Difference between revisions of "Shields"

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(Rewrote article, added links to specific universe shields)
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Most ships in the GFFA are equipped with two types of conformal shielding to protect them against impacts by solid objects and the weapons fire of enemy ships. Some high performance fighter craft omit one or more types of shielding to improve acceleration by reducing mass and power drain.  A third type of shielding protects against relativistic effects during the jump to [[Hyperspace]].  Although not lethal, accidents involving these shields can cause passengers to loose up to 200 years to time dilation.
Many science-fiction universes depict exotic '''defensive shielding''' technology protecting their vessels from enemy attacks. The different depictions of defensive shielding have varying levels of realism.


Most shields have a capacity to radiate energy into space, and any energy absorbed above and beyond that must be dumped into heat sinks.  Because heat sinks can melt, shield generators are often modular to make replacement easier.
For more information, please see the main articles for how the shields of each universe behave:
*[[SW Shields|Shields in Star Wars]]
*[[ST Shields|Shields in Star Trek]]


Needless to say, shields are able to absorb much of the damage put out by weapons in the same size class.
== Concept ==


There are a plethora of shield types seen in the Star Wars Universe including:
Even though many defensive shield technologies rely on exotic physics, any analysis of defensive shielding technology should take into account real-life physics as much as possible.


* [[Planetary Shields]]
For instance: a shield should obey Conservation of Momentum. If a shield stops an incoming projectile, its momentum must be transfered to the shield system. If the momentum is greater than what the physical shield system (or its bracings) can withstand, then the equipment may suffer physical damage.
 
== Defensive Shields in Different Universes ==
 
=== Star Wars Shields ===
 
Most starships in ''[[Star Wars]]'' use deflector shield technology to protect against enemy attacks and navigational hazards. Any incoming attacks that cannot be completely deflected are absorbed and stored in heat sinks. The shields can become overloaded if the system absorbs heat more quickly than it can be radiated away. The shield system must be shut down while the systems cool off, or the projectors will burn out and must be replaced.
 
Some starships can make use of the energy absorbed from incoming attacks, at least to a certain extent.
 
Please see the [[SW Shields|main article on Star Wars shielding]] for more information.
 
=== Star Trek Shields ===
 
Most starships in ''[[Star Trek]]'' use shields to protect against enemy attacks. As the shields take damage, they become weakened and effects from enemy attacks bleed through with greater frequency.
 
Please see the [[ST Shields|main article on Star Trek shielding]] for more information.

Revision as of 15:04, 7 November 2007

Many science-fiction universes depict exotic defensive shielding technology protecting their vessels from enemy attacks. The different depictions of defensive shielding have varying levels of realism.

For more information, please see the main articles for how the shields of each universe behave:

Concept

Even though many defensive shield technologies rely on exotic physics, any analysis of defensive shielding technology should take into account real-life physics as much as possible.

For instance: a shield should obey Conservation of Momentum. If a shield stops an incoming projectile, its momentum must be transfered to the shield system. If the momentum is greater than what the physical shield system (or its bracings) can withstand, then the equipment may suffer physical damage.

Defensive Shields in Different Universes

Star Wars Shields

Most starships in Star Wars use deflector shield technology to protect against enemy attacks and navigational hazards. Any incoming attacks that cannot be completely deflected are absorbed and stored in heat sinks. The shields can become overloaded if the system absorbs heat more quickly than it can be radiated away. The shield system must be shut down while the systems cool off, or the projectors will burn out and must be replaced.

Some starships can make use of the energy absorbed from incoming attacks, at least to a certain extent.

Please see the main article on Star Wars shielding for more information.

Star Trek Shields

Most starships in Star Trek use shields to protect against enemy attacks. As the shields take damage, they become weakened and effects from enemy attacks bleed through with greater frequency.

Please see the main article on Star Trek shielding for more information.

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