Coolant [Spaceships]

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Varyon

I wonder if the remnants would indeed impact the target, considering the target is in motion. An obstacle that is struck by an RKK is going to generate a large explosion, which is going to impart thrust onto the RKK. Said thrust will be only for a moment, but will be of sufficient force to turn the RKK into rubble. t.

Separate atoms rather thna rubble. The molecular binding energies of what look like very solid objects to us are rounding errors when compared to the KE of relativistic objects.

Then of course, kinetic interceptors do the same sort of damage to relativistic objects that those objects would do to their targets. The only difference is that of mass.

So when virtually any sort of projectile hits your "RKK" there will e a burst of hard X-rays sufficient to ionize the entire mass of the the RKK. It will then become a rapidly expanding cloud of ions and though it may techically "hit" it's original target it does so one atom at a time and many of those atoms may miss entirely.

Everyone should stop thinking about these "solid object" things. They (and the rules that bind them) don't exist in collisions above a few miles per second.