Yep, that is pretty much what I'm getting at. In my "view" of 40k, lascannons and similar AV weapons really have that level of (fire)power. If instead it is an "oversized laser pointer", an oversized heavy bolter should murder land raiders too. Note: normal "lasers" aren't visible, unless they defract/light up (reflect from) an object (such as moisture in the air). So, the ionized air is what is visible. (happily shining due to the suddenly high temperature) It could look a bit like a lightning bolt. (las-bolt) Now, with that much energy output, how does Joe guardsman survive firing this lascannon thing? uh.. uhm.. Mechanicus techno-magic babbling.. 40k is not very "scientifically correct". Melta weapons have been described as being plasma weapons, a specific type of plasma weapons. Although, some melta weapons could work along different principles anyway.. The lascannon is not a plasma weapon: the plasma is not what does the damage. Shotgun like blast of plasma, explosions along the way: see: lightning discharge (ok, electrical current). Even though the air ionizes, the density of the plasma would be pretty low, because the density of the air was pretty low. This leads to no real explosions. Unlike what happens when that beam hits, say.. infantry. Standing say, 1 m from the beam path you'd take some radiation in various spectra, from the high temperature "core", you'd feel some heat I'd think, but you wouldn't be "blown away".
Assuming the atmosphere is similar to Earth, then I guess the color would be (primarily) be a sharp/bright violet, since that is the nitrogen have when it excited (ionized air glow). Then again, it would probably have a mixed color, due to the large amount of different molecules.
Don't tag me in your hyperbolic nonsense. I said for the nth time that TT is representative and the stats/turns aren't reflective of a real-time 3PS engagement.
The Ionisation could give some of the color, determined by the spectral lines, yes. However, the sheer sudden temperature increase would play a role, and here the atmospheric makeup has no influence. (it is possible to determine the temperature of an object by observing the "glow"; as an example, iron, brass, steel, rock, .. : they all glow "red-hot" the same at a given temperature. Some materials might burn, which requires oxygen. hence why a lamp can be stated to be "5500k, or 7500k). So.. to what temperature does the lascannon increase the air? No idea. But, in a cool way, lasguns could be red, lascannons blue, and the thing makes some physical sense. Although, with the energy levels I'm envisioning (a blast of laser energy enough to knock out a tank) most of the radiation from the hot air/whatever could well fall in the invisible spectrum (UV and beyond). I think a lightning blast is the best reference we have.
You are right, a Lascannon obviously doesn't fire a ray of energy, but a ray of light/"heat", so it shouldn't cause any ionisation. A Plasma Weapon would change color, according to the composition of the "super heated matter". EDIT: Considering how off-topic we are again, I would like to ask; did any of you know that there "supposedly" have been made a plasma-powered cannon (e.g. it use plasma to fire the projectile)?
Making plasma and shooting it hasn't been a problem for ancient Terrans for some decades now, the problem they have is how to do it accurately. On that note, though slightly even further off-topic, one idea for firing a more accurate plasma stream or even laser might be to 'lead' it with a projectile like a bullet - so you create a low pressure vacuum behind the pilot projectile which may decrease the dissipation of energy that usually follows. Of course, if you wanted to do this with a laser - the laser is then 'pushing' on the projectile the whole way - since the projectile obviously travels nothing close to light (but this push itself could help power the projectile forward), in the case of plasma you would similarly need to engineer it so the projectile is close enough to the stream to create that vacuum while not also getting melted with plasma in the process. At the very least we would want to use the fastest railgun design possible - still it's interesting from a w40k perspective. A lascannon attack might actually initially involve a super-fast railgun penetrating the tank (also easier than trying to pulse through it with light-heat alone), followed by half the heat of a sun in its wake - flash-baking everything inside: people and munitions alike. So kind of like hucking a grenade into the top-hatch - only you know.. pitching the scalpel-like grenade right through the tanks heaviest armor plating, and then following it up with an explosion of laser-heat into a confined space full of meatbags and explosive munitions. For a plasma projectile the principle might be similar albeit at lower speed - due to it being hard to confine the plasma - a shaped projectile leads the plasma so it doesn't instantly dissipate in the air - and with plasma beam weapons - projectiles are evenly spaced throughout the beam. So in both cases it's not just a matter of super-heat hitting you - it's also kinetic projectiles in the mix - and the heat is just following into the 'wounds'.
Actually the main problem isn't just accuracy, it's how to project plasma over a long enough distance to make it worthwhile as a weapon. Plasma is basically just gas and even if it's confined by it's own magnetic field and formed into a relatively stable structure like a smoke ring it's still like basically like blowing a gas through the air. The faster the stream or projectile goes the more it gets disrupted by the atmosphere and the more energy it loses. The idea you mentioned (using a laser to guide plasma) is kinda a thing - kinda. The Electrolaser for example is a taser like weapon that uses a laser to ionise a channel through the air that then provides a conductive path to channel electric charge along, it's basically a lightning gun. Noromiz, you were right the first time. High intensity Lasers (over about one megajoule) transfer enough thermal energy to the air to cause ionisation. The trail of plasma resulting from this ionisation acts to obstruct and scatter the Laser. This effect is called thermal blooming. http://panoptesv.com/SciFi/LaserDeathRay/ThermalBlooming.html
Achieving accuracy over distance is the desired outcome of solving the dispersal problem - so you're saying the same thing I am - creating either a low pressure bubble behind a solid projectile, or a channel of ionized air, are both means of creating accuracy by confining the dispersal of plasma or laser over distance Which is to say that it is very much a thing - and the similar solution to plasma weaponry may be to do something similar - not with a laser - but with a projectile like a railgun (for laser weapons) or even a bullet (for plasma projectiles): not an ionized path, but a bullet wake. In both cases the solution is about finding a means to get the air out of the way temporarily.
Thanks, I knew I had forgotten something If the Lascannon cause ionisation, then why does is it red? Isn't it only Helium and Neon which glow red, and assuming the atmosphere is akin to Earths, then it should probably glow with a more violet color. Since we know that the air on Arkhona is somewhat acidic, there is also a chance that there might be a relatively high amount of hydrogen in the air, which have a more purple/pink-ish glow. Anyhow, it seems that most settings with high intensity lasers / laser weapons use the "classic" red color for the beam. Do anyone here know from where that "red laser beam weapon thing" originates? I should probably get back on topic...
