"Particle Beam Weapons" Topic

"One of the mission statements of FWS is to catalog and define the weapons used in science fiction, making this a resource for creators of military sci-fi and sci-fi in general. This blogpost about Particle beam weapons is a continuation of that mission. Unlike other well-known and over-used futuristic weapons, Particle beam weapons are much more rare, and often mislabeled in science fiction works. In the real world (which is boring), Particle beam weapons have been experimented with (in a military sense) since Nikola Tesla proposed a "teleforce weapon" in 1934, and more recently with Operation: Seesaw in 1958, SDI of the 1980's, and 2010 construction of an Air Force beam lab at Kirkland AF base with help from Sandia. However, at the moment, Particle DEW are unlikely due to their need for millions (or billions) of volts and massive megawatts that weapons-grade Particle beam would require.

On a personal note, this was a very enjoyable blogpost to research, since I knew very little about Particle beam weapons going into this one…"
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Armand

One of the great starship weapons of Traveller!

(smile)

Armand

Winchell Chung's Atomic Rockets site has you covered.
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What was the weapon in Traveller that involved two beams, each of which could pass harmlessly through matter but, when they connected, resulted in a massive explosion? I want to say it was meson cannons or something like that, but I can't quite remember.

"What was the weapon in Traveller that involved two beams, each of which could pass harmlessly through matter but, when they connected, resulted in a massive explosion?"

"Don't cross the streams Ray !"

You might be conflating two systems. Meson cannons decayed over time, timing the shot right allowed for a nasty burst of radiation and energy inside the enemy's hull.

A different sci-fi game had the arc-rifle which had two beams that only interacted when they crossed. and that allowed you to shoot through walls.

Thanks!

Armand