How Lightsabers WORK

[The SITH OverLORD]

This should be of interest to the Lightsaber enthusiats in MySciFiFan esp. SaberMaster and Douglas

Read about it here at : How Lightsabers Work written by Marshall Brain

Quoted from the first webpage ,

"Have you ever wondered how these remarkable weapons work? Where does the energy come from, and how are they able to contain that energy in a rod-like column of glowing power?

In this edition of HowStuffWorks, you will have a chance to look inside a lightsaber and discover the source of its incredible characteristics. Let's get started!"

[Plo Strax-Avix]

This is great reading! The author, Marshall Brain, wrote it like the Lightsaber actually exists. Brilliant!.

Below is an article I found a long time ago, and it has been my bible as far as Lightsaber facts are concern.

THE HISTORY OF THE LIGHTSABER Part 1

DESIGN HISTORY
The lightsaber’s first incarnation was as a cutting and welding tool on bulk freight cruisers near the galaxy core. Due to the enormous amounts of energy required to operate the tool (see "Technical Design", below) all welding tools were connected to a central generator at the Sullustian shipyards.

Plo Nunb, a Sullustian physicist, saw the possibilities of this welding tool as a ceremonial "sword" for his people, who were peace-loving but had a history of armed conflict. Mock military parades and honour guards were still a way of life for the Sullustians.

However, the largest problem for building a fully self-contained ceremonial weapon was in the power source. The lightsaber discharges massive amounts of energy into the surrounding area, the most obvious being the light and sound that are distinctive to this weapon.

The most radical advancement came with the discovery of Kyybrr crystals, discovered around 5,000 years before the birth of Luke Skywalker. These crystals are the source and conduit of the lightsaber’s energy and ability to store power for years, sometimes decades, of inactivity. Kyybrr crystals are extremely small, rarely bigger than than the size of a pinhead. One example of a large rough-cut crystal is The Kybur Crystal, heralded by the Jedi and their dark cousins as a mystical source of Force power. This legend is false, however the late Emperor Palpatine used its legendary status as a rallying point for his dark order. A statue, now destroyed, of the Emperor in the Imperial Plaza on Coruscant depicts him holding the Kybur Crystal in a pose of extreme reverence (1).

The discovery of Kyybrr crystals made it possible to construct the lightsaber as a self-contained unit. The mechanics of the weapon’s power source has remained a closely guarded secret among the Jedi for thousands of years. This document will no doubt attract scorn from the Jedi, as it seeks to uncover the myths surrounding this elegant weapon (2).

After this design advancement, the Sullustians used this weapon as a merely ceremonial gesture. Ceremony is the most important form of historical story-telling for this once warlike people, therefore the invention of the lightsaber was considered worth the billions spent on its development. As will be further explained later in this document, the lightsaber is nearly useless in the hands of one untrained in the Force. The prevalence of beam, energy and solid projectile weapons made the lightsaber useless against all traditional weapons.

However, a visiting Jedi scholar, Elvis Kenobi, immediately saw the lightsaber’s potential as an excellent defensive weapon in the hands of a Force-trained individual. Until this point the Jedi had existed as a secret society of scholars and mystics, seeking to learn the ways of the Universe. He dazzled the Sullustian court with the functions he could perform with the weapon.

Elvis Kenobi returned with the Grand Jedi Master, Krell Bates. Master Bates was known for his grand, political gestures, and would serve as a firm advocate of lightsaber technology. Bates wisely saw the potential of the weapon as a method of increasing the stature and importance of the Jedi order. The Jedi would no longer be seen as an esoteric "cult" that had no relevance to the practical workings of the galaxy. With lightsaber in hand, the Jedi would become the galaxy’s "police force" and peacekeepers, and a political force to be reckoned with.

The deal was beneficial to both sides. The Jedi would be armed with a formidable weapon. The licensing fees for allowing the Jedi to use the technology has allowed the Sullustians to build a socialised education and medicine system that would become the envy of all developed worlds. However, the Sullustians took their newly-socialised system one step too far. They became too socialised, and all property reverted to the possession of the state. They formed communes, and "beat their lightsabers into plowshares". These newly-converted "Communists" called each other "Comrade", and reverted to their warlike ways. Their paranoia and suspicion led to a grand war with the nearby planet of Gammorea, which turned both planets unto molten slag. The sullustians have sinced moved on to greener pastures, and Nien Nunb, a lowly stable hand, played a key part in destroying the second Death Star and defeating the Empire (3).

TECHNICAL DESIGN
The lightsaber’s design is elegantly simple. Energy is emitted from the stimulated Kyybrr crystals and through a series of jewel focusing elements. An energy beam is forced from the hilt into the air. Electrons in the air are excited, and the light is merely a by-product of the energy produced. Therefore a lightsaber will not work in a vacuum (4).

Lightsabers are tuned to emit energy at unique points of the electromagnetic spectrum. This gives the different colours available. Even two blue lightsabers may be tuned at different frequencies, however the minute difference would not be visible to the naked eye.

In the extremely unlikely event that two dueling Jedi possess lightsabers of the exact same frequency output, their two blades would simply pass through each other. Therefore it is obvious that Jedi tune their weapons to different frequencies to defend against another saber.

It is possible to tune a lightsaber off either end of the visible light spectrum to have an invisible blade. However, the sheer impracticality of this makes an invisible blade a very rare occurrence.

[Plo Strax-Avix]

THE HISTORY OF THE LIGHTSABER Part 2

AESTHETICS
Lightsabers come in a variety of colours. From the above information on lightsabers and electromagnetic frequencies, it can be safe to say that lightsabers come in all the colours of the rainbow.

However, for aesthetic reasons, the Jedi may choose a shade of the colour that best matches their temperament or which side of the force their allegiance is to. Past experience shows that dark Jedi, or Dark Lords of the Sith, have a preference towards red blades, which symbolise death, blood and fire.

Multiple blades are possible. The most famous example is the double-ended saber used by Darth Maul in the failed invasion of Naboo. Maul entered into an agreement with the Trade Federation to assist in their invasion, providing he got the chance to assassinate two Jedi, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Jedi Apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Multiple blade sabers are much harder to wield and require a great amount of skill on the operator’s part. However, a skilled opponent can be nearly impossible to defeat with such a weapon, as discovered by the unfortunate Qui-Gon Jinn.

The hilt can be designed to whatever look the user prefers. The only mandatory design requirements are:
- the hilt must be at least 30 centimetres long
- there must be a lockable activation stud or button
- the hilt must have a firm grip to prevent the hands slipping onto the blade
- there must also be a guard at the emission end of the weapon to prevent same

Mulitple length blades are also possible. An apprenctice of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker constructed such a weapon, unknown to his teacher. The blade was able to extend to double its length upon activation of an auxilllary focusing jewel. This is not widely practiced, as the sheer weight of a double-length blade makes efficient attack and defense much harder.

LIGHTSABERS AND THE FORCE
A lightsaber is nearly useless in the hands of an untrained force adept or Jedi. It can only be useful as a tool, for example for cutting open the corpse of a Taun Taun. In fact, in the wrong hands, a lightsaber is more dangerous to the user than anyone else. Limbs and heads can be lost through a playful swing of the blade by a non force sensitive user.

It is obvious that the lightsaber is the weapon of choice of the Jedi due to its versatility when used in conjunction with force powers. In a Jedi’s hands, it can be used to:
- Attack
- Fend off the attack of another lightsaber
- It can be thrown to attack targets outside the blade’s immediate radius and return to the Jedi’s hand through Force Pull
- Block and deflect bolts fired from a conventional energy weapon

These abilities all come from skill in using the Force as a guide to wielding the saber.

It is interesting to note that Luke Skywalker was given his first lightsaber (which he managed to lose after having his hand severed by his own father in what was later to be called "a moment of parent disciplinary rage") when he had virtually no knowledge of his abilities or heritage. Obi-Wan Kenobi can be blamed for this momentary lapse of judgement, as the inexperienced youth could have poked his eye out when igniting a weapon that was completely unfamiliar to him. Some would say that this error of judgement was in keeping with Kenobi’s personality. Kenobi was widely known in Jedi circles to interpret the truth "liberally", and was known to stretch his version of events to make himself appear more wise and "cover his ass" with regards to the Anakin Skywalker issue.

In fact, some historians have stated that Kenobi lured young, strapping farm boy Skywalker to his den of lust for "ulterior and not altogether innocent" motives (5). Twenty years alone in a desert with only Tusken Raiders for company can do that to a man. And he had become bored with sneaking up on lone female banthas in the Tattooine night.

LIGHTSABER CONSTRUCTION
Jedi adepts construct their own lightsabers according to basic specifications. This allows the student to learn more about himself and customise the saber to his or her own individual needs and personal idiosyncrasies. Assembly is overseen by the Jedi Master, and guidance is offered when required.

A notable event is Luke Skywalker’s construction of his own lightsaber after losing his first after a battle with his father. He was able to construct a new weapon without the benefit of schematics or guidance. The resulting lightsaber was, by accident, more powerful than any constructed before. A lightsaber built with attention and a certain degree of love becomes as much a part of the Jedi’s body as his hands or legs.

THE FUTURE OF THE LIGHTSABER
The Sullustians, being the original owners of the technology, have embarked upon a plan to mass-produce lightsabers on Sullust. This plan has attracted widespread condemnation from the galactic community, especially when considering the marketing plan adopted by the Sullustians.

A team of management consultants from Nar Shadda recently conducted a review of the lightsaber marketing plan. It was concluded that to reach a wider market the lightsaber must be adapted for use around the home. As a result, there has been a dramatic increase in "freak gardening accidents" in the Outer Rim Territories.

The lightsaber is also being marketed to children, under the brand name "Lightsaber Junior". This device is used to play pranks on unsuspecting neighbours and womp rats by children who do not have access to other forms of entertainment such as holo-vids and netcasts. Some of the pranks played using "Lightsaber Junior" include:
- substituting the weapon for the mark’s sonic toothbrush
- igniting a bag of wompa nuts with the saber on the mark’s doorstep and ringing the doorbell
- lighting farts

A new type of black market has arisen from the sale of lightsabers on the open market. The weapon can be cracked open, and the Kyybrr crystals melted in a sthingy and injected into the veins. The resulting high cause the indivual to feel a sense of power and physical strength. These crystals are known to Kybbrr-Junkies across the galaxy as "Power Converters". So next time your child whines that he was going to "Toschi Station to pick up some Power Converters", you know it is time for intervention.

FOOTNOTES
1. From "The Emperor: Evil or Misunderstood?", Galactic Domination
Quarterly, volume 5, issue 3
2. From "Our Dirty Little Secret", Jedi Nights, volume 6
3. From "Nien Nunb: He saved us all with little help", Holonet News
4. From "Ten Things your Children Should Know about Lightsabers", Reader’s
Digest, October 1984
5. From "The Big Sugar Daddy of Mos Eisley", Jedi Exposed, Number 10

END OF FILE

[The SITH OverLORD]

Thanks for the additional HISTORY OF THE LIGHTSABER Can't wait till they do an UPDATE on this based on Darth Sidious' SITH Light Saber! ;D

OK SaberMaster I see that you have changed the font color to a more CONTRASTING & READABLE COLOR! Thanx

[Yupa Anex]

That's odd. I though the colours of the blade comes from the type of crystal that was used in the construction of the light saber.

http://darksaber_jk.home.mchsi.com/sabers2.htm

Lightsaber construction
www.elroboto.com/renzian2000/saberconstruction.html

A possible alternative to lightsaber
www.exn.ca/starwars/plasmasaber.cfm

Lightsaber : fact/fiction
http://darksaber_jk.home.mchsi.com/sabers3.htm

[obiwankedah]

tudiaaa...

macam real saja

[Yupa Anex]

Heh Heh. It is real if you think it is real.

[The SITH OverLORD]

Douglas said:

Heh Heh. It is real if you think it is real.

Well Douglas that was what Marshall Brain the writer of this article "How Lightsabers Work" have on his mind when he wrote it! ;D