Neutral Beam Cannon

Neutral Beam Cannons (NBCs, N-Beams, Neutron Beam Cannons, Proton Beam Cannons), are electrically neutral particle cannons. NBCs are prevalent in modern orbital warfare.

NBCs function the same way as Electron Beam Cannons, where a charged plasma cloud is accelerated to relativistic speeds. However, depending on the type, the cloud is then made neutrally charged by passing through a field or a gas before exiting the barrel of the weapon. Because the beam is neutralized, it retains cohesion for much longer, making it capable of reaching up to one light minute away on average without dispersing.

NBCs that strip away a proton to neutralize the beam are known as Neutron Beam Cannons since they project a line of neutrons. Similarly, NBCs that add an electron to a proton to neutralize the beam are known as Proton Beam Cannons since they project a proton and electron pair. Hydrogen or Helium plasma are typically used as the driving gas for NBCs, with more exotic weapons using heavier elements.

Because the particles projected by NBCs are much heavier than EBCs, the weapon system requires much more energy and charge up time before reaching relativistic speeds. However, the heavier weight translates directly into more kinetic damage when impacting a surface.