If you look at the design of current-era "stelth" aircraft, you will notice that they are all flat panels and large angles - even the cockpit glass.
Current era radar works on the physical return of reflected radio and micro waves from the target back to the receiver, located at approximately the same place as the emitter. Rounded objects, which are at a micro-level just a series of small flat spots jointed together with large angles, are actually very good at reurning reflected signals at any angle. You get the best return from any surface that is at right-angles to the receiver/emitter combo.
Stealth aircraft are built the way they are to purposefully reflect incoming emissions to a direction such that there is a very low return to the receiver. Other tricks with help diminish return are radio-transparent material, like carbon-fibers, and radar absorbing materials, which prevent reflection to some degree.
Since stealth aircraft are intended on approaching thier targets directly, their lowest cross-sectional area is from directly in front. This cross section also presents the most obtuse angles for a radar signal to reflect off of. Finally, all of the "hard" objects, like engines and ordinance, are tucked inside and to the rear of the craft, behind all of the non-right-angle-reflective and radar absorbing materials in the front, as much as possible.
If Traveller ships used radar or radar-like technologies, a needle shape from the most direct front approach would be the ideal stealth shape. Cylinders, hemispheres and spheres will always present at least a portion of their cross section at right angles to the emitter/receiver, and a significant portion is close enough to a right angle to provide a good return off a strictly line-of-sight sensor system like radar.
Obviously, radar is not the only detection method. Heat will likely be the biggest factor in ship detection, with radio and microwave emissions being a secondary consideration in a space setting.
I'm not sure stealth is even really worth discussing - OTOH, if they aren't looking for you when you are, you become effectively invisible.
Current era radar works on the physical return of reflected radio and micro waves from the target back to the receiver, located at approximately the same place as the emitter. Rounded objects, which are at a micro-level just a series of small flat spots jointed together with large angles, are actually very good at reurning reflected signals at any angle. You get the best return from any surface that is at right-angles to the receiver/emitter combo.
Stealth aircraft are built the way they are to purposefully reflect incoming emissions to a direction such that there is a very low return to the receiver. Other tricks with help diminish return are radio-transparent material, like carbon-fibers, and radar absorbing materials, which prevent reflection to some degree.
Since stealth aircraft are intended on approaching thier targets directly, their lowest cross-sectional area is from directly in front. This cross section also presents the most obtuse angles for a radar signal to reflect off of. Finally, all of the "hard" objects, like engines and ordinance, are tucked inside and to the rear of the craft, behind all of the non-right-angle-reflective and radar absorbing materials in the front, as much as possible.
If Traveller ships used radar or radar-like technologies, a needle shape from the most direct front approach would be the ideal stealth shape. Cylinders, hemispheres and spheres will always present at least a portion of their cross section at right angles to the emitter/receiver, and a significant portion is close enough to a right angle to provide a good return off a strictly line-of-sight sensor system like radar.
Obviously, radar is not the only detection method. Heat will likely be the biggest factor in ship detection, with radio and microwave emissions being a secondary consideration in a space setting.
I'm not sure stealth is even really worth discussing - OTOH, if they aren't looking for you when you are, you become effectively invisible.
