Aether's Damage Effects

[FrostJaeger]

I was in the process of updating the Aether Flechette when I realized something: how does one actually describe the physical effects aether has on an object?

The Aether Weaponry article sheds some light on the subject and even has a section on aetheric detonators (which is what the Flechette utilizes), but...

Aetheric Detonators are modified Aether taps that are designed to self destruct while drawing out the maximum possible amount of Aetheric energy at the point of detonation, causing a massive release of energy as the Aether destroys matter by completely shearing their atomic bonds. Aetheric detonators are dangerous in that they can have large areas of effect are more difficult to defend against in case of an ambush, compared to beam weapons which have strong energy signatures when fired.

...what does that mean, exactly? I understand the part about "destroy[ing] matter by completely shearing [its] atomic bonds," of course - but what kind of "energy" is released (electromagnetic?) and what negative effect(s) does that energy have on the surrounding environment?

 

[Zack]

Aether is a place not a thing.

The damage you are describing is heat.

Things explode due to flash vaporization when hit by a bolt of hot stuff pulled from the aether universe.

 

[Toshiro]

I think tapping into the Aether also pulls out matter and antimatter plasmas, positrons, and electrons which mutually annihilate; so profound amounts of radiation are also likely for weapon discharges. Please correct me if this is in error, but I thought this was the case.

 

[Zack]

That is how its been explained before.

I think its easiest to assume the aether is a very young universe still full of stuff.

 

[CadetNewb]

I never cared much for it, but if I recall correctly, aether based weapons also had a penetrating quality in comparison to normal anti-matter weapons since it didn't bloom for some reason right. That is, the beams and bolts would stay more cohesive. I'm not sure if that's still a thing though. I also recall some older Miharu RP where a pair of Aether blades touching would create a concussive blast that would knock over but not actually harm Mindies. I'm also not sure if that remains canon or not.

 

[Fred]

I also recall some older Miharu RP where a pair of Aether blades touching would create a concussive blast that would knock over but not actually harm Mindies. I'm also not sure if that remains canon or not.

Um, what?

The energy projection from aether saber-rifles are like, say, blowtorches. Even if you have both projections cross each other, not much of anything would happen. Since one of the KFY saber-rifle's components is a long sword-length bayonette next to the projection, those usually get slashed through in the process and that usually breaks the blade projection function of the saber-rifle.

What did show up in the Miharu plot are the "Meni Customs", which did things saber-rifles usually don't do, like have a field that allows to absorb energy on impact and save the zesuaium blade on the Meni Custom to survive contact with a normal saber-rifle. Basically, I wanted the chance to do swordplay with said weapon and it made for an handy bit of treasure for my players to enjoy. That said, those never went through the approval process, so, they aren't meant to be spread more widely in SARP beyond my plot... and even in my plot, by this point in time, all 3 existing Meni-Customs have been destroyed from heavy use.

 

[CadetNewb]

I can't recall which type of aether blade it was in specific - wrist projected or the saber - but I did recall some sort of concussive blast happening when they touched. If it was just due to being custom gear though, what happens when the aether wrist projector's blades cross paths?

 

[Toshiro]

Please take care. This thread has legitimate concerns and questions, and I'm seeing the rumblings of what might derail it if we don't step back a little and stay on topic.

 

[FrostJaeger]

I think tapping into the Aether also pulls out matter and antimatter plasmas, positrons, and electrons which mutually annihilate; so profound amounts of radiation are also likely for weapon discharges. Please correct me if this is in error, but I thought this was the case.

So, Aether - yes, @Zack, I know it's technically called "energy and/or an energized matter/anti-matter plasma" - essentially has the same damaging effects as antimatter, except with a vastly greater intensity due to the shearing of atomic bonds?

Also, @Toshiro, would you mind looking over the damage description I wrote for an antimatter charge?

 

[Fred]

I can't recall which type of aether blade it was in specific - wrist projected or the saber - but I did recall some sort of concussive blast happening when they touched. If it was just due to being custom gear though, what happens when the aether wrist projector's blades cross paths?

The energy projection from aether saber-rifles are like, say, blowtorches. Even if you have both projections cross each other, not much of anything would happen.

Same thing as with the saber-rifles.

I maintain that this concussion thing is bogus. It didn't come from my plot.

Frostjaeger, if you have a problem with me answering questions in your thread, let me know.

 

[FrostJaeger]

You're fine, @Fred.

 

[Zack]

I have frost on ignore, and I always regret reading the comments.

@FrostJaeger you missed the point entirely. Aether is not technically the same thing as plasma or energy. It is a place that stuff comes out of.

The reason it acts like a hot plasma is that a hot plasma is what is coming out of the aether universe.

 

[FrostJaeger]

I have frost on ignore, and I always regret reading the comments.

@FrostJaeger you missed the point entirely. Aether is not technically the same thing as plasma or energy. It is a place that stuff comes out of.

Personal attacks aside, yes, @Zack, I am aware that aether is the universe the "energy and/or an energized matter/anti-matter plasma" originates from. I was using it as an abbreviation, just as @Wes did here.

The point you yourself seem to be missing is that this thread is about discussing the damaging effects of "energy and/or an energized matter/anti-matter plasma," not the precise wording that is to be used when referring to it.

The reason it acts like a hot plasma is that a hot plasma is what is coming out of the aether universe.

What "hot plasma" are you referring to? According to this article , the only things that come out of the aether are "energy and/or an energized matter/anti-matter plasma."

 

[META_mahn]

*sneaks into convo*

I just always imagined Aether as sort of a pale yellowish somewhat cohesive light. Maybe that's just because when I hear "Aether" I can't help but think of fantasy.

EDIT: Time to answer the original question.
Well, are you ready for one hell of a physics lesson? And a few theories here and there.

So in physics there is a thing called fundamental interaction. Basically, in physics as far as we're concerned, these are the four things that make the universe as "what it is," which are:

1. The force of gravity
2. The force of electromagnetic interaction
3. The "strong" force of nuclear bonds that keep atoms together
4. The "weak" force of radioactive decay.

Rule 1 governs big objects. Rules 2, 3, and 4 govern things at the subatomic level.


As the description states, Aether destroys through shearing apart atomic bonds. In physics, that means that the gluons must somehow have managed to decay, thus sending the quarks out everywhere to mutually annihilate each other. Probably creating some form of quark-gluon plasma.
And what do we know what happens when quarks start flowing everywhere? Hawkings Radiation. The reason why a black hole of infinitesimally small value would kill us. Instantly.

Another plausible explanation is that Aether is just a soup of quarks, so we can skip the step where the gluons decay.

I imagine the energy radiated is something on the electromagnetic spectrum, probably some energy as gamma and X-Rays, other as infrared, microwave, and radio -- and of course, UV and visible light. So that's sort of my headcanon on how Wes describes aetheric energy as a whole bunch of waves on the EM spectrum in The Speed of Aether. A headcanon I just made up in the short span of time I wrote this whole section.

Please correct if I have misunderstood something.

 

[Fred]

All I have to add is that aether beams have traditionally been described as "white". In fact, before "aether" was used as a term in SARP, they were called "white beams".

 

[Zack]

I think that is a bit overkill @META_mahn

Atomic bonds can also mean chemical bonds. Which means things get hot enough for atoms to come apart.

Of course there is nothing stopping it from getting so hot the gluons come apart either.

It's just that the old bombastic language for our stuff can be satisfied without having to go to that particular extreme.

Edit: also, 4 srs, aether is a place and not a thing. This conversation gets way easier if you keep that in mind.

 

[Toshiro]

If it's indeed the full EM spectrum as Wes stated, it'd have to appear to the eye as white, while also containing all manner of intense and harmful radiation lethal to unshielded targets. It would also emit a burst of radio waves. Certain faction-specific technologies, however, might process the plasma in different ways to explain the artistic differences between factions' vessels and weapons (The blue-white glow of Turbo Aether Plasma, for example)

I think another thing to note is that Aether discharge travels at light speed or just a hair below it for some reason, certainly adding to its lethality and the type of damage it can do. I don't think that applies to Aether swords, though.

Now, the sudden heating up of the air around an aether weapon itself might be able to cause a wave of displacement of some sort, but with swords that's more likely to happen when the blades were initially turned on.

Also, @FrostJaeger : I have never been asked to weigh in on a DRv3 rating before, but what I can see and compare to the existing stuff looks decent. Seems like an extra fast missile for the setting though...

 

[Ira]

Color in light is typically produced by an outside effect or addition.

Chances are the color is the result of what ever metal is being burned up from the device producing the aether.

I mean there is no might about it. We may not know how things from another universe will act in their universe, but if it comes here it will behave according to physics.

That being said with what's described on the wiki, we'd see an explosive heat based reaction. Small amounts of rather generating lots o energy thus lists of heat(a waste product from energy reactions).

If aether is energy based then you will end up with exploady heaty melty damage results

 

[Ira]

is also like to add that we don't need to turn sarp into physics class. Geeeh

 

[META_mahn]

but physicssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss :c