On Thu, Jan 15, 2015 at 1:28 PM, Craig Berry <cdberry@gmail.com> wrote:

And once you start vaporizing steel, a lot of the incident energy will go into further heating the vapor.

IIRC, he actually addresses that bit directly. The ships being targeted are under high thrust - at least, until they go POOF - so they outrace the vapor.

Richard Aiken

"Never insult anyone by accident." Robert A. Heinlein

"A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice." - Bill Cosby

"We know a little about a lot of things; just enough to make us dangerous." Dean Winchester