I have currently two theories on the Halo fuel rods.
First, it’s basically a miniaturized nuclear bomb that uses californium.
Second, it is a compressed incendiary gel that is inactive at first. But when it gets radiated it starts glowing green due to the presence of phosphors (similar to a tritium sight) which happens inside the gun. Then when the fuel rod is launched it reacts with the oxygen in the air similar to white phosphorus. The gel itself is compressed, but when it impacts something it first detonates, then becomes more liquid like (gels tend to be more fluid like when enough pressure is added) so it spreads over the entire area. This is my take on it, what do you think.
https://www.reddit.com/user/Dragon1021fire/comments/avfgur/my_theories_on_halo_fuel_rods/?utm_source=reddit-android
I read it, but it does not explain why the fuel rods glow in the first place (radioactive elements don’t usually glow) but phosphors do emit light when in the presence of an radioactive element. So seeing the luminosity of it glowing it is safe to assume that radioactive element is so radioactive that will decay pretty fast which upholds the idea that the rods are not radioactive before being loaded in to the gun. They are most likely activated by neutron activation in which a stable atom becomes a highly radioactive element that will dissipate in a few minutes which contributes to the luminosity of the phosphors.
If any of you guys have your own theories or have a question about my theories, just add your questions or theories to the forum.
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> I read it, but it does not explain why the fuel rods glow in the first place (radioactive elements don’t usually glow) but phosphors do emit light when in the presence of an radioactive element. So seeing the luminosity of it glowing it is safe to assume that radioactive element is so radioactive that will decay pretty fast which upholds the idea that the rods are not radioactive before being loaded in to the gun. They are most likely activated by neutron activation in which a stable atom becomes a highly radioactive element that will dissipate in a few minutes which contributes to the luminosity of the phosphors.
Well they DO take a few seconds to “prime” in the newer games. Or at least, they did in the Reach era. You’d fire them and they’d fly for a bit then glow brighter and explode on impact.
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> > 2535462919798246;3:
> > I read it, but it does not explain why the fuel rods glow in the first place (radioactive elements don’t usually glow) but phosphors do emit light when in the presence of an radioactive element. So seeing the luminosity of it glowing it is safe to assume that radioactive element is so radioactive that will decay pretty fast which upholds the idea that the rods are not radioactive before being loaded in to the gun. They are most likely activated by neutron activation in which a stable atom becomes a highly radioactive element that will dissipate in a few minutes which contributes to the luminosity of the phosphors.
>
> Well they DO take a few seconds to “prime” in the newer games. Or at least, they did in the Reach era. You’d fire them and they’d fly for a bit then glow brighter and explode on impact.
It could be just a delayed ignition of the incendiary gel, most likely to protect the user from radioactive gel, gas, and flames.
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> > 2533274907200114;5:
> > > 2535462919798246;3:
> > > I read it, but it does not explain why the fuel rods glow in the first place (radioactive elements don’t usually glow) but phosphors do emit light when in the presence of an radioactive element. So seeing the luminosity of it glowing it is safe to assume that radioactive element is so radioactive that will decay pretty fast which upholds the idea that the rods are not radioactive before being loaded in to the gun. They are most likely activated by neutron activation in which a stable atom becomes a highly radioactive element that will dissipate in a few minutes which contributes to the luminosity of the phosphors.
> >
> > Well they DO take a few seconds to “prime” in the newer games. Or at least, they did in the Reach era. You’d fire them and they’d fly for a bit then glow brighter and explode on impact.
>
> It could be just a delayed ignition of the incendiary gel, most likely to protect the user from radioactive gel, gas, and flames.
Maybe. But it wasnt that way in older versions of it. You shot and it exploded.
Currently I have two theories.
Either the covenant used a more reactive substance that ignited immediately after being launched.
Or the covenant started to think about user safety later in the war.
Either way, just like war on Earth, weapons change, chemicals change, for example we switched from depleted uranium rounds to armor piercing incendiary rounds. Most likely the covenant made a new composition that was more stable and safer than previous compositions used earlier in the war.
Veniza supposedly managed to make safer irritations of fuel rods (Source: Fuel rod gun REQ description)
Another aspect about the fuel rods is that they can be magnetically guided like the ones on the anti air wraith. My theory is that there is a magnetic material infused into the gel.
What do you guys think?
Not that I know much about chemistry but I would think the material inside of the fuel rods would rust and corrode most metals but I guess they could use the casing instead? Speaking of wraiths the T-58 would appear to use plasma bolts in place of fuel rods judging by their behaviour and the fact that the weapons overheat and need time to cool. The guns also have that static electricity effect when used so this would indicate plasma.
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> Not that I know much about chemistry but I would think the material inside of the fuel rods would rust and corrode most metals but I guess they could use the casing instead? Speaking of wraiths the T-58 would appear to use plasma bolts in place of fuel rods judging by their behaviour and the fact that the weapons overheat and need time to cool. The guns also have that static electricity effect when used so this would indicate plasma.
Which one are you talking about, the normal wraith or the anti air wraith? Also let us elaborate on the static electricity effect. Many things can cause ionization of the air and produce an electric arc. One theory of mine is that the rods are launched magnetically like a rail gun, and due to large amounts of magnetic energy, it may cause the air around the gun to ionize and discharge an electric arc. But I know that I don’t know everything, so can anyone bring in any theories why the static electricity effect happens, it will be a help on the subject.
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This is still an ongoing discussion. I like talking about things that don’t exist.
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One of the things that caught my eye when I read the description of the fuel rods, it said it was made of strained bond lattices. Lattices are basically crystal structures in chemistry. So I wonder if something having to do with lattice energy release can be used to explain the functionality of the fuel rods.
What do you guys think?