Trytostaydead wrote:1) Exactly what are the various uses of Tibanna gas? I know they're used in blasters, and somehow involved in ships or ship building.
Short answer is "various" things. Long answer is that it depends on the source. Some very early sourcecs suggested that it acted as an "amplifier" for energy weapons - effectively quadrupling the energy yield of the weapon (this was under the early WEG "coherent packets of light energy" definition of blasters, tho). Later sources, most notably the later WEG material/Essential guides and DK visual dictionaries, made Tibanna gas out to be an actual source of ammunition (under the "plasma bolt/particle beam definition")
Aside from weapons, it was used in repulsors (supposeldy it had antigravity properties) and as a coolant in hyperdrives. In Dark Empire it was known that synthetic tibanna gas that "broke down" resulted in a decrease in weapons range (which Rebel techs overcame by tripling the power output of the weapon.
The AOTC ICS took the opinion that tibanna gas was indeed a coolant (which does make some sense - in a weapon as a coolant it could allow the weapon to increase its energy output without overheating, and its used as a coolant elsewhere.) The OT: ITW book described Tibanna gas as a cooling component in the gravitic components of repulsors as well.
However, aside from the primary "coolant" function, it has been argued that "waste" gas (which is normally ejected out of the gun periodically, observed both in canon and described in secondary sources.) - used in say "projectile" style blasters and/or ion cannons, perhaps.
2) Can Tibanna gas be artifically manufactured?
Yes, although IIRC its very expensive to do so. As I mentioned, around the time of Dark Empire, ,the Republic experimented with synthetically spin-sealed Tibanna gas.
3) What other sources are there for Tibanna gas outside of Bespin and a dangerous/resource poor nebula?
The Chromosphere of stars IIRC (REbel Dawn)
4) If they're mining copious quantities from Bespin, isn't it going to deplete soon feeding a galaxy hungry for the stuff?
no, as I already mentioned, it IS possible (albeit difficult/expensive) to artificially replicate it, and it is apparently found elsewhere.
Besides which, ,Tibanna gas is not the 'only" such gas in the galaxy - it just happens to be one of the best-quality ones around.
5) How many shots are in a blaster pack for say an standard Imperial blaster?
The gas catridge typically carries enough gas for 500 shots. Power packs however generally only carry enough energy for 100 shots.
6) What is the rate of fire for the blaster?
Varies on model, but at least comparable to modern military rifles. Some sources (Darth Maul, Shadow hunter for example) give a "semi-auto" blaster a fire rate of 6 shots per second or so, IIRC. Suggesting that ROF is at least twice that of a "projectile" weapon.
