for the GR in SC 2, I think it's just chemical + electrical. Otherwise, way too much energy. The gun is probably a lot bigger now because it needs room for a big magazine, and it also needs extra hard ware to extract the spent casing, which takes space because it can't interfere with the heat from the coils. Etc.

Extrapolation logic = nerd bone nearly chewed out.
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As to the type of damage, I'm not sure. The damage caused by the gun was fairly well localized, so I'd say mostly penetrating damage.

I guess it depends on where the fire starts. There's no way to tell immediately - and there's no way to weaponize it. It's just a dangerous technological side effect that would be cool I think.

If the bullet is moving that fast - even if it stops and gets caught in soft armor (or the soft, incredibly chewy insides of a zerg), it still can boil things with its left over kinetic energy. If a zergling's carapace is hard enough that not all spikes are exit wounds, then it explains why they die so fast. Otherwise, perforatted zerglings can still walk - I mean, they have so much energy that they always twitch, right?

Imo, any zerg can suffer almost a limitless number of wounds. Vital organs must be completely mulched to insure death.

[phazonjunkie]

This is a question I thought I'd ask.
But that's not the root of my question. My real question is - wouldn't any bullet fired by a gauss rifle burn up? And even if it didn't, wouldn't it cause the enemy extreme pain? Interestingly, the ideal point for soft targets to engage gauss rifle wielders is at 'medium range' - wear they avoid the overpressure wave (which would gruesomely explode bodies like a bunch of granadas) and the point where the bullet encounters enough air drift to turn itself into a fiery streak, capable of setting fire to anything in its way. This mid-way point would be a fairly brief window, though.

http://sclegacy.com/editorials/34-ge...er-gauss-rifle

No.

[Visions of Khas]

Reading through that article, I just realized the author neglected to take into consideration calculations related to depleted uranium rounds, U-238, which are used today. (Nasty things.)

[solidsamurai]

No.

The article never says the overpressure wave that inevitably occurs somewhere shouldn't occur inside the person.

It makes perfect sense that machines (ie. lightly armored vehicles) would explode when contacted with a guass rifle. The incredible heat of so many rounds at that velocity builds up pressure before it can escape the many tiny holes created. And I don't think it ever over penetrates in a light armored vehicle (unless it's, ie., a vulture, which is comparatively an incredibly compact and elegant vehicle), since (ie. a stinger) might have a lot of thick soft non-conductive layers for protecting passengers. Even so, the heat still spreads (probably starting tiny little fires in the soft foam) and then the stinger quickly erupts in flames for seemingly no reason (boom). Also vultures explode when they die too (so the engine always goes unstable and the pilot never happens to just get shot and crash; although perhaps the heat is what often does it).

I just realized the author neglected to take into consideration calculations related to depleted uranium rounds, U-238, which are used today. (Nasty things.)

What do they do again?

I always hear about trace radiation lingering in wounded for years so that there's genetical birth defects for generations. That is indeed, the nasty. Obviously, they aren't built for that reason, unless Genghis Khan invented them.

[drakolobo]

I always hear about trace radiation lingering in wounded for years so that there's genetical birth defects for generations. That is indeed, the nasty. Obviously, they aren't built for that reason, unless Genghis Khan invented them.

pyrophoric (ignites spontaneously on contact with air above a certain temperature (typically 600 ° C) )ultradense bullets with fragmentation effect ?

When a DU shell reaches a target not only penetrates armor, but also swells to reach inside the vehicle, incinerating the crew or triggering the explosion of fuel or ammunition.

[solidsamurai]

pyrophoric (ignites spontaneously on contact with air above a certain temperature (typically 600 ° C) )ultradense bullets with fragmentation effect ?

Good ammunition to have (seriously, one marine could mow down maybe 5 zerglings by himself?), but the dominion are cheap arses so not every marine would use them.

Fragmentation effect isn't necessary (heat conducts lighter zerg chitin and spreads anyway; fragmentation would be like tossing needles into hay at random, hoping to hit one of the stack's 'vital organs'), unless they can tweak it to explode inside the target fast enough (which would take some serious sciencing).

When a DU shell reaches a target not only penetrates armor, but also swells to reach inside the vehicle, incinerating the crew or triggering the explosion of fuel or ammunition.

Oh.... ok. I guess it makes sense. DU rounds also have more mass, so they fly farther. That's pretty cool though. It's possible that the casings that the new gauss rifles use all have DU rounds (from BW, except now DUs are assumed). Gauss rifles always have less potential than they used to (the old ones with the custom magazines were more reliable but not standard).

The sheer expansion of the round should do more damage (zerg don't seem to care though unless pressure causes their head to pop off or something). In my RPG, I could make better types of DU that do even more damage - but eventually to the point that they get too heavy and the gun over-powers itself. DUs would be awesome DMR ammo.
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Here's some Gun Ideas (of which are obvious)
- Gauss guns have cheaper ammo. Maybe 75% cheaper to other ammo of size/weight/effect. Gauss guns are always generally made to fit a greater variety of ammo. If they don't, the manufacturer is often a fool.
- Regular guns have much more expensive ammo. And for good reason - the ammo is really the difference between life and death. 'Common' ammo (or what we'd call common in modern times) is hard to find now. Anyone capable of continued violence is naturally wealthy and able to stabilize their ammo budget.
- C-14s have the best 'power' or work. Although they're treated like assault rifles, they can technically shoot farther than most sniper rifles.
-

Here's some cool ammo ideas:
- 8mm steel spike. No brand name. Any fool with an armory can make these. They're the most common, and probably the simplest, C-14 ammo there is. Ammo carriers are always clanging about with these darn things. And why not? It's cheap.

- 8mm steel 'pusher'. No brand name, again. This round can be made by everyone. The front is very wide, heavy and thick, and conjures up phallic imagery. Easier to make than even 8mm steel spike (the spike is just very narrow at the tip, and narrower than any dagger, which presents some difficulty in manufacturing without the right tools). These bullets are so simple in design that, with skill and material, they can be replicated in a medieval black smith's forge. Much less penetration, but hits the enemy like a mace and tends to send them flying. Great for facing the teeming hordes.

- *insert corp brand tag here*-UP 'Fire Streak' Dud-tracers; Ultra-dense and pyrophoric (your idea). The term 'dud' is a bit of a joke; it doesn't stab things like a bullet normally would (though it does; only less like a lance, and more like a mace would stab something), it's just super dense. Super density means it takes a lot of power, even out of the C-14. And the C-14 has probably the best acceleration of any terran device in the sector (short of a particle accelerator). Good for setting tenacious targets on fire without any muss or fuss.

- *insert corp brand tag here* 8mm Micro-G Sap; Saps are explosive tipped rounds. They can be configured by an ammo expert to explode before or after penetration - making them ideal for gradually stripping off heavy enemy armor on a slow target that's otherwise immune to small arms fire. Unfortunately, you can't fire them too fast before they lose effectiveness.

- U-238 DU; These rounds can be doped in various degrees for softness. The most highly doped ones (the ones that probably don't count as depleted at all, by any modern consideration) are ideal against the softest of targets since just one round can mulch a target, no matter how much kinetic the round has behind it. Enriched. Outside layer of rounds are usually made of tungsten.

- Hollow Point; Much cheaper than DU, when trying to accomplish similar effects. Hollow point is an addition to any sort of regular non-explosive ammo, increasing the price only a minor percentage amount, since placing a bubble in metal as it hardens is fairly simple. Hollow point reduces penetration, making it less than ideal against hard targets.

- KAL .50; KAL stands for 'King Arnold's Luckies', with the acronym being a pun on 'caliber'. KAL .50 isn't the most common ammo out there, but it has nonetheless existed for a long time, invented by an eccentric gun nut whom ordained himself 'king' for promotional purposes. Its FMJ of brass and lead cores have made it very cheap and easy to reproduce. Naturally, it didn't take much out of the dominion's budget to ramp up production of this ammo and sell it throughout the space lanes.

- Urban Slamz; simply dubbed with the name Urban Slamz written colorfully on the side of the .50 cal casing, this round is a real beauty of a war lord's enigma. Simple scientific observation would tell you that, contained within a velvetty coating of neo-steel, some kind of vespene cocktail is holed up in a riff raff surrounding the bullet core, which is impossible to observe without some precision equipment. However, it behaves differently each time it is fired - sometimes snap freezing targets, other times setting a line of enemies on fire, and still other times exploding in a nuclear shock wave that stuns everyone. Be careful out there.

Customizing your Ammo

- Customizing ammo is a matter of taking the bullet itself, then choosing the tip, the casing and the materials. Additional technology generally tends to ramp up the price a fair bit.

- The type of bullet is basic. It should involve only one material, for inexpense.
- The tip can be of whatever material you choose, but it tends to play a big part on the effects of penetration.
- The casing is important for fortifying the bullet and making sure it delivers to do its job. This isn't as important for some guns as it is for others. If a bullet has lots of different material to make up for it, a casing is important for keeping that material together so that the bullet behaves properly to do its job.

- Examples of material: Pyrophoric (it burns! More expensive than explosive), DU (cheap, but not as cheap as titanium), Steel (default, easily tweakable), Titanium (higher tier steel, less tweakable), Neo-Steel (highest grade; five times diamond makes it the toughest ever - very soft like stainless steel, and expensive), Brass (almost the cheapest there is), Lead (cheapest ammo, hands down), DI (depleted iron, cheaper than uranium), Vespene Cocktail, Explosive (cheaper than vespene cocktail), etc.

Simplicity of the Ammo

Simplicity of materials, aside from market variables and the added cost of special materials, determines the base price.

Basic: The most simple ammo. Ammo that is just bullet and casing, basically - the tip can be non-existent or given a simple shape (ie. a bevel), and is of the same material as the rest of the casing. Ie., KAL .50.
Raw: This ammo doesn't even need a casing. One material throughout, shaped to its purpose. Used for only the most reliable of weapons. Ie., 8mm steel spike.
Common: It has some minor adjustments up from basic. Ie. Hollow point rounds or Micro-G Sappers.
Uncommon: Go bug nuts with this round, although the techniques should remain simple. You could find these in a specialty gun shop. Ie. 8mm Steel Pushers.
Rare: You'll find this as a schematic in a lab, or on the black market. Ie. Dud-tracers.
Very Rare: You'll find this in your own lab. Or in some rich person's armory. Ie. Urban Slamz.

[drakolobo]

Good ammunition to have (seriously, one marine could mow down maybe 5 zerglings by himself?), but the dominion are cheap arses so not every marine would use them.

Fragmentation effect isn't necessary (heat conducts lighter zerg chitin and spreads anyway; fragmentation would be like tossing needles into hay at random, hoping to hit one of the stack's 'vital organs'), unless they can tweak it to explode inside the target fast enough (which would take some serious sciencing).



Oh.... ok. I guess it makes sense. DU rounds also have more mass, so they fly farther. That's pretty cool though. It's possible that the casings that the new gauss rifles use all have DU rounds (from BW, except now DUs are assumed). Gauss rifles always have less potential than they used to (the old ones with the custom magazines were more reliable but not standard).

The sheer expansion of the round should do more damage (zerg don't seem to care though unless pressure causes their head to pop off or something). In my RPG, I could make better types of DU that do even more damage - but eventually to the point that they get too heavy and the gun over-powers itself. DUs would be awesome DMR ammo.

While depleted uranium bullets are not the basic ammo, but they are the favorite of the Marines to personalize their ammo and havethey have access to that. the effect on a human with armor, it would be very painful a burning metal beam, adding the ability to increase penetration and distance is good deal. with the zerg alwaysi good most possible damage

a documentary, knowing the uranium-238

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EUp5j1481g

[solidsamurai]

KE = 0.5 * m * v^2
KE = 0.5 * 0.0106 * 1700^2 = 15.317 kJ

p = m * v
p = 0.0106 * 1700 = 18.02 kg*m/s

I didn't understand this. Is the 18.02 in kilograms moving at 1700 m/s? Or is just kg per m/s (whatever in the name of science that means).