Help with the coils aboard Colonial 798

[jerrywickey]

I am starting the work I mentioned in my post "Zeus reaches his hand to the stars"

I want to describe inner workings of FTL consistent with every thing revealed about it. I have a substantial list of observations. I need one more thing.

In the miniseries, Lee used a coil to simulate a DRADIS nuclear detonation signature to evade Cylon raiders while on board the Intersun Colonial Heavy 798 renamed Colonial One.

Does anyone know exactly what that coil was called and any details revealed about what it did and how it worked and what Lee did to make it emit the pulse?

Jerry

[ShadowEnigma]

Those coils emitted an EMP pulse. I don't know much about it, but basically they charged up with a lot of electricity and then discharged it. There are many modern day equivalents to these. Nuclear weapons give off EMP too I think, which is why if you detonate one high above ground, the explosion wouldn't hit anyone but everything electrical nearby would be fried.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

Didn't feel like reading it myself., but that's the article for you.

[ThPrime]

Does anyone know exactly what that coil was called and any details revealed about what it did and how it worked and what Lee did to make it emit the pulse? Jerry

The two gizmos in the cargo bay he described as "electric pulse generators from the Galactica"

"I basically just used the hyperdrive to manipulate the energy coils to put a big pulse of electro-magnetic energy that must have disabled the warheads."

That's the average extent for all technical explanations, the bare minimum.

The draft scripts feature many more buzzwords and more detailed descriptions about BSG technology, most all of them never made it to the screen. PDF copies are here: TWIZ TV (http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/battlestar/)

[buerger23]

Nuclear weapons give off EMP too I think, which is why if you detonate one high above ground, the explosion wouldn't hit anyone but everything electrical nearby would be fried.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

Didn't feel like reading it myself., but that's the article for you.


The nuclear warhead would actually have to be up in space to do that. An asteroid would also be able to create on.

[ShadowEnigma]

It would have to be in space? I thought it could work if it was high altitude?

Why would it need to be in space to create an EMP?

[jp2542as]

It would have to be in space? I thought it could work if it was high altitude?

Why would it need to be in space to create an EMP?


They work at any altitude. But what's between the device and the target will determine it's effect on the target. Air (atmosphere) doesn't matter that much on the EMP effect. A Faraday cage or cave surrounded by conductive and grounding ore might block the pulse. But it does help preserve the all important capital assets of the site. Much like the Neutron Bomb, the EMP bomb was designed to kill (N - people, E - electronics), with minimal harm to the buildings and infrastructure stuff (roads, bridges, etc..)

[ShadowEnigma]

That's what I thought, it would work just fine in high altitude.

[Dzonatas]

EMP bomb... killing people? Must be more than just an EMP. One that creates microwaves would have have an effect.

Does that mean EMP coils could be made without deadly microwaves and still look like a nuclear blast?