Plasma Weaponization & Der Wunderwaffe

[NaBrZHunter]

DISCLAIMER: As a a stickler for canon accuracy and a fan of the story masterminded by the team at Treyarch, I do not presume to know for sure the processes and fictional (or real) science behind the concepts presented at any point in the CoD Zombies storyline outside of what has been expressly released to the community. My intention is for my own sake and for all others who are interested in exploring the possibility of a semi-realistic explanation for many of the incredible things we have encountered over the last 6 years, and doing so based as solidly as possible upon what we know to be absolutely true about CoDZ, while remaining open to debate on such content as is not, so as to avoid misleading anyone who invests the time in reading my works.

That being said, here's to you, Treyarch! Hope my speculation does due honor to y'all's ingenuity!

-NaBrZHunter

PLEASE NOTE: CERTAIN CONCEPTS PRESENTED IN THIS THESIS ARE KNOWN TO CONTRADICT THE IN-GAME USE OF COLD CELL BATTERIES IN THE RAY GUN. THE SUBJECT IS BEING RESEARCHED TO FIND AN EXPLANATION THAT DOES NOT CONTRADICT ZOMBIES CANON.

Lately, in preparation for the launch of Der Bunker, I have been studying and indexing all the significant statements made by all characters across all the zombies maps to date to build up a canon 'repository,' and it was during one of these sessions that Nikolai mentions the Ray Gun being a "hot plasma" weapon. 

Although I am a dedicated realist as regards the Zombies universe, I have never given the Ray Gun and how it works much thought until today; so over the course of this disquisition I'll be exploring a process that could explain in detail how the ray gun (wunderwaffe DG-1) worked. 

A few things to keep in mind as we go:

***DER RIESE *SERVANT* SAMPLE A00359***

What follows is the chronological primary sample from the Der Riese project “Datenbediensteter” (translated: DATA SERVANT). Sample was acquired from CIA asset based out of Vozrozhdeniya in the Soviet Union and is translated from its original German Below:

***SERVANT ENTRY A00359***

Ray Gun summary:

Prototype developed by

Doctor Ludvig Maxis,

Origin: Der Riese facility

Based on designs seized from

Rising Sun facility at SNN.

Powered by Element 115, Ray Gun works on microwave technology and discharges a burst of green plasma energy between 220 and 230V.

***DER RIESE *SERVANT* SAMPLE A00115***

***SERVANT ENTRY A00115***

Element 115 overview:

Sources include meteors found in Shi No Numa, Tunguska, Groom Lake, Der Riese, and the Moon (Confirmed via Astronomical team)

Applications include: Transporter technology, power source for DG-2, General weapon upgrades.

Side effects include: Reanimation of dead cells, via inherent electrical properties.

First of all, I want to point out that 115 (Unumpentium, chemical symbol Uup) is, as we all know, is a fundamental part of what powers a ray gun, which some have assumed is what makes up the rings/rays; however I intend to debunk that theory in the following few paragraphs. So without further ado...

Most of us learned that there are three states of matter: GAS, LIQUID, & SOLID; however, PLASMA has been placed somewhere beside/between gas and liquid, by which I mean it is capable of having a form and volume seemingly closer to a liquid, while having a more gaseous trait in that it can be created by heating gas, while liquid is the opposite.

Plasma is created in one of two circumstances: extreme heat or a powerful electromagnetic field created by a microwave generator, either process resulting in an increase or decrease in the number of electrons in the subjected element, causing the creation of ions which increases the element's electrical conductivity, a property that is fundamental to the process of creating a 115-powered weapon. However, just as importantly, we must create the proper conditions. 

In order to retain form and volume, plasma must be contained/under pressure in addition to being subject to the aforementioned conditions throughout its lifespan or else it will eventually return to a gaseous state, which brings into consideration a number of factors which I will discuss in order:

1. The Catalyst
2. The Subjected Element
3. Open Air Exposure

The Catalyst

Straight up 115. This we know from the Der Riese Datenbediensteter, "powered by Element 115, Ray Gun works on microwave technology and discharges a burst of green plasma energy between 220 and 230V." Later, in the Element 115 overview, we find that the Element's, "side effects include: reanimation of dead cells, via inherent electrical properties."

Element 115 is the electromagnetic catalyst and "fuel," if I may, that is used to convert a gas to plasma, which is made of an element contained within the cartridge which is loaded in the break-open front/body of the gun, while the 115 can be seen through the transparent cover that surrounds the cartridge, presumably to allow the user to determine certain visible indications of its state.

 

The Subjected Element

Once again, I quote the Ray Gun Overview from the Datenbediensteter, where it indicates that the weapon "discharges a burst of green plasma energy."

First of all, while Element 115 has indeed been shown to have a solid state and a liquid state, the odds of reaching a gaseous state, much less a plasma state have yet to be determined. Lots of evidence points to it being kinetically effective, again, "side effects include: reanimation of dead cells, via inherent electrical properties," which would seem to indicate that those exposed to it suffer contamination from airborne particles as well as visible solids having electromagnetic radiation strong enough to reanimate dead cells in corpses and cause dementia in the living even when not deliberately injected, but not from off-gassing.

Secondly, it would be far more economical for Richtofen to use a noble gas, native to our atmosphere; in this case it would appear he used Xenon, based on the color of the rings themselves and which, although not necessarily plentiful, still exists within our atmosphere, whereas 115 does not. Additionally, ionization is far more easily achieved with an element that is already gaseous at a normal temperature as opposed to an element that is clearly very dense, as is the case with 115, capable of withstanding entry into the atmosphere and impact with earth with minimal effect on its elemental and physical integrity.

Taking all things into consideration, it is also worth noting that discharging actual 115 from a weapon is not only extremely dangerous, capable of quickly converting a relatively large area into a radioactive bio hazard, but to dispense of it as ammunition would also be highly wasteful, especially considering how the amount of 115 necessary to power the wonder weapons and teleporters was significant enough to nearly deplete the supply.

So with that in mind, it stands to reason that the bursts of plasma from the ray gun are simply a noble gas, which, as I speculated, could be Xenon (Xe/54), as, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, the electrically charged gaseous form of Xenon can appear blue or green, not to mention that it had been discovered in 1898 and was therefore known at the time, and is actually still used today in Deep Space satellites' "ionic thrusters."

Essentially, then, a cartridge of compressed Xe, containing a single activation (Plasma Conversion) electrode inside and at the back end would be loaded into the central cylinder until it made contact with the coil at the rear of the cylinder. The cylinder would then be closed, completing a circuit, activating the Uup circulation coils (the first "zip" that is heard), and finally, once the 115 has reached operating momentum, a current is sent to the Plasma Conversion Electrode Coil, which zaps the Xe inside the cartridge, completing the ionization process and creating a ball of plasma. 

 

The trigger system is elementary and debatable, in this particular blueprint being a spring-resistant "shutter," which releases the pressurized plasma in bursts, the form of which is maintained by two smaller Uup coils, the Electromagnetic Maintenance Coil before being released in a ring formation around the Plasma Release Electrode, which might be explained as a final attempt to maintain plasma's very fragile form, which brings us to the final point...

 

Open Air Exposure

As mentioned before, plasma must be contained and formed by an electromagnetic field in order to maintain shape, therefore, the moment it leaves the Plasma Ejection Node, it begins to deionize and dissipate. That is where Uup, being such a highly electromagnetic element, makes all the difference. While the deionization is evident in the color of the rays, accompanied by the decrease in diameter caused by dissipation, (yes, I do mean decrease) their repeatedly formed and electrically infused properties give them a longer lifespan, while the conversion to plasma also causes extreme heat thanks to the electromagnetic field and pressure, hence the achievement "Face Melter."

 

Wunderwaffe DG-2

Very briefly (I need sleep...I've been working on this since 10 AM) I want to mention the fundamental difference between the classic Ray Gun and our beloved Wunderwaffe DG-2. In theory, the two essentially work the same way, except that instead of a brief ring of charged plasma, the DG-2 actually would seem to release a quick "beam" of plasma, (potentially Argon (AR/18), in this case, considering the purple hint in color and the fact that Ar is far more plentiful than Xe) which is then hit with a concentrated electrical pulse from the Electrical Nodes around the central Plasma Ejection Node.

 This variation basically turns the plasma beam into a literal bolt of lightning, frying its target, and "splashing" to nearby targets upon impact.

The deionization of the plasma is far more evident in the DG-2 due to the jagged pattern of the plasma as it is electrocuted. Additionally, the range is decreased and the magazine smaller due to the greater volume of plasma used with each shot. It is, however, at a comparative range, more deadly than the DG-1

 

Well, due to the hour, my eloquence wanes, so I'll simply say: that's all for me, folks! 

One final thought, however...

During my research, I made a rather surprising discovery about Xenon. It is a trace gas in our atmosphere, making up approximately 11.5 parts per million. 

Mind Blown. New theory.

This has been NaBrZHunter, signing off.

 

Edited September 16, 2015 by NaBrZHunter
Disclaimer Added

[Vintage Misery]

Very interesting indeed.

Have to ask though, anything about cold cell technology?
I heard that somewhere that the Ray Gun uses cold cell ammunition.

Feel free to bullshit me on that but it interests me.

Another thing, why exactly does the Vunder Vaffe jump to other zombies(I am aware of the "jumps" lightning strikes take as well)?
 

I feel so newby right now, I've been letting myself go, plus my coffee is horrible.

[NaBrZHunter]

Very interesting indeed.

Have to ask though, anything about cold cell technology?
I heard that somewhere that the Ray Gun uses cold cell ammunition.

Feel free to bullshit me on that but it interests me.

Another thing, why exactly does the Vunder Vaffe jump to other zombies(I am aware of the "jumps" lightning strikes take as well)?
 

I feel so newby right now, I've been letting myself go, plus my coffee is horrible.

I actually appreciate you asking that question. That is something that is not mentioned in any documentation or quotes, however, it does appear that what is loaded in-game is actually a battery, which has the brand "ATOMO" and is labeled "Cold Cell Battery." What exactly a cold cell battery is I can't seem to find. I don't believe it's been discussed before, and based on the fact that I can't find any real-world Google results for it...I'm thinking it doesn't exist. But I'm holding my breath on that comment until I get off work and can study more. 

I may need to revise the blueprint and hypothesis to a certain extent, but that actually helps fill in a couple gaps in my concept. 

According to my hypothesis, it is due to the electrified plasma splash/scatter that takes place when coming in contact with a solid (the target). 

No worries! CoDZ is the place to get up to speed! Thanks for the feedback-I will get back with you about the CCB and how it may integrate into this concept. 

And I feel ya on the bad coffee. Sometimes I prefer to sit in miserable exhaustion than to drink bad coffee.

[PINNAZ]

 

[NaBrZHunter]

"Theory Accountability Report," Part 1: 

@PINNAZ @Vintage Misery

I'm getting some results in my research for atomic cold cells, cold fusion, cold fission, and atomic batteries. Definitely have some holes in my original thesis. Will edit the post with more info as it becomes available and applicable. And thanks, Pinnaz, for the battery image.

[Guest]

I um, this needs to be stickied. This is like a perfect post in my eyes. I was really excited to see this but I didn't think the post would be as good of a read as it was. I shouldn't have underestimated how good the post would've been really since you have been amazing with theories and the like lately. Amazing post.

Also to just fuel the fire about the Xenon thing, on the Moon loading screen there is a belt called a Xenon belt.

[NaBrZHunter]

I um, this needs to be stickied. This is like a perfect post in my eyes. I was really excited to see this but I didn't think the post would be as good of a read as it was. I shouldn't have underestimated how good the post would've been really since you have been amazing with theories and the like lately. Amazing post.

Also to just fuel the fire about the Xenon thing, on the Moon loading screen there is a belt called a Xenon belt.

Dude, this was really encouraging. Thanks!!!

NO SHYTE? I actually...never knew that. Whoa. Man, we need to talk. I've got a very special theory on Xenon, and sometimes I feel like a need a second brain. In the last couple days I have accrued six theories, and only one (this one) has made it onto paper, and it now needs heavy research and revision (see Cold Cell Battery discrepancy.)

[Guest]

I have skype if you want, its my name with no caps or spaces so we could talk there. I would love to talk about theories. Also you should look into that Xenon Belt thing because I have never made heads or tails of it in the story.

[NaBrZHunter]

I have skype if you want, its my name with no caps or spaces so we could talk there. I would love to talk about theories. Also you should look into that Xenon Belt thing because I have never made heads or tails of it in the story.

Okaydoke! I will try to hit you up ASAP-it's been crazy lately, but I should.

[Vintage Misery]

Cold Cell Batteries sound like Nitrogen-Atomic batteries which create a plasma like substance upon firing the trigger of the ray gun.

[anonymous]

@NaBrZHunter so there have been Raygun blueprints in BO4:

Spoiler

 

 

 

On the blueprint of the Mark II it is said that this second generation weapon runs on the same microwave technology as the Mark I, but with better focussing in creating a more effective burst of plasma energy. Therefore, I won’t treat the Mark II separately, as it is basically the same weapon but in a different model.

The first time we learned something about the technology of the Ray Gun was in the vbush files of Black Ops I, where it was said that “powered by Element 115, Ray Gun works on microwave technology and discharges a burst of green plasma energy between 220 and 230V”. Fans already theorized that it is powered by a combination of Element 115 and Cold Fusion Technology, creating "Cold Cell Batteries" to be inserted into the gun as ammunition, as we can actually see these batteries in-game.

This is fully confirmed by the Ray Gun blueprints, as one of them states that the technology runs on ‘Dv115 + LENR’. Dv115 stands for Divinium115, whilst LENR stands for Low-Energy-Nuclear-Reactions, or Cold Fusion. What’s the science behind this? Nuclear fission is what happens in nuclear plants, splitting an atom into two. Nuclear fusion is the opposite, blasting two atoms together to create one, but humanity hasn’t mastered this yet and it is merely known to happen in very hot stars and suns.

Contrary to this ‘normal nuclear fusion’ that occurs at extreme heath, LENR is a nuclear fission that hypothetically takes place at normal room temperature. Since the 1920s, there has been speculation that this may be possible at much lower temperatures by catalytically fusing hydrogen absorbed in a metal catalyst. In case of the Ray Gun, it looks like Group 935 achieved it by using Div115 as the metal catalyst in an electrolytic cell (these are the Cold Cell batteries).

This is an example of a regular electrolytic cell. In case of the Ray Gun, there runs an electric potential of 220V on the grid, and Div115 is the medium within the battery. Electrolysis cells can be either open cell or closed cell. In open cell systems, the electrolysis products, which are gaseous, are allowed to leave the cell. I think something similar with plasma occurs in the Ray Gun, with a plasmalized material blasting out of the weapon’s barrel. So it is not 115, but another chemical compound that is fired, exactly like you mentioned in this thread. In case it is Xenon, why the red colour when Pack-a-Punched? Not to mention is that Meh once said that Xenon-525 is a rumoured compound supposedly used in Die Glocke experiments. Relevant?

[clueless]

10 minutes ago, anonymous said:

The first time we learned something about the technology of the Ray Gun was in the vbush files of Black Ops I, where it was said that “powered by Element 115, Ray Gun works on microwave technology and discharges a burst of green plasma energy between 220 and 230V”. Fans already theorized that it is powered by a combination of Element 115 and Cold Fusion Technology, creating "Cold Cell Batteries" to be inserted into the gun as ammunition, as we can actually see these batteries in-game.

 

I mentioned this in the Discord a while back, but figured this is an appropriate moment for this - if the voltage required for the Ray Gun is between 220-230V and uses two (Cold Cell) Batteries in series (above picture is how they are put into the Ray Gun when reloading), that means each battery has about 115V. Cheeky Treyarch.

13 minutes ago, anonymous said:

This is an example of a regular electrolytic cell. In case of the Ray Gun, there runs an electric potential of 220V on the grid, and Div115 is the medium within the battery. Electrolysis cells can be either open cell or closed cell. In open cell systems, the electrolysis products, which are gaseous, are allowed to leave the cell. I think something similar with plasma occurs in the Ray Gun, with a plasmalized material blasting out of the weapon’s barrel. So it is not 115, but another chemical compound that is fired, exactly like you mentioned in this thread. In case it is Xenon, why the red colour when Pack-a-Punched? Not to mention is that Meh once said that Xenon-525 is a rumoured compound supposedly used in Die Glocke experiments. Relevant?

Since plasma is superheated gas, it's not too far of a reach to say the high voltage overheats the gas as it leaves the cell, creating the plasma discharge. Plasma coloration is based on its ionized energy level; that is, other elements involved in the plasma will change its coloration. Given that and the color change after Pack-a-Punching it, I'd think that green is the energy color for the basic 220/230V Ray Gun and the red is when even more aethereal energy gets mixed in with the plasma, vastly increasing its ionized energy (and damage).