Sunday, 30 November 2014

About blaster wounds and such

Just some thoughts on blaster wounds, and lightsaber wounds as well. Don't ask why I was thinking all of this up...it was a long 8 hour drive xP. This contains minimal research, however I am knowledgeable in human anatomy and physiology as well as Star Wars weapons and weaponry in general.
Blaster bolt wounds would actually have a much more devastating effect than we have commonly shown in the RPS so far (I'm thinking to the usual event where someone can't possibly dodge, so they get hit in the shoulder or some other extremity and suffer little or no real injury whatsoever). I thought through the various and, in fair warning, rather gruesome effects of a superheated bolt of plasma impacting soft tissue, often with minimal protection, at high velocity.
One thing to keep in mind is that the blaster bolt really wouldn't have much kinetic energy to impact the target, as plasma or other types of energy would possess little comparative mass.
However, when the bolt does strike, shall we say, a human's shoulder with less than inch of normal clothing, the electromagnetic field or whatever is binding the energy would collapse. In the case of a normal plasma-type blaster bolt*, this would result in a small but violent and super-heated deflagration. This would incinerate clothing and spread skin burns over a small radius around the impact zone. In the actual impact zone, flesh would be completely burned away and/or charred.
The body fluids in that area suddenly and violently super-heating and expanding would cause hydrostatic shock and damage to surrounding tissue, blood vessels, and even nearby organs (lungs or heart) if the blaster bolt was powerful enough.
(*the "Blaster" entry in Wookipedia, which you're undoubtedly thinking of looking at now, is actually incorrect by its own definitions on this point. Blasters usually operate on ignited tibanna gas, technically making it a form of plasma, and Wookipedia's definition of "particle beams" are rather unclear and different from the actual definition of particle beam energy.)
Anyhow, the end effects would be near-or-complete loss of use of that arm, due to the tissue loss, tissue/nerve/blood vessel damage, and loss of blood flow from the initial impact. Also, although the wound would be mostly cauterized, the blood pressure of larger arteries and veins in the shoulder would still cause profuse bleeding. There would be various-degree burns around the wound area, possibly as far as the victim's face, as well. And the effects of the pain, I need not explain. Overall, eventual fatality is a distinct possibility.
Lightsaber wounds would be similar except for two details; there would be no initial impact deflagration, and the hydrostatic shock phase and cauterization phase would be more prolonged and dramatic.
Overall, guys, upon consideration, blaster wounds are a lot deadlier and more gruesome than we thought. o__0

4 comments:

  1. That makes sense, although I've never thought about it to this detail. (XD.) What about a blaster bolt that touches but only skims someone? What damage would that do?

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    Replies
    1. If it made contact, it would still probably collapse and deflagrate, causing severe burns and probably cause third or even fourth degree burns at point of contact. You don't wanna see pictures of those

      Delete
    2. Okay, thanks. And yes, you're right; I don't want to see pictures of those.

      Delete
  2. . . . My goodness. I never would've guessed. So much for blasters causing less damage than a bullet. O_o

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