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Do you remember the scene in Star Wars where the Death Star destroys the planet Alderaan? Eight laser beams converge at one point, creating a powerful laser that destroys the planet. It was a memorable moment that demonstrated the ruthless power of the Empire.
Although it is unclear whether this was their inspiration, Chinese scientists claim to have developed a new type of microwave weapon that combines multiple powerful electromagnetic waves. They can then focus these waves on a specific target.
The weapon system consists of several microwave-emitting vehicles positioned in different locations. Each vehicle emits microwaves with high synchronization precision. These waves combine to form a powerful energy beam aimed at a single target.
This is much more complicated than it might seem. Microwaves are narrow streams of energy that need to be precisely aligned to combine. This means that the timing of their firing must be controlled to within millionths of a second.
Each microwave vehicle also needs to be positioned with millimeter-level accuracy, the research team said. China's BeiDou satellite navigation system can provide positioning accuracy within 0.4 inches (1 centimeter), but that still falls short of the new weapon system's requirements.
To try to overcome this problem, each transmitting vehicle is equipped with additional positioning devices with a laser rangefinder system to achieve millimetre accuracy. The vehicles must also be perfectly level. Any changes in the surface can lead to incorrect alignment of the microwave emitters.
The shots must be synchronized to within 170 picoseconds (or 170 trillionths of a second). By comparison, a typical home computer requires 330 picoseconds to complete one processing cycle.
To solve this problem, scientists linked the transmitting platforms using optical fibers, which ensures that they are properly synchronized. Each vehicle in the weapon system is also controlled from a mobile command center.
According to the South China Morning Post, one of the scientists involved in the project claimed that the combined power of the intersecting microwave beams has a “1+1>2” effect – although this violates the law of conservation of energy. However, a powerful combined microwave is more efficient than several less powerful sources.
Microwaves cannot operate over long distances because dust and moisture scatter the waves. This can be remedied by increasing the power, but this creates significant logistical challenges because current batteries do not have the capacity to store the energy needed to provide this level of power.
It is possible that the Chinese research team has developed a system of converging microwave weapons under controlled conditions. However, the real world is much more unpredictable, which would pose enormous challenges for any technology that relies on such a high degree of precision.
TOPICS China
Peter Ray EllisonSocial Links Navigation
Peter is a qualified engineer and an experienced freelance journalist specialising in science, technology and culture. He has written for a variety of publications including the BBC, Computer Weekly, IT Pro, The Guardian and The Independent. He has been working in technology journalism for over ten years. Peter holds a degree in Computer Engineering from Sheffield Hallam University. He has worked in both the engineering and architecture sectors for a variety of companies including Rolls-Royce and Ar
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