Ghostbusters - Ghostbusting Equipment
ECTO-GOGGLES
Ecto Goggles
GHOSTBUSTER EQUIPMENT EXPLAINED
he Ecto-Goggles, resembling Spook Eyes in appearance are one of the smallest but equally effective pieces of equipment. Essentially a wearable P.K.E. Meter, the goggles slip over the wearer's eyes, allowing them to be able to track an entity while also being able to study its readings. The Ecto-Goggles also prove useful in locating invisible entities. As the goggles can locate P.K.E. they can create a virtual image of the entity. The Ecto-Goggles have seen several incarnations, most notably the original design, and then a unusual design created by Dr. Egon Spengler to help locate several poltergeists who had the ability to become invisible. Polarised lenses that could detect P.K.E detected them.
Ecto Goggles
Ecto Goggles
Safety Precautions: None Recorded.
F/N Adapted from information gathered from The Proton Lab.
ECTO-SCOPE
"Egon..."
A stethoscope connected to stereo earphones, worn by Dr. Egon Spengler.
ECTO CONTAINMENT UNIT
"This is a high voltage laser containment system..."
The Ecto Containment Unit is a bleak repository for souls of many species. Strange lights, mists, and spectral shapes waft about aimlessly. Human-like figures lean against the walls in despairing convict poses. Others flit and hang on the ceiling. It is a sad and frightening limbo and a most unholy makeshift asylum.
Like it's smaller counterpart, the Containment Unit utilizes a revolutionary laser containment system. Up until recently the exact way the lasers contained the ghosts had been a mystery, however thanks to Sinister of GBN the physics of the Containment Unit were laid bare and the way the ghosts were contained explained.
The large Containment Unit as seen in The Real Ghostbusters is the second incarnation of the machine, the first incarnation having been destroyed due to a failure in the Unit's Protection Grid.
If we think of ghosts as a magnet block (Such as those used in science lessons at school.), the ghosts are the South (Negative) end, and the Proton Packs are the North (Positive) end. As we know when you put North and South together they attract. The same thing happens with the packs and ghosts, the two charges attract each other and they merge.
If the laser grid around the inside of the ECU (Which is a large trap.) were positive like the Proton streams, the ghosts would merge with the stream, and possibly be able to escape in the same way they occasionally escape the streams. However, if the grid lasers were negatively charged (Electrons) a South on south effect would happen. As the ghost approached the edge of the ECU it would be propelled backwards due to the shared charge, just as it would should you put two south magnets together.
So in conclusion the ECU has a box laser grid inside it with a negative charge that makes sure the ghosts are kept inside due to the fact that they can't break through it.
F/N Above description provided by Sinister.
C/N Thanks for the great info Iain!
Safety Precautions: There is only one warning about the Ecto Containment Unit that should be taken very seriously:
Do not, I repeat, do not shut it off: The break in power supply is identical to a trap overload/power drain, however on a somewhat larger scale, as stated by Dr. Egon Spengler, "It would be like dropping a bomb on the city." The ghosts, in their eagerness to escape cause the metal shell of the Ecto Containment Unit to rupture. As soon as this happens the build up of P.K.E. causes an explosion that decimates the structure containing the ECU. There has only been one recorded incident of the ECU being shut off against the Ghostbusters will by another human (Walter Peck, of course.). This was during the infamous Gozer incident. The resulting explosion gutted the Ghostbusters' headquarters and released all contained entities into the Greater New York Area.
UNIFORM
According to Louis Tully, the Ghostbusters take great pride in their service and their brand image on a whole. They strive to present a professional and courteous appearance on the job, and they feel that the uniform is the best was to accomplish that. The standard Ghostbusters uniform consists of several parts:
1.) Flightsuit: CWU-27/P* Flight Suit made by FlightSuits.com.
2.) Black T-shirt: A black t-shirt worn under the flightsuit.
3.) GB logo patch: A patch of the GB logo on the right shoulder.
4.) Nametag: A black, rectangular-shaped nametag, with the wearer�s surname spelt out in capital red letters.
5.) Elbow Pads: Made by Markwort. They are gray and bubble-shaped.
6.) Pistol Belt: The belt holds the Neutrona Wand holder, Circuit Board Pouch, Rear Belt Circuit Board, Coil Cable with clips, Leg Tube W/ fitting and belt attachment.
7.) Boots: Black Zipper Paratrooper Boots. The zipper is on the side for quick attachment and removal.
8.) Chemical Gloves: Black gloves.
TRIPOD TRAP
Essentially the Tripod Trap is identical to the standard Ghost Trap in operation. The main difference is the design, which allows for a larger containment area and also allows for elevated entrapment. The trap takes up less space then a standard trap and so can be used in areas of limited space. The device is still in the test stages as it hasn't been used in many busts. The Tripod Trap, when activated creates a grid-like confinement area, but tests have ranged in success.
Safety Precautions: There is only one warning about the Tripod Trap that should be taken very seriously:
Don't stare directly at the Laser: It can blind you if you aren't careful enough.
C/N Information above derived from further information provided to The Proton Lab by Matt Emery.
GIGA-METER
"I'm getting 2.5 G.E.V.s on the Giga-Meter."
G.E.V.s or Giga Electron Volts is an experimental alternate to the P.K.E. Meter. It's main purpose to measure the Psychomagnetheric energy in G.E.V.s. The meter has performed only limited use, and is most notably known for its use in the detection of the river of slime beneath First Avenue in New York.
SLIME BLOWER
Slime Blower
Slime Blower
"It's Slime Time."
The Slime Blower is one of the least used pieces of equipment due to the scarcity of the weapon's ammunition, positively charged Psychomagnetheric Ectoplasm. The Pyschomagnetheric Ectoplasm was first discovered in 1988 after an incident involving the Ghostbusters' first customer Dana Barrett. An examination of a street where she lived revealed a large quantity of the unusual Ectoplasm. Further exploration revealed the large quantity of slime flowed along the abandoned tunnels of the NYPRR. The New York Pneumatic Railroad, a system that had been an experimental subway system. After collecting a sample it was discovered that the slime reacted to negative vibes, having built up from all of the bad feelings and negative things said by every New Yorker to each other. After a complex series of tests it was discovered that the slime, like Proton streams, can be changed from negative to positive, and so positively charged slime was implemented in the Ghostbusters' arsenal. The slime was playing a part in the 300-year-old plan of a 17th Century Moldavian Tyrant known as Vigo the Carpathian. Utilizing the negative feelings of some "three million completely miserable assholes" Vigo was able to amass a huge amount of slime, which he used to coat the Manhattan Museum of Art, trapping Dana Barrett and her son Oscar who was to play an important part in Vigo's plan, to be the living embodiment of Vigo the Carpathian. However Vigo was eventually defeated through the use of his own slime being used against him.
Slime Blower
The Slime Blower works essentially like a fire extinguisher, projecting its ammunition at a specific target selected by the operator. The slime tanks are mounted onto an A.L.I.C.E. Pack Frame with bigger Straps and more padding and protection than the Proton Pack's A.L.I.C.E. Pack Frame. There are also two small but bright lights attached on top of the two small green air tanks. The Slime Blower works on an air pressure system. The central tank contains the mood slime, which is powered by positive human emotions. The two smaller green tanks on either side of the main tank are the air tanks. The Slime Blower's cannon features a switch trigger, which works similar to a tap with an air pressure system. When the switch is pulled, it makes the high-pressured air in the air tanks push the mood slime through the hose and into the large canister-like gun. The Slime fires at a fast and furious rate. The Slime Blower has also been used in possessions, forcing an entity to evacuate the host body due to the positive charge of the slime. The slime's positive charge was put to an unusual test when the Ghostbusters needed to create a large amount of positive vibes to crack the negative slime shell on the Manhattan Museum of Art, after animating a toaster they were able to animate the Statue of Liberty and walk her to the Manhattan Museum of Art.
Safety Precautions: None Recorded.
SLIME COLLECTOR
This is almost like a fishing rod. It has a small lamp on the end to provide light, in dark areas that are difficult to view. On the main section, a motor is activated and it extends an arm out (The maximum length is 3 ft.). When it reaches the full length, a sphere at the tip of the arm opens. The user then puts the sphere into the area that they�re gathering the sample from. The Slime Collector is mainly used to get samples of Ectoplasm. Once the sample is taken, the sphere closes and the user cranks it back into the locked position.
AURA SENSOR
Aura Sensor
This is a small device that functions almost the same as a Giga-Meter (It�s much smaller, and doesn�t look anything like it.). It detects emotional activity and rapidly beeps. Egon used it to detect the emotions of the couple that thought they were waiting for marriage counseling. He also secretly used it to detect Dana Barrett�s emotions.
www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/19/back-to-the-future-fashion-te2yx
Also known as the "Ghost Sniffer", this piece of equipment was used by Dr. Peter Venkman in Dana Barrett�s apartment to detect Ectoplasmic vapor trails. It tests ionized traces left by P.K.E. activity, and can be used to date the occurrences of paranormal activity. It was created by Bacharach/United Technologies.
Copied from the Bacharach Website:
Bacharch Sniffer 300 Series
Ghostbusters Sniffer 300
Sniffer 300 Series gas indicators are lightweight, portable instruments designed for intermittent measurements of combustible gas and oxygen deficiency.
Rugged and rain resistant, these instruments represent a departure from traditional design. Each has a slender, high-impact thermoplastic case with a built-in handle and trigger switch. They each use easily-replaceable, field-proven sensors and internal sampling pumps for reliable service. The internal pump allows sampling up to 100 feet away.
Ghostbusters Sniffer 300
Ghostbusters 300 Sniffer
Designed for intrinsic safety, the Sniffer 300 Series instruments meet various approval agency requirements for use in Class I, Divisions 1 and 2, Groups A, B, C and D hazardous areas.
F/N Adapted from information gathered at GB.Props.com and the Bacharach website.
SPECTRONALIZER
Most of the time, a paranormal entity (Mainly ghosts and any other creatures that don't have reflections.) doesn�t appear on film. However, it is still there. This Xerox-sized device lifts the spirit from the cover inside the photo revealing its form.
To find out more fun Future Facts by clicking our Blogs below……….!!! Please Share …..
Ghostbuster - Ecto 1
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/3/31/ghostbusters-ecto-1
Cars of Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/10/the-cars-of-back-to-the-future-55-
Back to the Future Fashion
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/19/back-to-the-future-fashion-te2yx
Ariel Leader
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/17/ariel-leader
Back to the Future - Hill Valley History
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/2/hill-valley-history-jxrr4
Back to the Future Gadgets and Trends we have in 2021
Doc Browns Biography and the History of his DeLorean Time Machine
Marty McFly Biography also featuring Biff, George, Jennifer, Loranine
Back to the Future - Hill Valley History
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/2/hill-valley-history
Back to the Future - Detailed storyline
Back to the Future - How to generate 1.21 Giggawatts / Jiggawatts with Mr Fusion
What is a Fat Bike ? And where did the idea of Fat Bikes come from ?
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/1/10/fat-bike-what-is-a-fat-bike-history
The Time Paradox explained - Back to the Future
The Sinclair C5
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/1/9/sinclair-c5-
Mini Jeep Mini Review
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/minicoolsterjeepreview
Hoverboards - Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/12/13/hoverboards-
How does the Time Machine work - Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/11/22/how-does-the-time-machine-work
The DeLorean Motor Company - What did it fail ? Or did it ?
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/11/22/whydiddeloreanmotorcompanyfail
The DeLorean Motor Company - History
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/11/22/deloreanmotorcompany
The Flux Capacitor - Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/fluxcapacitor
Is Time Travel Possible ? And what would it take ? Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/istimetravelpossible
Ghostbusters Afterlife - The Proton Pack
The Main piece of equipment for any real Ghostbusters is the famous Proton Pack ! as featured in Ghostbusters Afterlife
But what is it ? And how does it work ? ….. It features in all the Ghostbusters films, Ghostbusters 1, Ghostbusters II, and Ghostbusters Afterlife
So buckle up for this Blog to the Future feature on the science behind Ghost catching !
How does the Ghostbusters Proton Pack work ?
Ghosbusters Proton Packs
The Proton Pack is the most powerful tool that the Ghostbusters carry on a daily basis, equipped with a power source that has a half life of 5000 years, it’s not prone to running out of power. In Ghostbusters II However, it must be recharged at times.
The Proton Pack is an ‘Unlicensed Nuclear Accelerator Backpack’ that consists of raw nuclear energy and Protons.
The Proton Pack is mounted onto an Army issue A.L.I.C.E. Pack Frame with adjustable shoulder and kidney straps and belt, the Proton Pack consists of two parts:
The Nuclear Accelerator Backpack (Proton Pack, Positron Collider, Cyclotron.) and Particle Thrower (Proton Gun, Ion Wand, Ion Cannon, Neutrona Wand.).
Once you turn the Proton Pack on, you can also switch on the Particle Thrower. The Accelerator accelerates the Protons from the Cyclotron on the pack into the Particle Thrower, and you get an extremely powerful but destructive particle stream that consists of Protons and raw nuclear energy.
This is capable of entangling a ghost against its will (An excellent way to think of the particle stream would be as a lasso for ghosts.).
"The Proton Pack is not a toy." …Egon Spengler
Proton Pack
Ghostbusters Proton Pack
All ghosts are made up of Psychokinetic Energy (Which consists of Electrons, Neutrons, and the infamous substance known as "Ectoplasm".).
The Electron is one of three elements in an Atom (The other two being the Proton and the Neutron.). Electrons carry a negative charge (As does Ectoplasm.), whereas a Neutron has no charge and a Proton has a positive charge.
Negative energy is no match for positive energy. When a person fires the particle stream at a ghost, the ghost will become entangled in the stream and will become trapped (Unless the spirit is more powerful and so the power in the stream will have to be increased accordingly.).
The Particle Thrower also features a control for stream length. This proves invaluable when tracking a ghost that floats.
The Proton Pack can disintegrate a paper cup, cut through steel, chop down big trees, and blast a dam.
The particle stream is harmless to humans on low power. It was later discovered that particle streams could be adjusted to simulate sunlight, in order to vaporize Vampires, and temporarily transform werewolves back into their human form until the next full moon; To permanently cure a werewolf, Wolfsbane Soup is needed.
The Proton Pack has two settings:
Setting 1: Attack. Generates the most energetic stream of particles, expressly designed to weaken an entity's psychokinetic energy and it's connection to our time-space continuum (referred to officially as "Ectopresence")
The GBI pack is set to still emit a weak Confinement field even in Attack mode--GBI Case File GBNY-1986-4/405 (code name "RoboBuster") demonstrates the necessity of not using a "pure" Attack mode.
Setting 2: Confinement. Generates a positively charged "cage" around the entity being confined; however, the Confinement is only effective if the entity's Ectopresence has been reduced to a valence of zero--otherwise it can easily break the Confinement stream.
Once Confined, standard procedure is to capture the entity in a Ghost Trap.
Safety Precautions:
There are two warnings about the Proton Pack that should be taken very seriously:
1) Do not cross the streams:
This process is extremely dangerous as it causes Total Protonic Reversal, which results in the molecules of any nearby person to explode at the speed of light. Information on this situation is sketchy due to the rarity of it ever happening, it has only occurred once where those participating have survived.
Please refer to the case where the Ghostbusters fought Gozer for more details.
2) Do not allow the pack to overheat:
This in some ways is similar to Total Protonic Reversal, however on a more limited scale. It is however still extremely dangerous and it is rare for a person in the vicinity to survive a blast caused by overheating.
A standard radius of destruction from four Proton Packs has been estimated as a quarter of a mile. There are twenty seconds at maximum boost before the Proton Packs overload.
Optional Extras: Rifle Scope.
F/N Adapted from information gathered from The Proton Lab.; some fan fictions have speculated additional settings on later models
The Science of The Ghostbuster's Upgraded Proton Pack
In practical terms, the Proton Pack is a miniature particle accelerator that ensnares negatively charged ectoplasmic entities inside a positively-charged proton beam.
The term "Proton Pack" is not used in the original movie at all — it was originally described as a Positron Collider.
It was not until the subway tunnel scene in the second movie that the word is actually used. So, let's take a look at the physics behind the Proton Pack and see whether it is possible to build one.
Overview of the Proton Pack
Proton Pack Parts
Easter Egg in the new film Trailer …..
· The Ghostbusters trailer contains an Easter egg hidden in the whiteboard filled with physics equations. This Easter egg goes by quickly but if you pause at just the right moment, you will see one "equation" on top is a URL that spells paranormalstudieslab.com.
Fans will recognize this is a nod to the original movie as The Paranormal Studies Lab was the name of the laboratory run by Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) at Columbia University.
· Eagle-eye fans who managed to pick up on this and visit the URL will come across a hidden web page on the physics of the Proton Pack, as explained by MIT particle physicist, James Maxwell.
James curiously shares a name with James Clerk Maxwell, the Scottish physicist famous for formulating the laws of electromagnetism. The laws of electromagnetism and special relativity play an important part in the physics of the proton pack.
The Original Proton Pack: The Cyclotron
*As Maxwell points out, the original Ghostbusters Proton Pack, as designed by Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), was a cyclotron.
This was one of the earliest types of particle accelerators ever developed. The device invented by Ernest O. Lawrence in 1932 works by accelerating charged particles along a spiral path.
Back then, cyclotrons were the most powerful particle accelerators around until they were replaced by the more advanced synchrotrons back in the 1950s though they are still used today in the first stage of some particle accelerators.
Inside the cyclotron, a charged particle is injected into the middle of the chamber where it is accelerated between two D-shaped electrodes or "dees."
In the case of the Ghostbusters' Proton Pack, that charged particle is a positron or positively charged electron. The magnetic field passing through the dees bends the particle's path, making it travel in a circle, while the electric field between the dees accelerates the particle, giving it a "kick" to make it go faster.
When the positron beam has enough energy, it strikes a metal target to release a beam of protons.
The kick the particle gets from the electric field is very similar to a parent pushing a child on a swing. If a parent times the push at just the right moment, the child gains more energy and swings higher and higher.
Instead of having one parent pushing from behind, there is also an adult in front who pushes in the opposite direction. If that parent in front also pushes at the right moment (and does not get hit in the face), the child will gain more energy and continue to swing higher and higher with each push.
Just as the child on the swing in our example gets two pushes, the positron gets two kicks. It gets one kick as it passes through the gap but as it circles back and passes through the dee in the opposite direction, the electric field switches direction to give it another kick.
This was a significant advance over previous particle accelerators. Previous accelerators, or linacs, just accelerated particles along straight lines. Inside the cyclotron, the magnetic field bends the beam, making it curve back on itself so it could pass through the gap where it could be accelerated multiple times. As the particle gains more energy, it spirals outward.
When the particles reach the rim, they exit the dees through a small gap to hit a metal target located at some point beyond the rim of the chamber.
This creates secondary particles, in this case protons (the positively charged partice found in the nucleus of an atom), which may be guided outside of the cyclotron and into instruments for analysis.
Proton beams look nothing like in the movie. Proton beams are (usually) collimated, i.e., they travel in straight lines. In the movies, they are seen to whip about and undulate wildly; this is probably done for visual effect.
Proton Pack Upgrade: The Synchrotron
The size of the accelerator is not the only practical consideration. As the positron spirals outward, it needs to sync up with each "kick," or the cyclotron resonant frequency.
This is the time it takes for the particle to complete a circle and depends on the strength of the magnetic field, the electric charge, and its mass.
If the particles go fast enough to approach light speed, its mass increases as relativistic effects come into play. This changes the cyclotron resonance and the beam goes out of phase with the oscillating electric field — the particle beam no longer gets the kicks at the right time.
The classical cyclotron is therefore only capable of accelerating particles up to a few percent of the speed of light.
To get even higher energy particles, the synchrotron solves this problem by varying the strength of the magnetic field. As the speed increases so too does the magnetic field. Instead of moving out in a spiral, the changing magnetic field exerts a greater centripetal force on thfaster-moving particle to keep it along the same circular path.
This means that the Proton Pack seen in the reboot is a far more powerful accelerator (Go, Erin!) but the science does not stop there.
To make all this possible, the Ghostbusters have to find a way to generate the much stronger magnetic fields needed to keep a charged particle moving in a circular path about the size of a back pack. To do this, they turn to superconductors and cryogen systems to generate these magnetic fields.
And Powerful Magnet to keep it Compact
To get the intense magnetic fields to make a synchrotron work, the Proton Pack uses superconduting magnets.
The resistance of all metals becomes lower as they as cooled but superconductors are special. At a certain critical temperature, their resistace falls to zero.
This means that an electric current flowing through a loop of superconducting wire can persist indefinitely with no power source. This allows superconductors to handle much larger currents than metallic conductors to produce more intense magnetic fields.
To achieve this, superconducting magnets need to be kept cold, at cryognic temperatures.
The new Proton Pack needs a cryogen system, possibly using liquid Helium to keep the superconductors at approximately minus 269.15 degrees Celsius or minus 452.47 Fahrenheit.
This keeps the superconductors at the temperatures they need to be to handle the large currents needed to generate the intense magentic fields for the synchrotron.
Crossing Streams: Does the Science Measure Up?
In an interview, Maxwell said that the movie's director Paul Feig made a lot of effort to make the science in Ghostbusters seem as realistic as possible, as we can see from the Proton Pack's blueprints.
Maxwell points out in the video that, while the science behind the Proton Pack is sound, there are limitations. For one, it's not possible to actually build a synchrotron particle accelerator into an actual back pack.
The technical considerations, e.g., getting the intense magnetic fields to make things work, are not practical.
One of the interesting challenges as one of the show's science advisers was figuring how actual science and technology could influence the prop design.
As a fan of the original Ghostbusters, he admitted that seeing scientists play the role of heroes, and saving the day, was one of the things that piqued his interest in the sciences as a child.
Hopefully, layering real physics into an awesome science based ghost-fighting weapon will do the same when the new Ghostbusters comes out, and capture a new generation of scientists like it did James Maxwell.
To find out more fun Future Facts by clicking our Blogs below……….!!! Please Share …..
Ghostbuster - Ecto 1
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/3/31/ghostbusters-ecto-1
Cars of Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/10/the-cars-of-back-to-the-future-55-
Back to the Future Fashion
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/19/back-to-the-future-fashion-te2yx
Ariel Leader
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/17/ariel-leader
Back to the Future - Hill Valley History
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/2/hill-valley-history-jxrr4
Back to the Future Gadgets and Trends we have in 2021
Doc Browns Biography and the History of his DeLorean Time Machine
Marty McFly Biography also featuring Biff, George, Jennifer, Loranine
Back to the Future - Hill Valley History
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/2/hill-valley-history
Back to the Future - Detailed storyline
Back to the Future - How to generate 1.21 Giggawatts / Jiggawatts with Mr Fusion
What is a Fat Bike ? And where did the idea of Fat Bikes come from ?
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/1/10/fat-bike-what-is-a-fat-bike-history
The Time Paradox explained - Back to the Future
The Sinclair C5
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/1/9/sinclair-c5-
Mini Jeep Mini Review
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/minicoolsterjeepreview
Hoverboards - Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/12/13/hoverboards-
How does the Time Machine work - Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/11/22/how-does-the-time-machine-work
The DeLorean Motor Company - What did it fail ? Or did it ?
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/11/22/whydiddeloreanmotorcompanyfail
The DeLorean Motor Company - History
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/11/22/deloreanmotorcompany
The Flux Capacitor - Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/fluxcapacitor
Is Time Travel Possible ? And what would it take ? Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/istimetravelpossible
The Proton Pack
Ghostbusters Afterlife - The Proton Pack
The Main piece of equipment for any real Ghostbusters is the famous Proton Pack ! as featured in Ghostbusters Afterlife
But what is it ? And how does it work ? ….. It features in all the Ghostbusters films, Ghostbusters 1, Ghostbusters II, and Ghostbusters Afterlife
So buckle up for this Blog to the Future feature on the science behind Ghost catching !
How does the Ghostbusters Proton Pack work ?
Ghosbusters Proton Packs
The Proton Pack is the most powerful tool that the Ghostbusters carry on a daily basis, equipped with a power source that has a half life of 5000 years, it’s not prone to running out of power. In Ghostbusters II However, it must be recharged at times.
The Proton Pack is an ‘Unlicensed Nuclear Accelerator Backpack’ that consists of raw nuclear energy and Protons.
The Proton Pack is mounted onto an Army issue A.L.I.C.E. Pack Frame with adjustable shoulder and kidney straps and belt, the Proton Pack consists of two parts:
The Nuclear Accelerator Backpack (Proton Pack, Positron Collider, Cyclotron.) and Particle Thrower (Proton Gun, Ion Wand, Ion Cannon, Neutrona Wand.).
Once you turn the Proton Pack on, you can also switch on the Particle Thrower. The Accelerator accelerates the Protons from the Cyclotron on the pack into the Particle Thrower, and you get an extremely powerful but destructive particle stream that consists of Protons and raw nuclear energy.
This is capable of entangling a ghost against its will (An excellent way to think of the particle stream would be as a lasso for ghosts.).
"The Proton Pack is not a toy." …Egon Spengler
Proton Pack
Ghostbusters Proton Pack
All ghosts are made up of Psychokinetic Energy (Which consists of Electrons, Neutrons, and the infamous substance known as "Ectoplasm".).
The Electron is one of three elements in an Atom (The other two being the Proton and the Neutron.). Electrons carry a negative charge (As does Ectoplasm.), whereas a Neutron has no charge and a Proton has a positive charge.
Negative energy is no match for positive energy. When a person fires the particle stream at a ghost, the ghost will become entangled in the stream and will become trapped (Unless the spirit is more powerful and so the power in the stream will have to be increased accordingly.).
The Particle Thrower also features a control for stream length. This proves invaluable when tracking a ghost that floats.
The Proton Pack can disintegrate a paper cup, cut through steel, chop down big trees, and blast a dam.
The particle stream is harmless to humans on low power. It was later discovered that particle streams could be adjusted to simulate sunlight, in order to vaporize Vampires, and temporarily transform werewolves back into their human form until the next full moon; To permanently cure a werewolf, Wolfsbane Soup is needed.
The Proton Pack has two settings:
Setting 1: Attack. Generates the most energetic stream of particles, expressly designed to weaken an entity's psychokinetic energy and it's connection to our time-space continuum (referred to officially as "Ectopresence")
The GBI pack is set to still emit a weak Confinement field even in Attack mode--GBI Case File GBNY-1986-4/405 (code name "RoboBuster") demonstrates the necessity of not using a "pure" Attack mode.
Setting 2: Confinement. Generates a positively charged "cage" around the entity being confined; however, the Confinement is only effective if the entity's Ectopresence has been reduced to a valence of zero--otherwise it can easily break the Confinement stream.
Once Confined, standard procedure is to capture the entity in a Ghost Trap.
Safety Precautions:
There are two warnings about the Proton Pack that should be taken very seriously:
1) Do not cross the streams:
This process is extremely dangerous as it causes Total Protonic Reversal, which results in the molecules of any nearby person to explode at the speed of light. Information on this situation is sketchy due to the rarity of it ever happening, it has only occurred once where those participating have survived.
Please refer to the case where the Ghostbusters fought Gozer for more details.
2) Do not allow the pack to overheat:
This in some ways is similar to Total Protonic Reversal, however on a more limited scale. It is however still extremely dangerous and it is rare for a person in the vicinity to survive a blast caused by overheating.
A standard radius of destruction from four Proton Packs has been estimated as a quarter of a mile. There are twenty seconds at maximum boost before the Proton Packs overload.
Optional Extras: Rifle Scope.
F/N Adapted from information gathered from The Proton Lab.; some fan fictions have speculated additional settings on later models
The Science of The Ghostbuster's Upgraded Proton Pack
In practical terms, the Proton Pack is a miniature particle accelerator that ensnares negatively charged ectoplasmic entities inside a positively-charged proton beam.
The term "Proton Pack" is not used in the original movie at all — it was originally described as a Positron Collider.
It was not until the subway tunnel scene in the second movie that the word is actually used. So, let's take a look at the physics behind the Proton Pack and see whether it is possible to build one.
Overview of the Proton Pack
Proton Pack Parts
Easter Egg in the new film Trailer …..
· The Ghostbusters trailer contains an Easter egg hidden in the whiteboard filled with physics equations. This Easter egg goes by quickly but if you pause at just the right moment, you will see one "equation" on top is a URL that spells paranormalstudieslab.com.
Fans will recognize this is a nod to the original movie as The Paranormal Studies Lab was the name of the laboratory run by Dr. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) at Columbia University.
· Eagle-eye fans who managed to pick up on this and visit the URL will come across a hidden web page on the physics of the Proton Pack, as explained by MIT particle physicist, James Maxwell.
James curiously shares a name with James Clerk Maxwell, the Scottish physicist famous for formulating the laws of electromagnetism. The laws of electromagnetism and special relativity play an important part in the physics of the proton pack.
The Original Proton Pack: The Cyclotron
*As Maxwell points out, the original Ghostbusters Proton Pack, as designed by Dr. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), was a cyclotron.
This was one of the earliest types of particle accelerators ever developed. The device invented by Ernest O. Lawrence in 1932 works by accelerating charged particles along a spiral path.
Back then, cyclotrons were the most powerful particle accelerators around until they were replaced by the more advanced synchrotrons back in the 1950s though they are still used today in the first stage of some particle accelerators.
Inside the cyclotron, a charged particle is injected into the middle of the chamber where it is accelerated between two D-shaped electrodes or "dees."
In the case of the Ghostbusters' Proton Pack, that charged particle is a positron or positively charged electron. The magnetic field passing through the dees bends the particle's path, making it travel in a circle, while the electric field between the dees accelerates the particle, giving it a "kick" to make it go faster.
When the positron beam has enough energy, it strikes a metal target to release a beam of protons.
The kick the particle gets from the electric field is very similar to a parent pushing a child on a swing. If a parent times the push at just the right moment, the child gains more energy and swings higher and higher.
Instead of having one parent pushing from behind, there is also an adult in front who pushes in the opposite direction. If that parent in front also pushes at the right moment (and does not get hit in the face), the child will gain more energy and continue to swing higher and higher with each push.
Just as the child on the swing in our example gets two pushes, the positron gets two kicks. It gets one kick as it passes through the gap but as it circles back and passes through the dee in the opposite direction, the electric field switches direction to give it another kick.
This was a significant advance over previous particle accelerators. Previous accelerators, or linacs, just accelerated particles along straight lines. Inside the cyclotron, the magnetic field bends the beam, making it curve back on itself so it could pass through the gap where it could be accelerated multiple times. As the particle gains more energy, it spirals outward.
When the particles reach the rim, they exit the dees through a small gap to hit a metal target located at some point beyond the rim of the chamber.
This creates secondary particles, in this case protons (the positively charged partice found in the nucleus of an atom), which may be guided outside of the cyclotron and into instruments for analysis.
Proton beams look nothing like in the movie. Proton beams are (usually) collimated, i.e., they travel in straight lines. In the movies, they are seen to whip about and undulate wildly; this is probably done for visual effect.
Proton Pack Upgrade: The Synchrotron
The size of the accelerator is not the only practical consideration. As the positron spirals outward, it needs to sync up with each "kick," or the cyclotron resonant frequency.
This is the time it takes for the particle to complete a circle and depends on the strength of the magnetic field, the electric charge, and its mass.
If the particles go fast enough to approach light speed, its mass increases as relativistic effects come into play. This changes the cyclotron resonance and the beam goes out of phase with the oscillating electric field — the particle beam no longer gets the kicks at the right time.
The classical cyclotron is therefore only capable of accelerating particles up to a few percent of the speed of light.
To get even higher energy particles, the synchrotron solves this problem by varying the strength of the magnetic field. As the speed increases so too does the magnetic field. Instead of moving out in a spiral, the changing magnetic field exerts a greater centripetal force on thfaster-moving particle to keep it along the same circular path.
This means that the Proton Pack seen in the reboot is a far more powerful accelerator (Go, Erin!) but the science does not stop there.
To make all this possible, the Ghostbusters have to find a way to generate the much stronger magnetic fields needed to keep a charged particle moving in a circular path about the size of a back pack. To do this, they turn to superconductors and cryogen systems to generate these magnetic fields.
And Powerful Magnet to keep it Compact
To get the intense magnetic fields to make a synchrotron work, the Proton Pack uses superconduting magnets.
The resistance of all metals becomes lower as they as cooled but superconductors are special. At a certain critical temperature, their resistace falls to zero.
This means that an electric current flowing through a loop of superconducting wire can persist indefinitely with no power source. This allows superconductors to handle much larger currents than metallic conductors to produce more intense magnetic fields.
To achieve this, superconducting magnets need to be kept cold, at cryognic temperatures.
The new Proton Pack needs a cryogen system, possibly using liquid Helium to keep the superconductors at approximately minus 269.15 degrees Celsius or minus 452.47 Fahrenheit.
This keeps the superconductors at the temperatures they need to be to handle the large currents needed to generate the intense magentic fields for the synchrotron.
Crossing Streams: Does the Science Measure Up?
In an interview, Maxwell said that the movie's director Paul Feig made a lot of effort to make the science in Ghostbusters seem as realistic as possible, as we can see from the Proton Pack's blueprints.
Maxwell points out in the video that, while the science behind the Proton Pack is sound, there are limitations. For one, it's not possible to actually build a synchrotron particle accelerator into an actual back pack.
The technical considerations, e.g., getting the intense magnetic fields to make things work, are not practical.
One of the interesting challenges as one of the show's science advisers was figuring how actual science and technology could influence the prop design.
As a fan of the original Ghostbusters, he admitted that seeing scientists play the role of heroes, and saving the day, was one of the things that piqued his interest in the sciences as a child.
Hopefully, layering real physics into an awesome science based ghost-fighting weapon will do the same when the new Ghostbusters comes out, and capture a new generation of scientists like it did James Maxwell.
To find out more fun Future Facts by clicking our Blogs below……….!!! Please Share …..
Ghostbuster - Ecto 1
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/3/31/ghostbusters-ecto-1
Cars of Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/10/the-cars-of-back-to-the-future-55-
Back to the Future Fashion
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/19/back-to-the-future-fashion-te2yx
Ariel Leader
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/17/ariel-leader
Back to the Future - Hill Valley History
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/2/hill-valley-history-jxrr4
Back to the Future Gadgets and Trends we have in 2021
Doc Browns Biography and the History of his DeLorean Time Machine
Marty McFly Biography also featuring Biff, George, Jennifer, Loranine
Back to the Future - Hill Valley History
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/2/2/hill-valley-history
Back to the Future - Detailed storyline
Back to the Future - How to generate 1.21 Giggawatts / Jiggawatts with Mr Fusion
What is a Fat Bike ? And where did the idea of Fat Bikes come from ?
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/1/10/fat-bike-what-is-a-fat-bike-history
The Time Paradox explained - Back to the Future
The Sinclair C5
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2021/1/9/sinclair-c5-
Mini Jeep Mini Review
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/minicoolsterjeepreview
Hoverboards - Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/12/13/hoverboards-
How does the Time Machine work - Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/11/22/how-does-the-time-machine-work
The DeLorean Motor Company - What did it fail ? Or did it ?
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/11/22/whydiddeloreanmotorcompanyfail
The DeLorean Motor Company - History
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/2020/11/22/deloreanmotorcompany
The Flux Capacitor - Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/fluxcapacitor
Is Time Travel Possible ? And what would it take ? Back to the Future
https://www.sandstoneproductions.co.uk/blogtothefuture/istimetravelpossible
The Proton Pack