| Revision as of 03:54, 27 September 2003 editOrtonmc (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users818 edits Total rewrite.← Previous edit | Revision as of 05:10, 27 September 2003 edit undoDaran (talk | contribs)286 edits Real life tractor beams. If anyone knows more about this, please improve.Next edit → | ||
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| A '''tractor beam''' is a hypothetical device with the ability to | A '''tractor beam''' is a hypothetical device with the ability to | ||
| attract one object to another from a distance. Tractor beams are | attract one object to another from a distance. Tractor beams are | ||
| frequently used in ] ]s and ]s. |
frequently used in ] ]s and ]s. | ||
| have not been demonstrated in real life. | |||
| Tractor beams can be compared to the ] | Tractor beams can be compared to the ] | ||
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| *The ''Sector General'' books by ] | *The ''Sector General'' books by ] | ||
| <!-- and surely there are others! Please add them. --> | <!-- and surely there are others! Please add them. --> | ||
| In the real world, scientists are able to manipulate objects at the atomic an molecular scale using ], but no technology capable of manipulating bulk matter with the level of precision envisiaged in science-fiction has yet been devised. | |||
Revision as of 05:10, 27 September 2003
A tractor beam is a hypothetical device with the ability to attract one object to another from a distance. Tractor beams are frequently used in science-fiction books and movies.
Tractor beams can be compared to the gravitational attraction between two masses, or the attraction between two magnets. They differ from such natural attractive forces in that they operate in a particular direction or on a particular object. The theory of operation depends upon the story they are used in. In the Star Trek television show, for example, the tractor beam is explained as using gravitons, the elementary particles speculated to cause gravity. In some cases, the theory is not explained, and is left to the imagination of the reader or viewer.
Tractor beams are sometimes depicted as being reversible, so they repel the other object rather than attracting it. When used in this mode, they may be referred to as pressor or repulsor beams.
The most common place where tractor beams are used is on spaceships and space stations. They are generally used in two ways:
- As a device for securing or retrieving cargo, passengers, shuttlecraft, etc. This is analogous to cranes on modern ships.
- As a means of preventing an enemy from escaping, analogous to grappling irons.
In the latter case, there are usually countermeasures that can be employed against tractor beams. These countermeasures may include pressor beams (a stronger pressor beam will counteract a weaker tractor beam) or plane shears (a device to "cut" the tractor beam and render it ineffective).
Two objects being brought together by a tractor beam are usually attracted toward their common center of gravity. This means that if a small spaceship applies a tractor beam to a large object such as a planet, the ship will be drawn towards the planet, rather than vice versa.
Tractor beams appear in the following works:
- Star Trek (TV series, movies, books, games)
- Star Wars (movies, books, games)
- The Lensman books by E. E. Smith
- The Sector General books by James White
In the real world, scientists are able to manipulate objects at the atomic an molecular scale using lasers, but no technology capable of manipulating bulk matter with the level of precision envisiaged in science-fiction has yet been devised.