Solar flares etc
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M
Malenfant
Guest
They might affect the weather (M flares tend to be pretty bloody huge, at least by comparison to the star's normal brightness. Our own sun's flares at least don't increase the entire star's luminosity by a factor of 2 or more...).
Communications would probably be knocked out, there'd be a lot of high energy radiation sleeting in which would make the atmosphere expand (and strip off gasses in some cases) which would cause severe problems from satellites in low orbit.
They won't cause quakes though - those are entirely internal to the planet, and the tides aren't changing or anything to cause that sort of thing.
Communications would probably be knocked out, there'd be a lot of high energy radiation sleeting in which would make the atmosphere expand (and strip off gasses in some cases) which would cause severe problems from satellites in low orbit.
They won't cause quakes though - those are entirely internal to the planet, and the tides aren't changing or anything to cause that sort of thing.
One piece of information about flares is that the radiation count does go up rather dangerously high. If you are running a Traveller campaign where traveller ships protect against most radiation, but not the really hazardous levels, then you might want to simulate this by treating flares as if they were radiation warheads going off near a ship's hull. I've always wondered why nuclear warheads induce causualties via radiation, yet a ship that enters a Jovian planetary radiation belt is somehow suddenly immune to radiation effects
M
Malenfant
Guest
Yes, but don't forget most Trav ships have nuclear dampers. It's not hard to imagine a technology that is related that always acts to dampen the effect of radiation from flares and magnetic fields.
The Oz
SOC-14 1K
Most Traveller warships have nuclear dampers, true. And in STRIKER it is possible to use a nuke damper to eliminate the residual radiation in the crater of a nuclear explosion, making it safe for unprotected troops to enter the crater.
So I can imagine a nuke damper-equipped vessel entering a planetary radiation belt without much risk.
But most civilian ships don't have any such protection. OTOH, even civilian starships have the equivalent of STRIKER factor-40 armor. I'm at work so I don't have the books handy, but that armor might be enough to provide protection from environmental radiation.
M
Malenfant
Guest
Civvy ships probably do have that protection, otherwise they'd have to worry about ambient radiation all the time (which I've not really seen mentioned in Traveller). It'd just be built directly into the hull or something - it wouldn't help against weaponry (you'd need full on dampers for that), it would just reduce the risk from natural radiation.
Yes MT has a minimum hull armour of 40 (which is the old highguard AR=0) to stop radiation and micrometerors.
I think there was a note somewhere in the low tech ship building rules, that low armour primitive vessel cause cargo and crew to be affected by radiation.
Thanks for the help
Cheers
Richard
I think there was a note somewhere in the low tech ship building rules, that low armour primitive vessel cause cargo and crew to be affected by radiation.
Thanks for the help
Cheers
Richard
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Oh goody, I get to quote Beltstrike again 
:
:
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Aww, that's from Beltstrike 
I always thought it was mine own idea Never had Beltstrike but I probably stole the idea from the same place they did
I always thought it was mine own idea Never had Beltstrike but I probably stole the idea from the same place they did
One other potential side effect: a particularly strong flare could cause quite a bit of rather rapid thermal expansion of the surface; it might cause some interesting thermal expansion stresses, especially if there is little surface fluid (or liquifiable solid). We're not talking earthquake; we're talking ground-heave over a few hours... probably not more than a mm of expansion, but it could be quite noisy. Not so much an issue for worlds with good atmospheres.
M
Malenfant
Guest
um, I'm pretty sure that thermal expansion from a flare would not be remotely noticeable.
Are there any rules for exposure to radiation?
I'm thinking along the lines of how long can a person on an asteroid, in a vacc suit, work before taking radiation damage?
Also would I be correct in assuming that a thin atmosphere offers less protection from solar/ jovian radiation?
Does the type of star make a difference?
Orbital distance?
I'm thinking along the lines of how long can a person on an asteroid, in a vacc suit, work before taking radiation damage?
Also would I be correct in assuming that a thin atmosphere offers less protection from solar/ jovian radiation?
Does the type of star make a difference?
Orbital distance?
I'd like to know, too.
I think the type of star and distance from it would make a big difference.
Wounding rules for radiation would probably involve a rapid buildup of Rads over a short amount of time, and when it passes a threshold amount (maybe related to END?) the character takes damage according to some kind of "decay rate".
I think the type of star and distance from it would make a big difference.
Wounding rules for radiation would probably involve a rapid buildup of Rads over a short amount of time, and when it passes a threshold amount (maybe related to END?) the character takes damage according to some kind of "decay rate".
TheEngineer
SOC-14 1K
Hi !
So experience shows, that the sublethal shorttime dose is below 1 Sv=100 rem.
Taking 4 Sv=400 rem will kill 50 % of the persons withhin 4 weeks.
Taking around 7 Sv or more causes body defense systems to vanish in two days and sure death within 2 weeks.
The hard thing is to specify the captured radiation dose in a given time at a given place.
So its difficult to create a set of suitable rules for that.
E.g. crossing earths Van-Allen belt causes astronouts to take around 0,01 Sv.
One year in the ISS should result in a dose below 0,05 Sv.
Switching to energy dose allows to compare other stats. 10 Gy = 10J/kg usually kill a human being.
The Jupiter probe "Europe Orbiter" will have to take 4000 Gy, while doing its way thru the radiation belt.
I will try to find some more "radiation in space" stats...
Best regards,
Mert
Rules are written by real life
So experience shows, that the sublethal shorttime dose is below 1 Sv=100 rem.
Taking 4 Sv=400 rem will kill 50 % of the persons withhin 4 weeks.
Taking around 7 Sv or more causes body defense systems to vanish in two days and sure death within 2 weeks.
The hard thing is to specify the captured radiation dose in a given time at a given place.
So its difficult to create a set of suitable rules for that.
E.g. crossing earths Van-Allen belt causes astronouts to take around 0,01 Sv.
One year in the ISS should result in a dose below 0,05 Sv.
Switching to energy dose allows to compare other stats. 10 Gy = 10J/kg usually kill a human being.
The Jupiter probe "Europe Orbiter" will have to take 4000 Gy, while doing its way thru the radiation belt.
I will try to find some more "radiation in space" stats...
Best regards,
Mert
Qstor2
SOC-13
</font>[/QUOTE]In the T20 adventure Scout Cruiser a ship gets knocked out by a flare not sure if it was really high powered flare or not...I dont have it here at workOriginally posted by Sigg Oddra:
Oh goody, I get to quote Beltstrike again
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Ships under power are not affected - part of the M-drive generates a low-power screen against radiation and meteorite impact...
This other thread has some interesting points too.
http://www.travellerrpg.com/cgi-bin/Trav/CotI/Discuss/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=5;t=000261
Mike
In addition to the useful responses already posted, note that traditionally, the effects of radition upon ship systems are typically abstracted with a "Hit" roll on some Radiation Damage Table or other, allowing an exception for computers with fiber-optics but also risking the dreaded "Crew-1" result...
I have been toying with an abstract system in the current campaign that just rates exposure from 0-15. You take radiation “hits” from the appropriate 2d6 +/- the effectiveness of the shielding. After level “10” you begin to show up with cancer and other nasty symptoms. At 13-15 you get sick right away and at 15+ you die.
On the lower end (8-10) you heal more slowly and get sick with long term effects. Level 7 and lower has no effect in game terms. Somewhere around here is a proposed effectiveness of vacsuits and the like.
Each rad hit in starship combat is worth 1d6 exposure.
I’ll admit it’s not very scientific but it gets the point across.
On the lower end (8-10) you heal more slowly and get sick with long term effects. Level 7 and lower has no effect in game terms. Somewhere around here is a proposed effectiveness of vacsuits and the like.
Each rad hit in starship combat is worth 1d6 exposure.
I’ll admit it’s not very scientific but it gets the point across.
