Phased plasma gun
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The Phased Plasma Gun (or PPG) is a fictional weapon from the TV series Babylon 5. It fires a small charge of superheated gas. This gas retains both its shape and small volume via a residual magnetic field. Upon impact with an object, the magnetic field is dissipated and the heat discharged. PPG bolts can cause significant visible distortion as they travel through air.
The PPG is composed only of highly heat-resistant alloys, due to the rapid and extreme heating and cooling that it must endure during regular use. One of these alloys is morbidium, a metal that is harder than diamond. The electromagnetic firing coil is composed of morbidium, and has the gun's serial number printed on it, so that PPGs are just as traceable as modern guns.
Because it does not cause damage by penetration, it is a standard-issue military sidearm for space-based personel, even though PPGs are more expensive to produce. The reasoning behind this is that a stray bullet may puncture the hull, causing unintended decompression.
In the film The Terminator, the character played by Arnold Schwarzenegger goes to a gun shop in present-day LA and requests a "Phase Plasma Rifle with a 40 watt range", a weapon from his own time.
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