Power supply (Star Wars)
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In the fictional context of the Star Wars Universe, the characters rely on immense supplies of energy for various applications, especially faster-than-light interstellar travel, weaponry and deflector shields.
[edit] Fusion
In the universe of Star Wars tokamak fusion reactors come in the size of portable camping gear. After having landed on Dagobah, Luke Skywalker connects R2-D2 for recharging purposes to a little glowing device, which the script of The Empire Strikes Back reveals to be a "fusion furnace". This establishes that fusion power is a general form of power supply in the universe of Star Wars and probably a widespread household commodity.
Because of its toroidal reaction chamber design the tokamak fusion reactor has a basic cylindrical form. Especially on spacecraft in use by the Rebel Alliance, i.e. the Millennium Falcon, the Rebel Blockade Runner and the Nebulon-B Frigate the drum-shaped objects in vicinity of the rocket engines suggest those to be fusion reactors, providing both power supply and propulsion fuel for sublight speed (fusion rocket).[citation needed]
Under the assumption that highly effective fusion reactors create a considerable amount of heat as a by-product, "solar fins" radiate waste heat into space. The destruction of the solar fin of Princess Leia's starship Tantive IV causes an immediate shutdown of the vessel's main reactor,[citation needed] the Nebulon-B Frigate features solar fins protruding from the reactors.[citation needed] Most noticably are the solar fins / radiator panels of imperial TIE spacecraft which also serve as mechanical blast shields, enhanced through a bended-in design on Vader's long range fighter, the TIE interceptor and the TIE bomber. In Star Wars culture the term "solar power" seems to be an idiom for fusion power,[citation needed] since a sun is practically a natural fusion reactor.
Original pre-production designs for both the fusion furnace and the Rebel deflector shield generators on Hoth show these to be of cylindrical shape with a toroidal, doughnut-shape on top, suggesting the final shield generator design (an array of multiple, half-buried vertical doughnut-shapes) to be an array of fusion reactors.[citation needed]
In the novelization of Return of the Jedi one of the prime targets on an imperial Star Destroyer are "power trees". Whether this refers to the domes on top of the conning tower of a Star Destroyer and whether those are spherical laser fusion reactors (supplying the bridge deflector shield with power without beeing the actual shield generator itself) remains a topic in dispute.
Whether sophisticated fusion power is able to supply a hyperdrive with the energy to jump into hyperspace for interstellar travel is unknown.
[edit] Death Star
In order to destroy an entire planet, the Death Star has to rely on a superior form of energy. It is widely believed that a drilling beam and the subsequent delivery of antimatter pellets is sufficient to break up the celestial target,[citation needed] but Dr. Curtis Saxton estimates the yield to be inefficient and instead advocates hypermatter, a kind of exotic matter.[1]
Whether the Death Star's ultimate weapon is an analogy to the hydrogen bomb (we are currently only able to use the destructive potential of fusion power but not the beneficial one) or indicates another, superior means of power supply in the universe of Star Wars remains a subject of speculation.
