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Do you think of the consequence in " Star warfare " when the Death Star destroy Alderaan ? Eight laser beams converge at a single point to constitute a tiptop - powered laser that obliterate the major planet . It was a memorable scene that evidence the stern major power of the Empire .
Although it is unclear whether they were inspire by the setting , Chinese scientist take they have create a new type of microwave weapon that combines several high - power electromagnetic wave . They can then concentrate them onto a object .
The weapon system consist of multiple microwave oven - transmitting vehicles that are deployed to different location . Each of the vehicles attack microwaves with high-pitched - preciseness synchronization . These merge together into a powerful vigour beam to lash out one fair game .
This is a mass grueling than it seems . microwave oven are narrow beams of energy that take to be precisely aligned to then converge . This entail that the timings with which they are fired need to be controlled to within millionth of a second .
According to the research team , each microwave fomite also has to be exactly position to within a millimeter . China ’s BeiDou satellite piloting system is capable of providing positioning truth to within 0.4 inch ( 1 centimeter ) , but that still does not adjoin the requirement of the newfangled weapon system organisation .
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To attempt to overcome this , optical maser - range appurtenant positioning devices were installed on each transmitting fomite to achieve the millimetre - accuracy positioning system . The vehicles must also be absolutely level . Any changes in the control surface mean that microwave emitter will not be properly aligned .
The firing synchronization has to be within 170 picosecond ( or 170 trillionth of a second ) . To put this into perspective , a distinctive household computer takes 330 picoseconds to complete a unmarried processing cycle .
To master this challenge , the scientists connected the transmitting political platform using optical fibers to ensure they were properly synchronize . Each of the artillery system vehicles was also directly contain by a peregrine command center .
According to theSouth China Morning Post , a scientist involve in the project exact the combined power of the converging microwave balance beam has a combine effect of “ 1 + 1>2 ” — despite such a call breaking the constabulary of preservation of energy . Nonetheless , a powerful combined microwave oven is more utilitarian than multiple smaller microwave oven sources .
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Microwaves can not operate over farsighted distances as junk and wet break up the waving . This can be counter by increasing the power , but doing so presents significant logistical challenge as barrage currently do not have the energy storage capability to furnish that amount of energy .
Quite mayhap , the Chinese enquiry squad has been able to achieve a converging microwave oven weapon system in a contain environment . However , the real world is vastly more chaotic , which will exhibit huge challenges for any engineering that relies on such a gamy degree of precision .
