On 25 Mar 2017 at 17:28, Jeffrey Schwartz wrote:

> On Sat, Mar 25, 2017 at 2:54 PM, (via tml list)
> <xxxxxx@simplelists.com> wrote: > >> If it requires the services of a
> starport - of at least grade C - and >> it's the _starport_ that needs
> to be jumpstarted with the jump plant, >> you've got an ...
> interesting ... situation... > > Even ignoring that, consider what
> sort of cables you'd need to handle > that much power! >
>
> Traveller has room temp superconductors, which would help quite a bit
> in that regard.

Not as much as you might think.

superconductors have *three* "critical" values to worry about.

Critical temp: above this they aren't superconducting anymore

Critical current: get more amps than this flowing and it quits being
a superconductor. And a short time later it will explosively
vaporize.

Critical field: If the magnetic field strength exceeds this, it quits
being a superconductor.

When you are running massive amounts of power thru the cable, *any*
of those happening will result in a positive feedback loop as the
cable goes from zero resistance to rather high resistance. which
increases the temp which increases the resistance which...

Like I said, positive feedback loop. With an end result of "Boom" as
the cable explosively vaporizes.

--
Leonard Erickson (aka shadow)
shadow at shadowgard dot com