The physics of aether

WIP: This article is a work in progress and is not yet approved for usage in the RP.

The Aether is a term used to describe the trans-dimensional energy source, and related technologies discovered by the Yamatai Star Empire in YE20 that function by pulling energy from other dimensions of space with different rules to our own.

Aether-generators themselves are the leading energy source and a cornerstone in the SARPiverse, giving rise to faster-than-light travel and nightmarish weaponry the likes of which the universe has never seen.

Aetheric generators work by using electromagnetic fields to set specific gauge-bosons (sub-atomic particles which carry the fundamental forces of nature, like electromagnetism or gravity).

These particles align themselves naturally into a grid or lattice, not unlike a sieve, trapping photons into the gaps like a tiny circuit.

When energy from higher dimensions strikes the lattice, it vibrates and that energy is passed onto the photons (gauge-bosons mediating electromagnetic force) which can then be exploited to recover the energy as electrisity. The size of the lattice dictates its amplitude. The number or resolution gauge-bosons in a given space is the wavelength.

If one were to consider this mechanism to be a pump, wavelength would be the number of holes capturing water drilled into its surface and the amplitude would be the suction of the pipe.

Generally, larger generators have larger lattices, resulting in much higher suction, distorting the positions of the transdimensional energy. Higher precision generators have a much higher efficiency rating, though they are more expensive to produce.

Different generators in the same space will compete for charge. The lattice with the largest amplitude will always pull the most, even going so far as to deprive available energy from others.

If the trans-dimensional energy entering the lattice - the sieve - isn't removed quickly enough, the photons will soak up the energy, acting like capacitors. Once the charge is high enough, the gauge-bosons making the lattice will greedily steal it, growing denser and denser, shrinking rapidly as they attract one another.

Eventually comes a point where the lattice can become no denser, known as degenerancy - at which it overlaps, with pairs of bosons acting bizzarely like single particles.

If further compression is attempted, the lattice will snap back like a rubber band, expanding massively. As the amplitude expands, the volume of energy pulled through will grow exponentially.

Clever computer control can hold an expanding lattice, feeding its energy into an empty one like the ventricles of a beating heart - essentially playing a game of hot-potato. When the game stops, the lattice expands uncontrollably.

During this rapid expansion, trans-dimensional energy pours through the lattice with massive pressure, destroying it in a massive explosion that distorts the shape of space itself.

That is the 'Aetheric bomb', the first true aether weapon, commonly used on starships (for example, the AS-7, used by Yamataian vessels). Aetheric grenades do exist but are quite rare and not at all practical.

A practical example of an Aetheric Bomb would be the Aether-Flechette, a guided faster-than-light aetheric warhead using a combined field system to propel itself. Despite its small size, it maintains a respectable yield of SDR4.

There are many types of aetheric beam weapons but most follow a relatively simple idea of compressing a lattice into the previously mentioned degeneracy state.

Important is that the interactions of a degeneracy state lattice are almost entirely different - greedily gobbling up gluons which hold matter together on contact, releasing huge amounts of energy (which populate surrounding photons) as a consequence in the form of gamma radiation which propegates inside of the structure it strikes.

This degenerancy round is fired - repulsed down a barrel with a scalar discharge, exciting it into a volatile state. As the shot leaves the barrel, it surrenders the photons it held, creating a trail of visible light.

With no grip on its own photons and a neutral charge of bosons, the shot is no longer affected by electromagnetic or scalar fields and aether beams will freely pass through one another with zero displacement or repulsion.

In an atmosphere, a round can often be seen triggering a brief nuclear decay (with its gluon gobbling behavior). The resulting released radiation leaves a huge tunnel of superheated plasma, giving the impression of a larger beam than the one fired, dealing secondary damage to targets.

On impact, the effect of an aetheric beam is devistating. When the lattice arrangement is broken, its stored energy potential is unleashed, usually destabilizing the nucleus of a target. This can trigger a chain reaction, leading to total annialation of a target.

Often, the beam will pass cleanly through less dense targets.

Some beam weapons alter the lattice as it leaves the barrel, further stabilising it into a small spherical pellet rather than a beam. This pellet is much harder to spot and usually has a far higher round velocity - ideal in combat against powered-armour but lacks mass, making it weaker and less potent against large targets such as starships.

An example of a 'pellet' style aetheric beam weapon would be the Aether Gatling Rifle (http://stararmy.com/wiki/doku.php?id=st … ling_rifle), a weapon which uses multiple barrels to discharge an extremely high number of shots. While technically weaker (chipping away armour), the higher number of shots has obvious advantages enjoyed by conventional gatling weapons. It is also much less unwieldy than a beam weapon, since the stream of weapons fire is constant rather than brief, making it ideal for the high speed high mobility combat of powered-armour.