Although interesting technology, it requires air to be ionized, so it won't in space.
Not to mention this is just a very short pulse laser that causes a tingling effect on human skin, so this is not a force field.
As far as force fields go a magneto plasma bubble such as generated by something like professor Winglee's M2P2 device could generate plasma ( VS "air" ) initially and then followed by magneto-electric capture of ambient particles in space at least within a star's heliosheath. Similar schemes have been suggested and investigated for protecting spaceship, space station crews, or personnel on moon or mars bases from radiation.
So it's a radiation harvester operating off of solar wind? For plasma you need ionization still, are the quantity of particles in space sufficient to maintain any formidable defense against rail guns?
If you mean the M2P2 and similar devices they provide the initial plasma and magnetic field. the solar wind particles are entrapped and they enlarge the bubble. the m2p2 was initially scheduled (just like VASIMR) to be flown to and tested on the ISS. the m2p2 device is the size of a #10 coffee can. of course you also need tankage for the initial material to be ionized. The problem turns out to be that the leakage from the bubble is larger than was initially thought meaning at the very least you need a larger fuel tank than was thought, even with the solar wind doing most of the work. But the m2p2 was a multipurpose device. initially the main idea was to use it as a sail that could propel the craft to near the velocity of the solar wind ( while the M2P2 craft was outbound) radiation shielding was a side benefit. The bubble itself would self inflate to many kilometers across for very little energy cost. It was even suggested that a multi-lobed M2P2 could tack against the solar wind at about 1/4 speed like a terrestrial sail boat.
EDIT: here is a paper on the m2p2. back when this came out there were numerous article and videos showing the bubble self inflation in test chambers.
http://earthweb.ess.washington.edu/space/M2P2/STAIF2000.PDFi think i found the videos here:
http://earthweb.ess.washington.edu/space/M2P2/Edit: Of course it doesn't work against rail guns. That's why God invented optically steered high energy point defense lasers.
If it doesn't require new physics to work, then it belongs in Advanced Concepts section.
I always thought the big block of ice on the front of the starship in Clarke's "Songs of Distant Earth" was a more elegant solution.
I always thought the big block of ice on the front of the starship in Clarke's "Songs of Distant Earth" was a more elegant solution.
from radiation, maybe. but for impact protection at relativistic speeds the column of ice could end up needing to be more than a kilometer long and that's a lot of mass for an engine to push.
from radiation, maybe. but for impact protection at relativistic speeds the column of ice could end up needing to be more than a kilometer long..
It was. Clarke always did his homework.
from radiation, maybe. but for impact protection at relativistic speeds the column of ice could end up needing to be more than a kilometer long..
It was. Clarke always did his homework.
He also made the ship have this magic thruster that created its fuel and energy straight from the quantum vacuum.
So the mass of the ship and the ice shield weren't really a problem anymore.
For what it's worth...
The only "Sci-fi type force field in real life" reports I am aware of are pretty fringey. I probably should not go into it here but if you are interested put the search terms: "cellophane force field 3M" in the search engine of your choice. You will find what i am talking about in the first few hits on the first page. Intriguing but dubious. Deliciously fringey.
