Deadly High tech weapon?

Question

Which would be deadlier, a high powered Laser, or a large electron gun running on the same amount of electricity as that Laser?
I'm basically thinking of the electron arcs from Spealdberg's 'War of the Worlds' that the aliens use...but I have no idea what an alectron gun would go in reality.

I don't care what is affective against alien invaders, I just want to know the facts about using lasers or electron guns as weapons.

Answer 1

The word laser stands for Light Amplification through Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers emit electromagnetic radiation, or light wave/particles. Light is relatively easy to generate by exciting the electrons of a substance with energy. The excited electrons of the substance jump up an electron level, entering an unstable state. The electron wishes to become more stable and so falls back down to its initial electron level, releasing the energy that it had absorbed in the form of a photon, or light wave/particle. The photons can be directed in a tight laser beam over a great distance if properly focused.
Harnessing electrons is quite a bit more tricky. To separate electrons completely from a substance, you must raise its temperature up to the plasma state, the hottest state of matter which is the next state up from gas, in which the atoms are so excited and moving around so rapidly that they cannot hold on to their electrons. Only then would it be possible to have a laser like emition of electrons. Certain isotopes undergo what is know as Beta minus decay, producing Beta radiation, which is just a fancy way of saying that the emitted radiation is an electron. Radiation emittedin this manner would most likely not be usable in a weaponized form. For that matter, the plasma method would likely not be an effective weapon, due to the fact that beta radiation can be blocked by materials such as clothing, and the nature of the electrons would mean that attenuation due to impingement on the atoms of air between it and the target would mean a rather short effectiveness range.
However, I have seen some prototype experimental less-than-lethal electricity weapons that may be used for riot control or some similar situations. One of the weapons ionized air in a blower, creating a cone of ionized air in front of the weapon to allow electricity to pass through it. Electricity is passed through the air and the result looks like a lightning bolt continuously protruding from the front of the gun, reaching out about 15 feet. The other method that I have seen utilized a small explosion to vaporize and propel small metal particles in front of the gun. The electrical arc could reach out to about 60 feet in front of the gun, depending on the dispersion of the metallic cloud. Both of these weapons would cause immense pain to individuals caught in their path, but would likely not cause death.
Hope that this explanation answers your question.

Answer 2

Electrons lose energy through collisions with air molecules. It is also easier to focus a beam of photos than charged particles like electrons. So the laser weapon is more powerful and can go longer distance

Answer 3

Laser. Electricity is too easily deflected, shielded against. But against aliens, just sneeze.

Answer 4

Well documented fact that aliens don't like water. Try blowing bubbles.