Change in Repulsor Technology

[Iron Guy]

According to the Mighty Avengers Most Wanted Files, Tony has changed his repulsors from using an atomic particle [electrons] to using an sub-atomic particle [muons] in the composition of the plasma beam they discharge. I'm not familiar enough with particle physics to guess why he made the switch. Anyone here want to hazard a guess as to the reason? 

[Chaos]

whose a jigga what now?






I actually grasp what you're saying but have no clue what the answer is.

[Tetragrammaton]

Anyone have contact info for Mr. Elliot R. Brown?

I would assume that because muons are much heavier particles than electrons (about 200X heavier) that this, at least in part, contributes to the greater concussive force of the modern repulsors.

[Iron Guy]

Nice scans Tetra. I'm surprised to see that muons have so much mass. I would've thought that being a sub-atomic particle that it would've had less mass, not more. But then I don't know much about them right now.

[Iron Kaiser]

An electron is a sub-atomic particle Iron Guy.  It is more specifically, a lepton, which means that it doesn't interact with the Strong nuclear fundamental force that bonds neutrons and protons together.  It's sub-atomic because it's a primary component of an atom, and is nowhere near the mass of an atom.  It would definitely seem more logical to use muons, as they have greater mass, and therefore pack more concussive force when fired at relativistic velocities nearing the speed of light.  However, a muon wouldn't emit as much Bremmstrahlung (German for breaking radiation) rays like X-Rays and Gamma rays upon contact with a solid substance.  This would mean that there's a smaller chance of Iron Man accidentally irradiating someone and giving them a fatal dose of Radiation poisoning whenever he fires off his Repulsor rays.

[Roger A Ott II]

Uh...yeah, what they said.   

[Iron Kaiser]

Hey, what can I say.  I love Iron Man because I'm somewhat of a geek about the type of tech he uses and the types of principles involved in how his weapons function.

[Tetragrammaton]

I love Iron Man because I'm somewhat of a geek ...

Somewhat?

[Iron Kaiser]

Okay, so I'm a complete geek.

[Iron Guy]

An electron is a sub-atomic particle Iron Guy.? It is more specifically, a lepton, which means that it doesn't interact with the Strong nuclear fundamental force that bonds neutrons and protons together.? It's sub-atomic because it's a primary component of an atom, and is nowhere near the mass of an atom.? It would definitely seem more logical to use muons, as they have greater mass, and therefore pack more concussive force when fired at relativistic velocities nearing the speed of light.? However, a muon wouldn't emit as much Bremmstrahlung (German for breaking radiation) rays like X-Rays and Gamma rays upon contact with a solid substance.? This would mean that there's a smaller chance of Iron Man accidentally irradiating someone and giving them a fatal dose of Radiation poisoning whenever he fires off his Repulsor rays.

Thanks IK this is the answer I was looking for. Now I understand the benefits of the changeover. So you're saying that a muon is an exotic form of an electron & not a quark as was my original assumption? In either case Tony would've had to have radically upgraded his particle generator technology!

[Iron Kaiser]

The muon is a much more massive lepton, but it's a lepton just like the electron.  It also possesses a negative charge like the typical electron, as well as a half-integer rotational spin, therefore making it a fermion just like the electron.

[ebotnamnori]

The repulsors up to this point had used a ion guided plamsma beam.  What caught my attention is that this switch over is discribed as "concussively dissolve matter on impact"  whereas the orignal models "repulsed" the object they hit.   

[Tetragrammaton]

The pulse bolts were originally described as being capable of disintegrating matter.

The repulsors have always had a variety of setting and effects, so I guess this is just another level of refinement.

[Agent 333]

Throughout the years Tony has upgraded his repulsors using some kind of new technobable ("The old repulsors couldn't do this, but these new holistic repulsors can!"), the only noticable difference is whatever couldn't be hurt by his repulsors in the previous issue now can. They don't seem to do any more damage to things that were already hurt by them. It happens every so often. See also: Tougher armor. It's only tougher versus the enemy that required the upgrade.

[Tetragrammaton]

The problem with having significant upgrades in capability between armors is the fact that Iron Man has had so many over the years.

If each successive armor was, for example, twice as powerful as the one before it, by Mark 22 he should be bouncing Heralds of Galactus around with little effort.

The most significant upgrade IMO had to have been between the Classic armor and the Silver Centruion. The introduction of the pulse bolts, force fields, and cloaking technology have all remain staples of Iron Man tech since then.

As for the repulsors, besides just hitting harder, they seem to be more adjustable than in the past, have increased accuracy, and likely have a longer duration of sustained fire.