Magnetic field shocklessly shoots pellets 20 times faster than rifle bullet
15 August 2001
News
A magnetic field that accelerates pellets faster than anything except a nuclear explosion has been developed experimentally at the US Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories. Jokingly dubbed 'the fastest gun in the West,' the machine that generates the field is actually 'the fastest gun in the world,' according to Sandia physicist Marcus Knudson.
Marcus Knudson holds two flyer plates in his right hand and chambers of his high-tech gun in his left. In the background is the innermost sanctum of Sandia's Z accelerator, where a rapidly expanding magnetic field drives pellets faster than any mechanism on earth
The propulsion speed is 20 km/s - almost three times that necessary to escape the earth's gravity (about 7 km/s). A rifle bullet is typically propelled at 1 km/s.
Sandia's Z accelerator propels coin-sized pellets (flyer plates) only a few hundred millimeters to gain information on the effect of high-velocity impacts. The data is being used to simulate the effect of flying space junk impacting the metal skin of an orbiting observatory and is expected to aid materials scientists trying to balance lightness against strength for satellite and observatory shells. The technique also has potential as a hypervelocity 'kinetic kill' weapon that, emanating from a lighter, more mobile source than the Z machine, still could strike disabling blows through an adversary's heavy armour.
The Z machine uses 20 million amps to produce an evolving magnetic field that expands in approximately 200 ns to reach several million atmospheres of pressure. The relatively gentle acceleration means the plates are neither distorted, melted, nor vapourised, as they would be if shot from a gun.
www.sandia.org
Further reading:
From the editor's desk: Inspiring the next generation
Technews Publishing
News
Welcome to the August issue of
Dataweek. Peter Howells is still on leave, so I am back for this issue. I hope you enjoy the content and find value in it.
August is Women’s Month in South Africa,
...
Read more...
Procurement is becoming a competitive advantage
RS South Africa
News
As mining, manufacturing and industrial businesses continue to navigate rising costs, supply chain disruption and increasing pressure to improve operational performance, procurement and inventory management have become strategic business priorities rather than simply administrative functions.
Read more...
Powell Electronics signs partnership agreement with IOT Electronics
IOT Electronics
News
Powell Electronics has entered into a partnership agreement with IOT Electronics to strengthen its presence across southern Africa.
Read more...
Omniflex delivers ICCP systems across London
Omniflex Remote Monitoring Specialists
News
Omniflex has supplied impressed current cathodic protection (ICCP) systems for a range of prominent buildings across London, helping to protect reinforced concrete structures from corrosion and extending their service life.
Read more...
New appointments for Würth Electronics South Africa
Würth Electronics South Africa
News
New appointments for Würth Electronics South Africa
Read more...
MTN celebrates 80 Western Cape digital graduates
News
Eighty unemployed young people from across the Western Cape have successfully completed MTN South Africa’s Digital Skills for Digital Jobs (DS4DJ) programme, earning accredited qualifications in Data Analytics, Systems Development and Cybersecurity.
Read more...
GirlCode Hackathon 2026 kicks off across South Africa and Botswana
News
GirlCode, in partnership with Absa Group, Truecaller, MTN, SAP Fioneer, RS South Africa and other ecosystem partners, successfully hosted the first leg of the 2026 GirlCode Hackathon.
Read more...
Rooibos heads to space
News
A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Local can be international
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of
Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction,
Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.
Read more...
Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
News
EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.
Read more...
printer friendly version