electron_beam_cannon [Imperial Archives Initiative]

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====== Electron Beam Cannon ======

The Electron Beam Cannon (EBC, E-Beam) is a Stellar Age anti-ship particle weapon. While surpassed by the [[neutral beam cannon|Neutral Beam Cannon]] in range and effectiveness, the simplicity of the EBC has kept it relevant as a close range secondary armament for many spaceborne vessels.

==== Design ====

Electron Beam Cannons function by stripping electrons from a plasma cloud and then accelerating them to 99% the speed of light before projecting them out through an opening magnetically. Electron beams cause structural, electronic, and biological damage through immense heat and radiation on impact. Hydrogen plasma is typically used as the driving gas for the weapon system.

Due to the charged nature of electrons, the EBC has issues with dispersion which greatly limits its range. Despite this, since electrons weigh very little, they can be readily accelerated to relativistic velocities compared to their heavy neutron or proton beam counterparts. Furthermore, because electrons are comparatively small, they have a higher armor piercing ability compared to other weapon types.

==== Drawbacks ====

  * Due to dispersion, EBCs only have an effective range of 1 light second. 

  * With the advent of advanced metamaterials, EBCs have trouble piercing [[metamat_a|plasteel]] and other composite metamats.

  * Compared to Neutral Beam Cannons, EBCs do very little kinetic damage, relying on extreme heat and radiation instead to cripple targets.

  * EBCs are affected by strong magnetic fields
    * The development of electromagnetic active defenses have greatly reduced the effect of electron beam weaponry. By generating a strong magnetic field moments before impact, EADs can disperse and deflect charged particle beams.

==== Usage ====

Electron Beam Cannons are widespread throughout ICA space as a cheap, compact, and reliable defensive weapon. Most ships and stations, military or civilian, employ a network of EBCs as anti-strike craft and anti-missile point defense. EBCs will easily tear through unarmored to lightly armored targets.

EBCs can operate in atmosphere but their range and effectiveness are severely limited. The beam glows a bright white as it cuts through the air, turning it into plasma.

==== History ====

EBCs were the product of early space warfare trials. Missiles had extreme range but were limited, slow, and expensive. Traditional kinetics had plentiful ammunition but had an engagement range in the scale of hundreds of kilometers. Lasers had long range but required high energy input and long burn times. The Electron Beam Cannon extended the effective range of kinetic weapons out to a light second with its relativistic speeds. 

They were first used in [[war of the giants|The War of The Giants]] between Jovian and Saturnian colonies. Ships experienced moderate success but were still limited to engagements within the same sphere of influence.

Early starship designs incorporated EBCs into the spine of the ship, allowing it as much distance to accelerate as possible before exiting the barrel. Improvements with the EBC accelerator eventually resulted in an efficient compact cyclotron which allowed EBCs to be installed into turrets. 

Only a few years after the introduction of the EBC, the NBC was perfected and approved for full production, replacing the EBC as the main weapon of choice for space warfare. 

Modern EBCs are energy efficient and compact, and are usually installed as an all-in-one unit on ships as point defense or a secondary battery.