The answer of 'I have a question about the beam weapon called the mega particle cannon that appears in Mobile Suit Gundam' is amazing.

By dmuth

Some of the questions in the 'Safety Information Disclosure' of the National Institute for Fusion Science are related to 'Gundam', and they are answered very seriously and properly.

Safety information disclosure l National Institute for Fusion Science
http://safety-info.nifs.ac.jp/mailQA/m-Ae13.html

The content of the question is as follows.

I have a question about the beam weapon called 'Mega Particle Cannon' that appears in 'Mobile Suit Gundam'.
The 'mega particle cannon' is a ray weapon that shoots heavy metal particles accelerated to 10% or more of the light speed into a neutral particle beam in outer space and a charged particle beam in the atmosphere.
However, in order for charged particles to travel straight in the atmosphere, an output of at least 10 million kW is required, and the first MS (mobile suit → humanoid weapon with a total length of about 20 m) to be able to use it is the 'RX-78 Gundam'. Seems to be the first.
The small, high-power fusion reactor mounted on this aircraft (all light elements perform fusion reactions at the proton level) is at a level capable of continuous firing. The fuel is hydrogen.
It seems that the setting age of 'Mobile Suit Gundam' is about 2130 to 2150 (from the appearance of Amuro Ray to the disappearance) when converted to the Christian era.
This protagonist MS weighs less than 100 tons, travels on the ground at speeds of over 400 km / h, and flies in the atmosphere at Mach 2 or higher. The heat resistance limit of the aircraft is 3000 ° C or higher. Will this robot be realized 100 years from now?
And the diving limit of 'Gundam' is 2000m. Made of superalloy Gundarium alloy, it can withstand the direct hit of a 150mm anti-tank gun. Space will switch to a thermonuclear pulse engine, the atmosphere will switch to a thermonuclear jet, and underwater will switch to thermonuclear water jet propulsion.
The 'mega particle cannon' later became the 'high mega particle cannon', and heavy metal particles will be accelerated to nearly 60% of the speed of light. Its power is comparable to that of 'Colony Laser', and it is a deadly weapon of 'ZZ Gundam'. This is the explanation of the work. It is reliable information because I checked it on the site of 'Gundam' fans.
But I was wondering that ray weapons are orders of magnitude more powerful than tank guns and missiles. Isn't there a limit to how much power a fusion reactor can have? Please answer your questions.
Also, in the world of 'Gundam', laser weapons are treated like rifles, and 'mega particle cannons' are treated like heavy machine guns. Even with the same ray weapon, the power is treated as inferior. Excuse me.

As a matter of fact, there is a consideration that the beam cannon and beam rifle that Gundam has are almost the same as this 'mega particle cannon'.

What is the difference between Gundam Introductory School Beam Cannon and Mega Particle Cannon? --Gundam Small Story Collection

In the world of Gundam, the words beam cannon and mega particle cannon come out.


What's the difference?

Mainly, the ones mounted on mobile suits are called beam cannons, and the ones mounted on mobile armor and battleships are called mega particle cannons.



They are called differently, but in fact, these two things are essentially the same thing.

The beam rifle equipped on Gundam etc. is also a mega particle cannon.

In the work, it is said to be the following reason.

Gundam Introductory School Mega Particle Cannon (Beam Rifle) ―― 5. Universal Century Technology

The theory is like this if it is the type that Gundam has.

When you actually watch it in a movie, you can feel the horror of its power.

Acguy murder! --YouTube


In this way, it is an unimaginable destructive force, but the National Institute for Fusion Science (NIFS) of the National Institute for Fusion Science responds as follows.

'Mobile Suit Gundam' is a science fiction created by the author's imagination. It is made up of imagination that makes up for the parts that cannot be realized with modern technology. For example, a small, high-power fusion reactor (10 million kW or more) should fit in a 2 m square room when considering mounting on Gundam. Considering the scale of modern power plants (about 1 million kW per thermal power plant), it is easy to imagine how tremendous technological innovation must be. 'Mobile Suit Gundam' is a story that if such a small and high-power fusion reactor could be realized, it might be realized.
In the setting of the story, Gundam (RX-78) is 18m tall and weighs 43.4t. It is 10 times as tall as a person with a height of 180 cm. When you grow 10 times taller, your weight, which is its volume, grows about 1,000 times (10 to the 3rd power). A simple calculation assuming a standard weight of 70 kg is 70 tons. By all means, Gundam is too light, so it seems that the material will need to be lighter than aluminum and stronger than steel. Moreover, it will be even more difficult to withstand 3000 ° C or higher. Therefore, although the progress of science 100 years from now is immeasurable, it is impossible to make such a mobile suit in the current science, considering common sense.
Regarding beam weapons, the 'mega particle cannon' can only be realized because it has the properties of the 'electromagnetic field encapsulating substance Minovsky particles' created by the author (since it is a creation, there is no scientific basis for the properties of these particles). , Not feasible in modern science. Since a 'laser' is light, it can reach a long distance without being scattered much in the air, but with a particle beam, it collides with molecules in the air and immediately scatters and disappears, making it impossible to reach a long distance. Therefore, particle beams in the atmosphere will be difficult due to range issues. Ray weapons are likely to have penetrating power because their energy is concentrated in a thin beam. Even if you look at the animation, after the light beam penetrates, an explosion occurs inside and it is destroyed. This is probably why it looks like an order of magnitude destructive power. Without an internal explosion, you just made a hole. On the other hand, shells and missiles hit the outer wall and explode, and the energy is used to destroy it from the outer wall.
After all, science fiction like 'Mobile Suit Gundam' is made up of parts that can not be realized with modern technology with imagination, so study hard and learn the limits of current science, which part is the author's Please read for yourself whether it is a creation.

The last shime is excellent.