General How does the explosive behaviour of TDX vary in different gravitational fields?

[vegascat]

A way to do a TDX bomb

There are a few ways to do a TDX device.
1. A vertical pipe bomb with simultaneous fuses at each end. The blast wave will travel from each end growing until they hit in the middle. The blast waves would coalesce into a flat plane blast in a 360 degree circle around the device. I is not controlled by gravity unless held vertically. This tech is over 50 years old.
2. Take a sphere, install a spinning copper donut. The spin will be level with
gravity field Drop the energy from a heavy capacitor into the spinning copper donut that will vaporize into a copper plasma spreading out in a flat circle. This takes a large amount of energy. Heavy duty transformers use copper buss bars 2 in diameter by 8 in long to handle heavy loads. They explode in a spectacular manner.
3. Overload one of the lift cells on a grav belt.
4. Believe James Blish on how he figured it to work
5. Remember, it's a game that tries to be hard science with some nods to handwaviu, so take your pick.

 

[Condottiere]

We can direct force, which is how shaped charges work.

But two dimensional direction based on the gravitational plane sounds a little complex and expensive.

 

[whartung]

There are a few ways to do a TDX device.
1. A vertical pipe bomb with simultaneous fuses at each end. The blast wave will travel from each end growing until they hit in the middle. The blast waves would coalesce into a flat plane blast in a 360 degree circle around the device. I is not controlled by gravity unless held vertically. This tech is over 50 years old.

Is this just lab gimmickry or has there been a real world use case where this has been applied?

I don't think we need anything quite that sophisticated for demolition charges.

 

[Grav_Moped]

We can direct force, which is how shaped charges work.

But two dimensional direction based on the gravitational plane sounds a little complex and expensive.

Not that complex. Use an end-initiated charge as in vegascat's example #1, or an annular shaped charge (heck, add a metal liner to the circumferential "V" groove and you get self-forging fragements)* as in Aramis's explanation.
Add a micro grav-drive to orient it to local gravity. You could even have selectable height-above-ground at detonation.

The only issue is that this doesn't match the handwavium in the description ("gravitationally polarized"), despite being much more plausible.



*as in a self-forging penetrator warhead, but in a ring rather than a slug

 

[vegascat]

A way to do a TDX bomb

The idea of a vertical pipe bomb, fused at both ends has been in use for for well over 70 years in anti aircraft missile warheads. The warheads are a tube of explosive, detonated from each end, surrounded be an expanding rod bundle, proximity detonated by a side scan radar sensor.
The side scan radar sensor has been in use since WWII.
The ERB Expanding Rod Bundles have been in use since the Vietnam war. They are a bundle of square rods the length of the warhead in 2 levels, tack welded at the ends top level to bottom level. When the warhead detonates, the ERB is blasted as a continuous spinning ring acting like a buzz saw expanding outward in a plane perpendicular to the missiles flight path.
Google AIM 7 and AIM 9 U.S. missiles. Other countries are using the same type of warhead.
The missile does not have to contact the target aircraft, it just needs to get close.
This tech would thrash unarmored space craft, but not anything with any armor.

 

[vegascat]

Monroe effect

To learn about shaped charges, just google Monroe effect. Its a good starting page for a basic understanding of shaped charges.
Shaped charges have been very useful in military, mining, construction, and manufacturing purposes. Just be very careful using anything like this if your government is totalitarian. Rulers and overlords get very nervous if this type of tech is in use by someone other than their military. They will be a controlled item at very low law levels. You will need mining or manufacturing license, permits, inspections, harassment, confiscations, and other disagreeable requirements from almost any government.
Transporting a load of basic explosives would be a jumping off point for an adventure. When the customs official inspects the load and discovers the basic explosives are actually shaped charges suitable for anti armor purposes will make for interesting times for your gaming group.

 

[Diveguy]

To learn about shaped charges, just google Monroe effect. Its a good starting page for a basic understanding of shaped charges.
Shaped charges have been very useful in military, mining, construction, and manufacturing purposes. Just be very careful using anything like this if your government is totalitarian. Rulers and overlords get very nervous if this type of tech is in use by someone other than their military. They will be a controlled item at very low law levels. You will need mining or manufacturing license, permits, inspections, harassment, confiscations, and other disagreeable requirements from almost any government.
Transporting a load of basic explosives would be a jumping off point for an adventure. When the customs official inspects the load and discovers the basic explosives are actually shaped charges suitable for anti armor purposes will make for interesting times for your gaming group.

Shaped charges, EFPs and the like are one thing, as you said - and, relatively easy to do. You can even get particularly pinpoint results with specialized charges and containers.

Controlling the blast pressure (*particularly the reflective pressures*) - an order of magnitude in difference. Effectively some of the same concepts involved in a fusion weapon, but taken in a different route.

To me, this has always been the handwavium aspect of TDX - particularly after working around explosives for 3 decades. Sure, you couldn't stand right next to your TDX charge and be off the gravitational plane and thus unaffected. But, IMTU it manages to direct 75% plus of that blast pressure in the perpendicular wave as described.

And, much like jump drive, psionics, or certain other bits - I only get so worried about the physics and "rational" explanation. At the end of the day, I view it as a fun tool and that hint of "sci fi magic" to add to the game.

 

[BRover]

Would a true TDX lose blast effects per inverse linear law? Does a shaped-charge jet keep its full effect for some distance before it spreads (by turbulance?)?

 

[Timerover51]

Would a true TDX lose blast effects per inverse linear law? Does a shaped-charge jet keep its full effect for some distance before it spreads (by turbulance?)?

The maximum effectiveness of a shaped charge is at about a stand-off distance from the base of the charge to the target of 6 diameters of the charge. Once you get past that, the jet begins to spread out and penetration is reduced. Now if the charge is spinning, as from a rifled gun barrel, the jet breaks up much faster, and penetration is considerably lessens.

As for explosives suitable for shaped charges, TNT does not really make the grade. In World War 2, Composition B was one used, which is a mixture of TNT and RDX and is still widely used, along with Pentolite, a mixture of PENT and TNT. Currently, Octol, which is derived from RDX and HMX is used, along with a variety of low-sensitivity, high blast explosives. C-4 makes an excellent filling for improvised shaped charges. What you want is an explosive with a very high velocity of detonation.

 

[vegascat]

tech gains

Considering the gains in knowledge since Alfred Nobel fiddled with nitroglycerin to today, how much more will be learned in the next 1000 years?
Imagine a spray on explosive from a aerosol can coating a glass window with no change in optics, detonating by touch.
Spray it on a floor detonated when someone walks on it.
It would be horrible boobytrapping things against an advancing military force. Spray it on a spread of coins.
If you want to get twisted, spray it on an interrogation subject. Talking war crimes now.
Binary explosives are a fairly new idea. Mix two safe liquids and run like hell.
Binary fuels have been used in WWII in german fighters. Only problem was how caustic they were.
Fuel Air Explosives, FAE were used in Vietnam. Air drop canisters ofer a position to be flattened. AS the fuel spread in the air over the target, it would penetrate into tunnels, buildings and enemy lungs. Any spark would cause it to detonate when it dispersed enough. The blast wave would gain strength as it travelled through the cloud, consuming a oxygen in the area leaving none for the people to breath. Those that breathed it in, would have the blast continue into their lungs with fatal results, much faster than burning to death. Anything not of reinforced construction would be gone, or on fire.
Who knows what people will create in the next centuries?

 

[vegascat]

Don't forget about thermobaric bombs. spread an explosive powder throughout an area including tunnels. It has a blast wave with a large increase in temperature lighting everything burnable. These are maybe 20 years old now. Not so much fun to work with, didn't want to drop it or do anything to crack the case.

 

[vegascat]

Thermobarics

Don't forget about thermobaric bombs. spread an explosive powder throughout an area including tunnels. It has a blast wave with a large increase in temperature lighting everything burnable. These are maybe 20 years old now. Not so much fun to work with, didn't want to drop it or do anything to crack the case.

 

[Condottiere]

1.

Would not like to be in the vicinity.


2.

And then there's twenty seven hundred tonnes of ammonium nitrate.