RWB_American - US Military testing its new super powerful Rail Gun

US Military testing its new super powerful Rail Gun that shoots a metal ball at super high speeds. These are undetectable by the enemy with super destructive power.

RWB_American - US Military testing its new super powerful Rail Gun

The video is an AI-generated animation, not real footage of US military railgun testing. The US Navy canceled its electromagnetic railgun program in 2021 due to technical issues, though recent announcements indicate potential future exploration. RWB_American @RWB_American 17 ώ

A railgun is a type of electromagnetic projectile launcher that uses electricity—rather than chemical explosives—to accelerate a projectile to extremely high speeds.

What it is

• A railgun consists (conceptually) of two parallel conductive rails and a conductive projectile (or armature) between them.
• When a very large electric current flows through the system, it creates a magnetic field that pushes the projectile forward along the rails.

How it works (high level)

• Electric current runs up one rail, across the projectile, and back down the other rail.
• This interaction between current and magnetic field produces a force (the Lorentz force) that accelerates the projectile.
• Resulting speeds can exceed Mach 6–7 (several kilometers per second).

Key characteristics

• 🚀 Extremely high velocity
• 💥 No explosive warhead needed — damage comes from kinetic energy alone
• ⚡ Requires massive electrical power
• 🔥 Significant challenges with heat, rail erosion, and power storage

Uses and research

• Military research (especially naval): long-range, high-speed strike capability
• Scientific experiments: hypervelocity impact testing
• Space concepts (theoretical): launching payloads without rockets (not currently practical)

Limitations

• Rapid wear of rails
• Huge power and cooling requirements
• Large, heavy supporting infrastructure
• Not currently deployed operationally at scale

Explain this from a physics perspective, compare it to coilguns,

physics perspective

Here’s a physics-focused explanation of a railgun, keeping it conceptual rather than practical or build-oriented.

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Core physical principle: Lorentz force

A railgun works because electric currents create magnetic fields, and currents in magnetic fields experience forces.

The force on a current-carrying conductor is given by the Lorentz force law (macroscopic form):

$$\vec{F} = I\,\vec{L} \times \vec{B}$$

Where:

$I$ = current through the projectile (armature)
$\vec{L}$ = length vector of the conductor in the direction of current
$\vec{B}$ = magnetic field
$\times$ = cross product (direction given by right-hand rule)

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How this applies in a railgun

Current path

• Current flows up one rail
• Through the projectile
• Back down the other rail

Magnetic field

• The large currents (often millions of amps in theory) generate a strong magnetic field between the rails.
• By the right-hand rule, this field is mostly perpendicular to the current in the projectile.

Resulting force

The projectile experiences a force along the rails, pushing it forward.
Direction comes from the cross product $\vec{L}\times \vec{B}$.

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Energy and velocity

Instead of chemical energy, a railgun uses electrical energy, which is converted into kinetic energy:

$$\frac{1}{2} m v^2 = \text{electrical work done}$$

Because velocities are very high, kinetic energy dominates:

- Doubling velocity → 4× more energy
- Even a small mass at several km/s has enormous impact energy

At extreme speeds, relativistic effects are negligible (well below $c$), but plasma physics becomes relevant.

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Magnetic pressure (why rails get destroyed)

The magnetic field between rails creates a repulsive force pushing them apart.

Magnetic pressure:

$$P = \frac{B^2}{2\mu_0}$$

Where:

$\mathrm{-\; B}$ = magnetic field strength
${\mathrm{-\; \mu }}_0$ = permeability of free space

This pressure can exceed gigapascals, comparable to structural materials’ limits, which explains:

- Rail deformation
- Rapid mechanical fatigue

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Plasma and contact physics

At very high currents:

• The projectile–rail contact may vaporize
• A plasma armature can form
• Plasma conducts current but introduces:
• Instabilities
• Energy loss
• Severe erosion

This blends electromagnetism + plasma physics + materials science.

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Inductance and back EMF

The railgun behaves like a variable inductor.

-As the projectile moves, system inductance increases.
- This induces a back electromotive force (Lenz’s law):

$$V = L \frac{dI}{dt} + I \frac{dL}{dt}$$

This resists current flow and limits acceleration efficiency.

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Why railguns are hard (physically)

From a physics standpoint, the main barriers are:

- Extreme current densities
- Joule heating: $P=I^{2}R$
- Magnetic forces exceeding material strength
- Nonlinear plasma behavior
- Efficiency losses due to inductance and resistance

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Comparison (physics only)

System	Force source
Railgun	Lorentz force on current
Coilgun	Magnetic field gradient
Chemical gun	Gas pressure
Rocket	Conservation of momentum

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If you want next, I can:

• Derive force as a function of current and rail spacing
• Compare railgun vs coilgun equations
• Discuss relativistic or extreme-field limits
• Explain why space-launch railguns fail physically

Just tell me which direction to go.

Compare railgun vs coilgun equations

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the governing physics equations for railguns vs. coilguns, focusing on force, energy transfer, and limitations—not construction.

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1. Fundamental force law

Railgun

Force comes from the Lorentz force on a current-carrying conductor:

$$\boxed{F = I\,L\,B}$$

More usefully (eliminating $B$):

$$\boxed{F = \frac{1}{2} I^2 \frac{dL}{dx}}$$

Where:

$\mathrm{-\; I}$ = current
$\mathrm{-\; L}$ = inductance of the rails
$\mathrm{-\; x}$ = projectile position

Key point:
➡️ Force scales with current squared

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Coilgun

Force comes from a magnetic field gradient acting on a magnetic dipole:

$$\boxed{F = \nabla(\vec{m}\cdot\vec{B})}$$

For a solenoid approximation:

$$\boxed{F \approx \frac{1}{2} I^2 \frac{dL}{dx}}$$

(looks similar, but physics is different)

Where:

$\mathrm{-\; m}$ = magnetic dipole moment of projectile
$\mathrm{-\; B}$ = magnetic field of the coil

Key point:
➡️ Force depends on field gradient, not just field strength

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2. Inductance behavior (critical difference)

Railgun

- Inductance increases continuously as projectile moves:

$$L(x) = L_0 + L' x$$

This creates a velocity-dependent back EMF:

$$V = I\frac{dL}{dt}$$

➡️ Limits acceleration at high speed

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Coilgun

• Inductance peaks when projectile is centered in coil
• If current remains on past center → force reverses (pulls backward)

➡️ Requires precise timing (switching)

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3. Energy transfer

Railgun

Electrical → kinetic:

$$\frac{1}{2}mv^2 = \int F\,dx$$

Losses:

- Joule heating: $I^{2}R$
- Plasma formation
- Rail erosion

Efficiency limited by resistance + inductive losses

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Coilgun

Energy stored in magnetic field:

$$E_B = \frac{1}{2}LI^2$$

Only part converts to projectile motion.

Losses:

• Residual magnetic field
• Eddy currents
• Switching inefficiency

Efficiency limited by incomplete energy recovery

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4. Scaling with velocity

Railgun

• Force remains forward as long as current flows
• Can accelerate to very high velocities
• Mechanical and thermal limits dominate

$$v_{\text{max}} \sim \sqrt{\frac{2}{m} \int F\,dx}$$

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Coilgun

• Force drops sharply at high speed
• Timing errors increase with velocity
• Multi-stage systems needed

$$F \propto \frac{dB}{dx} \rightarrow 0 \text{ at high } v$$

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5. Magnetic field stress

Railgun

Magnetic pressure between rails:

$$\boxed{P = \frac{B^2}{2\mu_0}}$$

Can exceed material strength → rail separation, failure

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Coilgun

Magnetic pressure acts radially inward on coils:

$$\boxed{\sigma \sim \frac{B^2}{\mu_0}}$$

Causes:

• Coil compression
• Insulation breakdown

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6. Summary table

Aspect	Railgun	Coilgun
Force source	Lorentz force	Field gradient
Force scaling	$\propto I^2$	$\propto \nabla B$
Contact	Physical / plasma	Contactless
Timing critical?	No	Yes
Max velocity	Very high	Moderate
Main limiter	Heat & stress	Switching & saturation

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Bottom-line physics insight

• Railguns are current-dominated accelerators → better for extreme velocity
• Coilguns are field-gradient accelerators → better for control, lower wear
• The equations look similar only superficially; the physical constraints differ completely

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Ο αμερικανικός στρατός δοκιμάζει το νέο του υπερ-ισχυρό Rail Gun που εκτοξεύει μεταλλικές σφαίρες με εξαιρετικά υψηλές ταχύτητες. Αυτές είναι μη ανιχνεύσιμες από τον εχθρό με εξαιρετικά καταστροφική δύναμη.

US Military testing its new super powerful Rail Gun that shoots a metal ball at super high speeds. These are undetectable by the enemy with super destructive power.

The video is an AI-generated animation, not real footage of US military railgun testing. The US Navy canceled its electromagnetic railgun program in 2021 due to technical issues, though recent announcements indicate potential future exploration. RWB_American @RWB_American 17 ώ

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