P6_11 Shields Up! The Physics of Star Wars

Abstract

This paper seeks to establish the feasibility of creating a plasma-based shield to deflect laser-based weapons as seen in the Star Wars universe. We find that a field strength of <5T is sufficient to deflect the visible lasers seen in the Star Wars films and television shows. Therefore it is possible to create magnetic fields strong enough to replicate these effects using current terrestrial technology. This also has the consequence that visible light could not be used to observe outside of the shield with, and thus the pilots would need to use an Ultra-Violet camera instead.