A particle beam is an accelerated stream of charged particles or atoms (often moving at very near the speed of light) which may be directed by magnets and focused by electrostatic lenses, although they may also be self-focusing (see Pinch). In physics, a charged particle is a particle with an electric charge. ... Properties For alternative meanings see atom (disambiguation). ... A line showing the speed of light on a scale model of Earth and the Moon The speed of light in a vacuum is an important physical constant denoted by the letter c for constant or the Latin word celeritas meaning swiftness.[1] It is the speed of all electromagnetic... Magnetic lines of force of a bar magnet shown by iron filings on paper A magnet is an object that has a magnetic field. ... An electrostatic lens is a lens that transports electrons emitted from a sample to an electron analyser. ... Lightning bolts illustrating electromagnetically pinched plasma filaments A pinch is a phenomenon that may occur in a current-carrying plasma whose magnetic field constricts or pinches the plasma, and is associated with filamenation and particle beams. ...

Subatomic particles such as electrons, positrons, and protons can be accelerated to high velocities and energies, usually expressed in terms of center-of-mass energy, by machines that impart energy to the particles in small stages or nudges, ultimately achieving in this way very high energy particle beams, measured in terms of billions and even trillions of electron volts. Thus, in terms of their scale, particles can be made to perform as powerful missiles for bombarding other particles in a target substance or for colliding with each other as they assume intersecting orbits. Properties The electron (also called negatron, commonly represented as e−) is a subatomic particle. ... A positron is the antiparticle of the electron. ... For alternative meanings see proton (disambiguation). ... The electronvolt (symbol eV, or, rarely and incorrectly, ev) is a unit of energy. ...

High energy beams are created in particle accelerators, in which a charged particle is drawn forward by an electrostatic (not magnetic) field with a charge opposite to the particle (like charges repel one another, opposites attract); as the particle passes the source of each field, the charge of the field is reversed so that the particle is now pushed on to another field source. Through a series of fields in sequence, the particle accelerates until it is moving at a high speed. A natural analogy to particle beams is lightning, where electrons flow from negatively charged clouds to positively charged clouds or the earth. For the DC Comics Superhero also called Atom Smasher, see Albert Rothstein. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ...

Low and medium energy beams are quite common. Traditional cathode-ray tube televisions and computer displays use them to scan out each image, and some radiation therapy methods use them to treat cancer. The cathode ray tube or CRT, invented by Karl Ferdinand Braun, is the display device used in most computer displays, video monitors, televisions and oscilloscopes. ... Clinac 2100 C100 accelerator Radiation therapy (or radiotherapy) is the medical use of ionizing radiation as part of cancer treatment to control malignant cells (not to be confused with radiology, the use of radiation in medical imaging and diagnosis). ...

Particle beams as weapons

Though particle beams are perhaps most famously employed as weapon systems in science fiction, the U.S. Advanced Research Projects Agency started work on particle beam weapons as early as 1958 [1], two years before the first scientific demonstration of lasers. The general idea of particle-beam weaponry is to hit a target object with a stream of accelerated particles moving at near the speed of light and therefore carrying tremendous kinetic energy; the particles transfer their kinetic energy to the atoms in the molecules of the target upon striking, much as a cue ball transfers its energy to the racked balls in billiards, thus exciting the target's atoms and superheating the target object in a short time, leading to explosion either of the surface layer or the interior of the target. Currently, the materials for such weapons are "high-risk" and may not be developed for some time. [2]. Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technology for use by the military. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... For alternative meanings see laser (disambiguation). ... The kinetic energy of an object is the extra energy which it possesses due to its motion. ... This article is about the various cue sports. ...

The power needed to project a high-powered beam of this kind surpasses the production capabilities of any standard battlefield powerplant, thus such weapons are not anticipated to be produced in any near time. Particle beams could possibly be used from fixed locations, or in space, for example as part of the Strategic Defense Initiative (dubbed "Star Wars") or similar initiatives, but the problems related to power source still stand at present, pending future development in that field. The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983[1] to use ground-based and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. ...

In Fiction

• In the game Command & Conquer: Generals, a Particle Cannon is used as the USA superweapon.
• In the game Homeworld, an Ion Cannon Frigate, which fires ion beams is available for construction.
• In the X-Files Episode: Kill Switch, a particle beam fires at Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.
• Charged Particle weapons are utilised heavily in the Zoids universe. Various Zoids are equipped with Charged Particle Cannons; the Death Saurer, Geno Saurer, Geno Breaker, Death Stinger and Berserk Fury (which can fire three at once) being the most famous examples.
• In Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, starring Steven Seagal, a particle beam satellite, named Grazer One, is used as a weapon of choice by terrorists trying to extort $1 billion out of the U.S. government.
• In the Star Wars: Battlefront games, Particle cannons can be used as Particle cannon turret and in certain spaceships. A hand-held variety is also available as an unlockable sniper rifle upgrade.
• In the game Snatcher, a Phased Particle Beam is used to eradicate an important location.
• In the Xbox game Halo 2, a Particle Beam Rifle is used as a sniper rifle by The Covenant.
• In Peter F Hamilton's Commonwealth Saga series, particle beams and particle lances are part of military issue combat suits.
• The Table-top wargame Heavy Gear and both computer game adaptions feature particle cannons as a high end weapon that can only be used by large Gears and certain hovertanks.
• In the anime series Bubblegum Crisis, particle beam satellites were used many times as a weapon of mass destruction.
• In the Table-top wargames BattleTech and the computer game adaptations MechWarrior, Particle Projection Cannons (PPC) are very powerful energy weapons. As a variant of a particle beam weapon, the PPC fires a short burst of particles instead of a steady stream. In early iterations of the MechWarrior video games, the PPC was depicted as firing a slow moving ball of blue energy that exploded on impact. Later games depict it more realistically as a lightning bolt-like stream of electricity that travels very quickly, but with some travel time. In all instances the PPC realistically uses a substantial amount of energy and produces a large quantity of heat.MechAssault and MechAssault 2 depict it as a blue energy ball with a charge time to determine the power.
• In Final Fantasy III DS, the Final Boss' ultimate attack is called "Particle Beam"
• In the TV series, Stargate SG1, the Tolan's defenses consist of "Ion Cannons".
• In Ace Combat Zero, a laser-type weapon is used against you.
• In the FPS PC Game F.E.A.R. a Type 7 Particle Weapon is used as a Super-weapon, by the player and adds 100% damage to enemies when aimed almost in any part of the enemy body.
• In the Mobile Suit Gundam metaverse, particle weapons are called beam weapons. They vary from beam sabers, beam rifles, and large beam cannons.
• In the computer game Starscape, the particle beam is the final and most powerful upgrade to the ship.

A superweapon is an extremely powerful weapon by the standards of its time and its scale. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... X-Files intro from first 8 seasons The X-Files was a popular 1990s American science fiction television series created by Chris Carter. ... Special Agent Fox William Mulder (born October 13, 1961), nicknamed Spooky Mulder, is a fictional character played by David Duchovny on the 1993-2002 television series, The X-Files. ... Special Agent Dana Katherine Scully (born February 23, 1964) is a fictional character on the FOX television series The X-Files, played by Gillian Anderson. ... Zoids franchise logo (1999-2003) Zoids (stands for Zoic Androids) is a franchise based around a series of plastic toy models designed and produced by Japanese toy company Tomy (now Takara-Tomy). ... The Death Saurer (also written as Deathsaurer) is a Tyrannosaurus-type Zoid, one of over 200 species of biomechanical lifeforms depicted by TOMYs Zoids model, toy, and media franchise. ... The Geno Saurer (also written as Genosaurer) is Tyrannosaurus-type Zoid, one of over 200 species of biomechanical lifeforms depicted by TOMYs Zoids model, toy, and media franchise. ... The Geno Breaker (sometimes written Genobreaker) is a type of Zoid, a race of mechanical lifeforms from the fictional Zoids universe. ... The Death Stinger is a type of Zoid, a race of mechanical lifeforms from the fictional Zoids universe. ... The Berserk Führer (Berserk Fury in Western releases) is a type of Zoid, a race of mechanical lifeforms from the fictional Zoids universe. ... In the 1995 action film Under Siege 2: Dark Territory, a sequel to Under Siege, Casey Ryback, a retired NAVY Seal, foils a mad scientists plot to hijack a satellite weapon. ... Steven Seagal (born April 10, 1951) is an American action movie actor, producer, writer, director, martial artist, singer-songwriter, and activist. ... Snatcher ) is a cyberpunk-themed adventure game written and directed by Hideo Kojima. ... This article is about the video game. ... The Covenant is a fictional galaxy-wide, militaristic, theocratic imperial alliance of alien races from the Xbox video game franchise Halo. ... Peter F. Hamilton (born 1960, Rutland, England), is a British science fiction author. ... This article or section needs copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone and/or spelling. ... The iconic Hunter Gear from Heavy Gear Heavy Gear is a game universe published since 1994 by Canadian publisher Dream Pod 9. ... Bubblegum Crisis is a cyberpunk-style anime that takes place in the future in a post-disaster Tokyo, now known as Megatokyo. ... Weapons of Mass Destruction is also the name of rapper Xzibits 2004 album. ... BattleTech is a wargaming and science fiction franchise, launched by FASA Corporation and currently owned by WizKids. ... MechWarrior is the title of a number of games set in the fictional universe created for the tabletop wargame BattleTech. ... MechAssault was the first Mech video game for the Microsoft video game console, Xbox. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the computer and video game. ... Mobile Suit Gundam ) is a televised anime series written and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino and made up of 43 episodes aired in 1979. ... Starscape is a space combat game with 2D graphics. ...

See also

• Beamline
• Charged particle beam
• Electron beam
• Ion beam
• Linear particle accelerator
• Particle accelerator
• Directed-energy weapon