Why is the DS superlaser composite beam?

[Darth Garden Gnome]

Is there any paticular reason why the Death Star superlaser was a composite beam laser instead of just a regular shot like a turbolaser? After all, the hypermatter reactor is really doing the killing, regardless of what type of laser you use. In fact, it would seem like a composite beam would require more energy than a regular bolt.

[Ender]

Perhaps to deal with the recoil strain? You'd have 8 lesser areas to mount as oppossed to one gigantic one.

Or it could have something to do with the fact that it is a beam weapons, all beams we have seen have ths far been composits.

Or it could just be because that is what Geonosian superlaser tech is like and they designed it (Page 29, Inside the worlds of Attack of the clones, it says that they use superlasers for smelting work under "manufacturing process" at the top and the bottom by the page number shows one and it is identical to the SLs shown in DS cutaways)

[RTN]

I find it more likely the beams were necessary to form a carrier beam/containment field because the initial wasn't stong enough to keep the energy from the hypermatter ractor binded on its own.

[Mad]

Generating a single planet-killing beam might be a bit much to ask of the equipment generating the beam, as well. Separating it into smaller beams could help prevent the weapon from melting itself. It could also extend the life of the weapon, rather than have all the heat generated from a single point, it's divided up.