cruise4
03-06-2008, 07:38 AM
http://www.counterpunch.org/garcia06022008.html
June 2, 2008
How to Protect Yourself From Raytheon's Pain Gun
Don't Bet Burned!
By MANUEL GARCIA, Jr.
In an article published at Counterpunch on May 28, Michael
Dickinson described the microwave crowd dispersal device being
produced by the Raytheon corporation . I want to offer some
suggestions on countermeasures. First, let me give a brief
description of the nature of this device.
Today, we are familiar with microwave cooking. In this
process, electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the
range of millimeters to centimeters penetrates food and causes
the heating of its molecules. Since most "food" contains
water, it is primarily this molecule that is heated. However,
many molecules with similar physical dimensions as regards the
bond lengths between atomic nuclei can be similarly heated.
The physics is as follows.
Molecules are constructed by individual atoms linked by
chemical bonds into geometric structures. Water is H2O, one
oxygen atom linked by two (covalent) bonds to two hydrogen
atoms, the arrangement being a V with an inside angle of just
under 105 degrees. The distance between nuclei is of the order
of an Angstrom, which is about one over ten to the tenth power
of a meter (or about ten nano-centimeters). The atoms at each
end of each chemical bond in the water molecule are different
(hetero-polar), so there is a slight difference in the
electrical charge from one end of the bond to the other. This
has to do with the intricacies of how the electrons (light
weight, negatively charged orbiting particles) of the
individual atomic nuclei (relatively massive and positively
charged) now orbit the nuclei of the molecule, as a composite
structure. This charge imbalance would cause the molecule to
move to align itself with an imposed electric field. If the
electric field alternates, then the molecule can be set into
an alternating motion, such as a rotation about the midpoint
of a chemical bond as if it were a solid link; or a vibration
as if the bond were a spring. This is how the alternating
electric fields of microwaves, with frequencies of tens to
hundreds of giga-hertz (GHz; 1 Hertz = 1 cycle per second),
excite molecules. Molecular motion is heat; it is the
accelerated motion of molecules in a body of material that is
experienced as heat. The excited molecules more rapidly
collide with their neighbors and the boundaries containing the
material, and this effect has the macroscopic effects we call
pressure and heat.
You may note that your microwave oven has a mesh built into
the window of the door. This mesh is an electrically
conducting material (metal) which has holes smaller then the
wavelength of the microwaves being produced. Because the holes
are smaller than the wavelength, the mesh will "appear" as a
continuous sheet of conducting material to the microwaves
within the oven (cavity), and act as an effective "ground
plane" or shield that "shorts out" the electric field of the
microwaves, and prevents their escape. The purpose of the
holes are to enable you to see into the oven while it is
operating. Clearly, if the holes are larger than the
wavelength of any electromagnetic radiation produced in the
microwave oven, then that short-wavelength portion would
escape. So, the door mesh is an important safety device, and
we can (should) expect that such a similar mesh is embedded
within the oven walls. (Note to "writers": repetition is the
essence of pedagogy.)
The crowd dispersal device is basically the beaming of a
microwave oven environment to a remote location. Does Raytheon
just remove the containment mesh from one wall and let the
microwaves leak out? That is too inefficient. Instead, an
elaborate arrangement called a "phased array antenna" is use.
A phased array antenna is the combination of many individual
antennas (simple electromagnetic oscillators) in close
proximity, but each triggered in such a way so that the
combined emission from the array has a beam-like property. If
you imagine several children patting the surface of the water
in a bathtub in such a way that the combined effect adds up to
one big wave, as opposed to each of their wavelets interfering
with each other to little effect except to produce a
frothiness without significant variation of water level, then
you see the concept. The mathematics of beam production is
implemented by elaborate circuits powering many small antenna
nodes (the children), and controlled -- or "phased" -- by
computers.
By these means, the electromagnetic environment of a microwave
oven can be broadcast, or projected to some distance. This is
the "pain ray" device developed for the US military.
Obviously, the degree of discomfort and destruction that can
be had depend on the available power. A practical crowd
dispersal device requires a reasonable means of transport,
hence a truck or "humvee." This suggests that the power source
for the device is limited to the engine of the transporter
(perhaps driving an electric generator). Given the efficiency
of the process, and the magnitude of the transporter's motor,
we then have the means of determining the effective range of
the device (where we must also know some "effective" power
density at the "target").
Fine, but how do you thwart it? The best protection is
distance, just don't be the target! However, if one wishes to
engage in a demonstration and be protected from this device,
the best protection would be your own electromagnetic
shielding or "Faraday cage." If you are within a conducting
mesh (a Faraday cage), where the mesh openings are small with
respect to the incident radiation, and with a ground wire that
leads intercepted electromagnetic energy away from you, then
you are safe. This remedy is not likely to be convenient, but
then, perhaps creative talents can find effective refinements
of this concept. A suit of armor with chains trailing from
your ankles to leak currents into the ground may not be ideal
protection. However, plastic shields with embedded meshing,
even aluminum foil or aluminized mylar (shiny garbage bags?),
behind which individuals could stand (huddle?, crouch?) might
allow people to thwart the intent of the device. Once people
understand the physics being used against them, they may be
able to to fashion materials readily available to them into
effective countermeasures; this requires some planning.
Given that a popular assembly might plan to protect itself
from a heat ray crowd dispersal device by arming itself with
body-length protective shields, and Faraday suits, could they
also use their shields as reflectors and "phase array" them to
return the beam back to its source? This calls to mind the
story of Archimedes' heat ray, during the siege of Syracuse
during 214-212 BC. The Roman historian Lucan wrote that during
the siege of the city by Rome, Archimedes had the defenders of
Syracuse align their bronze and copper shields, which had been
highly polished, so as to reflect sunlight on the attacking
ships, which burst into flame. Modern experiments aimed at
duplicating this effect show that the effect is most likely
with many reflectors, ideal weather conditions and orientation
of objects with respect to the sun, and with highly
combustible materials and coatings (e.g., wood varnishes) at
the targets. For a phalanx of our popular action Faraday
Knights, the equivalent might be using the concave (perhaps
parabolic) sides of their protective and reflective shields
(without grounding wires, and with insulated handles for their
users) to redirect the incident microwave radiation back to
its source, or thereabouts.
Of course, it bears realizing that any successful
countermeasures to crowd dispersal ray devices are guaranteed
to move the authorities to escalate to more lethal measures of
control. For a continuing revolution, this is simply another
level of planning.
June 2, 2008
How to Protect Yourself From Raytheon's Pain Gun
Don't Bet Burned!
By MANUEL GARCIA, Jr.
In an article published at Counterpunch on May 28, Michael
Dickinson described the microwave crowd dispersal device being
produced by the Raytheon corporation . I want to offer some
suggestions on countermeasures. First, let me give a brief
description of the nature of this device.
Today, we are familiar with microwave cooking. In this
process, electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the
range of millimeters to centimeters penetrates food and causes
the heating of its molecules. Since most "food" contains
water, it is primarily this molecule that is heated. However,
many molecules with similar physical dimensions as regards the
bond lengths between atomic nuclei can be similarly heated.
The physics is as follows.
Molecules are constructed by individual atoms linked by
chemical bonds into geometric structures. Water is H2O, one
oxygen atom linked by two (covalent) bonds to two hydrogen
atoms, the arrangement being a V with an inside angle of just
under 105 degrees. The distance between nuclei is of the order
of an Angstrom, which is about one over ten to the tenth power
of a meter (or about ten nano-centimeters). The atoms at each
end of each chemical bond in the water molecule are different
(hetero-polar), so there is a slight difference in the
electrical charge from one end of the bond to the other. This
has to do with the intricacies of how the electrons (light
weight, negatively charged orbiting particles) of the
individual atomic nuclei (relatively massive and positively
charged) now orbit the nuclei of the molecule, as a composite
structure. This charge imbalance would cause the molecule to
move to align itself with an imposed electric field. If the
electric field alternates, then the molecule can be set into
an alternating motion, such as a rotation about the midpoint
of a chemical bond as if it were a solid link; or a vibration
as if the bond were a spring. This is how the alternating
electric fields of microwaves, with frequencies of tens to
hundreds of giga-hertz (GHz; 1 Hertz = 1 cycle per second),
excite molecules. Molecular motion is heat; it is the
accelerated motion of molecules in a body of material that is
experienced as heat. The excited molecules more rapidly
collide with their neighbors and the boundaries containing the
material, and this effect has the macroscopic effects we call
pressure and heat.
You may note that your microwave oven has a mesh built into
the window of the door. This mesh is an electrically
conducting material (metal) which has holes smaller then the
wavelength of the microwaves being produced. Because the holes
are smaller than the wavelength, the mesh will "appear" as a
continuous sheet of conducting material to the microwaves
within the oven (cavity), and act as an effective "ground
plane" or shield that "shorts out" the electric field of the
microwaves, and prevents their escape. The purpose of the
holes are to enable you to see into the oven while it is
operating. Clearly, if the holes are larger than the
wavelength of any electromagnetic radiation produced in the
microwave oven, then that short-wavelength portion would
escape. So, the door mesh is an important safety device, and
we can (should) expect that such a similar mesh is embedded
within the oven walls. (Note to "writers": repetition is the
essence of pedagogy.)
The crowd dispersal device is basically the beaming of a
microwave oven environment to a remote location. Does Raytheon
just remove the containment mesh from one wall and let the
microwaves leak out? That is too inefficient. Instead, an
elaborate arrangement called a "phased array antenna" is use.
A phased array antenna is the combination of many individual
antennas (simple electromagnetic oscillators) in close
proximity, but each triggered in such a way so that the
combined emission from the array has a beam-like property. If
you imagine several children patting the surface of the water
in a bathtub in such a way that the combined effect adds up to
one big wave, as opposed to each of their wavelets interfering
with each other to little effect except to produce a
frothiness without significant variation of water level, then
you see the concept. The mathematics of beam production is
implemented by elaborate circuits powering many small antenna
nodes (the children), and controlled -- or "phased" -- by
computers.
By these means, the electromagnetic environment of a microwave
oven can be broadcast, or projected to some distance. This is
the "pain ray" device developed for the US military.
Obviously, the degree of discomfort and destruction that can
be had depend on the available power. A practical crowd
dispersal device requires a reasonable means of transport,
hence a truck or "humvee." This suggests that the power source
for the device is limited to the engine of the transporter
(perhaps driving an electric generator). Given the efficiency
of the process, and the magnitude of the transporter's motor,
we then have the means of determining the effective range of
the device (where we must also know some "effective" power
density at the "target").
Fine, but how do you thwart it? The best protection is
distance, just don't be the target! However, if one wishes to
engage in a demonstration and be protected from this device,
the best protection would be your own electromagnetic
shielding or "Faraday cage." If you are within a conducting
mesh (a Faraday cage), where the mesh openings are small with
respect to the incident radiation, and with a ground wire that
leads intercepted electromagnetic energy away from you, then
you are safe. This remedy is not likely to be convenient, but
then, perhaps creative talents can find effective refinements
of this concept. A suit of armor with chains trailing from
your ankles to leak currents into the ground may not be ideal
protection. However, plastic shields with embedded meshing,
even aluminum foil or aluminized mylar (shiny garbage bags?),
behind which individuals could stand (huddle?, crouch?) might
allow people to thwart the intent of the device. Once people
understand the physics being used against them, they may be
able to to fashion materials readily available to them into
effective countermeasures; this requires some planning.
Given that a popular assembly might plan to protect itself
from a heat ray crowd dispersal device by arming itself with
body-length protective shields, and Faraday suits, could they
also use their shields as reflectors and "phase array" them to
return the beam back to its source? This calls to mind the
story of Archimedes' heat ray, during the siege of Syracuse
during 214-212 BC. The Roman historian Lucan wrote that during
the siege of the city by Rome, Archimedes had the defenders of
Syracuse align their bronze and copper shields, which had been
highly polished, so as to reflect sunlight on the attacking
ships, which burst into flame. Modern experiments aimed at
duplicating this effect show that the effect is most likely
with many reflectors, ideal weather conditions and orientation
of objects with respect to the sun, and with highly
combustible materials and coatings (e.g., wood varnishes) at
the targets. For a phalanx of our popular action Faraday
Knights, the equivalent might be using the concave (perhaps
parabolic) sides of their protective and reflective shields
(without grounding wires, and with insulated handles for their
users) to redirect the incident microwave radiation back to
its source, or thereabouts.
Of course, it bears realizing that any successful
countermeasures to crowd dispersal ray devices are guaranteed
to move the authorities to escalate to more lethal measures of
control. For a continuing revolution, this is simply another
level of planning.