Discover the fertile meeting place of SF and science as Real Clear Science, tackling the actual-world chemistry that built Star Wars.
Fueling the Star Wars Galaxy
Scientist Alex Baker from the University of Warwick is exploring the scientific principles behind many aspects and reactions seen in the Star Wars series.
One of the more interesting ones that he examined is the use of liquid oxygen in rocket engines — something you can find all around our universe. The engines of starships in the Star Wars galaxy are capable of generating incredibly bright jets by burning fuels with oxygen present and it creates the same “purple cannon fire” reaction that Professor Baker has shown here. This reaction produces oxygen as a product that burns through when it goes by a flame, demonstrating to you how strong burning 2 parts of an oxygen gas to one part fuel gas is.
Sodium is a more common substance in the Star Wars setting and serves as a fuel. Sodium is an extremely reactive metal that fizzes and sparks in water to produce hydrogen gas, a highly flammable substance with explosive results. As Professor Baker points out, while there may not be any Baradium in the real world there are nitrogen-containing compounds we use as fictional replacements that also exist here and are even used by Soviet scientists for certain kinds of explosives and rocket fuels.
Lightsabers and the Science of Color
The lightsaber is one of the most iconic things in the Star Wars franchise, with glows in all colours from bright blue to deep red. Dr Baker explains that the magic of these vivid hues is based on the basic science of flame tests which are introduced in school chemistry with a Technicolour bang.
Colours in lightsabers come from the same types of elements you find in salts- the very things that make fireworks burst with colour. When these elements’ electrons are excited and relax back to intensities, they release heat and light energy. This light is produced, as discussed earlier, in the form of a specific colour emitted for each element and in distilled water you get blue and violet high-energy light corresponding to losses of electrons from further away levels as you see them closer to red.
The idea of a weird and wonderful universe with atomic-level energy transitions is more than just captivating, it also effectively explains how the Jedi and Sith can manifest coloured lightsabers. Because of the differences between them, the blue radiant swords of the Jedis have a superior intensity to that which red radiates those who started walking on the dark side and those who are classified as Sith.
Conclusion
Now, Professor Alex Baker has used Star Wars to demonstrate the real science that orbits just at the edge of our known scientific skills and imagination. By exploring the chemistry and physics of some of the elements consumed or acted upon in this galaxy far, far away, he has not only given us a greater understanding of how science fact can underlay the stylistic choices made by apparently ancient writing going back thousands of years but has also shown us perhaps one way in that which science and poetry can unite to make truly captivating and intriguing storytelling.
