According to the translation, the two energy sources used by used by
the Argo and the Earth Defense Force are solar power and "Wave Motion"
energy. This discussion focuses on the latter source -- wave motion
energy. In Japanese, this is "ha doh", literally "wave motion". Hence
we have the "ha doo ho" (the wave motion gun, also misguidedly called the
undulation cannon) and the "ha doo enjien" (wave motion engine). But,
what is this magical wave motion energy source?
The term "wave motion" is used to describe one attribute of the energy source. In reality, most forms of energy we know of have an attribute of wave motion. Sonic and electromagnetic energy travel in waves.
The Earth Defense "wave motion" energy systems take inert space matter, such as dust and gas, and convert it to tachyon energy particles. A tachyon particle is a particle that moves faster than the speed of light (as opposed to slower particles which are collectively called tardyons). Modern physics tells us that it is impossible to accelerate a tardyon past the speed of light without infinite energy. If tachyons do exist, they must already be moving at speeds greater than that of light. But, in the Star Blazers universe, dust and gas are not accelerated, but rather somehow electromagnetically compressed until they transform into tachyon particles. This is about as plausible as harnessing antimatter in a fashion as it is done in Star Trek. But, being in the realm of science fiction or fantasy, we accept this feat without much further scientific protest.
In the Star Blazers universe, there are two types of space -- normal-space, and sub-space. No mention is made of the familiar hyper-space, but essentially, sub-space functions as hyper-space does in other science fiction epics. That is, by moving in sub-space, it is possible for a ship to travel faster than light, at least if its motion is measured with respect to its displacement in normal space.
The great space warp is acheived by invoking a rift between normal- and sub-space, and then allowing a ship to slip into sub-space. This is acheived by allowing a charge of tachyons to re-integrate into slower particles. Several times throughout the Star Blazers TV seasons, we see a brief explanation of this as, in diagrams, the ship is shown to jump off the "curve" of normal space. Moving in sub-space allows the ship to travel from crest to crest with the same effort at it would normally take to travel completely along the curve. The time and location at which this jump occurs is important. The fabric of space/time is another wave phenomenon. The ship can enter a warp only when it enters sub-space at a time when it is at a wave crest on the space-time curve. Otherwise, the ship would merely submerge into some level of sub-space for a short duration.
One technology that the Gamilons, and later the Galman-Gamilons, used was that of sub-space submersion. Rather than warping, a ship may enter and hide for any extended period of time in sub-space. This is acheived in the same manner as a warp, but the ship does not leap off a wave crest. Rather, it merely slips into sub-space at any arbitrary point on the curve without excessive acceleration. It is a state of near-warp. The effect serves as a kind of cloaking device as the submerged ship is not generally detectable to ships operating in normal space. Ships entering or leaving a warp, however, must necessarily pass through lower levels of sub-space in which a ship may be hiding. Hence, a small space warp can be used as a means to detect, even if momentarily, a ship hiding in sub-space.
The rift in space cause by decelerating tachyon particles can cause intense releases of energy. Thus, this can be used as a weapon. The Wave Motion gun and shot cannons of the Earth forces, as well as the weapons of the Gamilons, are all based on this principle. The particle energy they fire is generated by the sudden decompression of tachyon charges. Energy converts to matter (particle plasma).
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