Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I bet gunk gets in there a whole lot faster if you're ramming the barrel into a 'nids insides and pulling the trigger as fast as you can.

Also, are they pronounced "laz" cannon or "Layz" cannon?
pesonally I go with laz.

Teh_K42 wrote:Also, are they pronounced "laz" cannon or "Layz" cannon?
pesonally I go with laz.

layz, huh...
I think someone is hungry...

laz all the way baby

i know people who say layz (gotta smack them upside the head now and again) and i don't get how you get the "y" from the spelling lascannon? doesn't make much sense to me.

I spelt it with a "Y" because I was writing it phonetically, writing "las" seems like "lass" rather than the start of laser.

First things first *pulls out BS degree in Physics*

Why is everyone assuming that light is a particle? Truly it shows signs of not only a particle but a wave as well. This gets into quantum mechanics, which is a really cool subject.

I'd like to point something out to people that is perhaps easier than the first physics post. For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. So if we assume that the lascannon puts out a certain force, then it's agreeable to have recoil pads; again assuming that the pads are really what most take them to be.

Also, that gamma factor, was that being used for the relativistic correction? I did not quiet follow the line of reasoning. Normally gamma is as follows => (gamma= 1/sqrt(1-(v/c)^2)).

To me a lascannon kind of seemed like a more precise plasma weapon, but honestly looks like a big laser pointer. *shrug*

So... any other physicists on dakkadakka?

Thats the lorentz thinggy right? It looks familiar, but most of the physics I had was dealing with spectroscopy or physical chemistry.

Hello. I'm a physicist too! A Physics teacher in fact.

I just wrote out a big post trying to do a slightly improved calculation based on a 1GW laser but got my head in knots (it's too late!). :(

However, i did find this article http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/klu/339/2004/00000079/F0030004/art00146

Which seems suggest that given the small surface area quite a large recoil could be produced.

I also wanted to point out that the gamma factor doesn't come into effect for photons, as they are fully relativistic and so gamma=infinity, making calculations quite hard.

As regards to colours of lasers, all lasers nowadays fall into the fairly narrow band of UV-IR, most being visible. You have to remember you'll never see the actual beam of the laser unless it's pointing right into your eye or if it's being scattered (eg off particles of smoke). You only see the 'dot' of the reflected light off the target.

Then there's the fact you can just paint your armour the colour of the laser and it'll reflect off! Ultramarines are immune to blue lasers!