Explosion contained in the depths of a crystal: how would it work?

Far in the future, I have a bomb about to detonate in the skies above my city, a real city/province killer. A hero dramatically manages to enclose the bomb at the moment of detonation in a living crystalline metal matrix, saving the city...or maybe only part of the city, I haven't figured that out yet.

The heat, energies, shockwaves, radiation, everything (I think) are reflected on one another by the crystal metal. Like a hall of mirrors reflecting your image back on one another indefinitely. The detonation is contained and compressed inside this living crystal metal resulting in a small glowing crystal artifact or cocoon (yes, this will increase the yield of the explosion IF it does ever manage to finish exploding).

Having watched way too much Doctor Who, I have imagined something that looks like a 'White-Point Star Diamond' but with none of the dimensional time lock/link characteristics. Just literally an explosion contained in a crystal cocoon.

'Normal' physics applies, no magic. Which is why I used the science-based tag. The only thing 'strange' in this story-world is the living crystal metal (that also does have some quantum entanglement issues, i.e, spooky action at a distance)

• the living crystal metal is an alien symbiotic substance that will form an exceptionally strong (and malleable, not brittle) reflective cocoon around the explosion.
• the living crystal metal shape can only be destroyed by; the person who created it willing it to cease, the creator dying, being struck multiple times by another living crystal metal item, or a massive amount of energy (i.e the bomb blast itself, may wear down the crystal metal from the inside)
  • to prevent accidental release of all the pent up energy, several individual's add several buffer layers of living crystal metal around the Cocoon - even if the explosion does break through one bond, there are still several more layers before the big badda boom.

First off, bearing in mind Far-future and advanced phlebotinum, What sort of explosion definitely would/wouldn't work in this situation? The bomb makers have a tendency to base their weapons on light but this particular bomb could always be new/old tech, so anything I should be aware of?

I imagine that with time the potential energy of the bomb will increase exponentially by being contained in a reflective substance. I have several ideas to help with this but am not sure which would actually help the most or do harm.

• constant 'feeding' of the crystal metal to replenish cocoon strength, or

• periodic 'feeding' of the crystal metal to replenish cocoon strength,

• occasional release of the pent up energy (this could be dangerous, and dramatic),

• the energy from the explosion actually provides the energy to maintain the cocoon rather than wear it down?

Secondly How will the energy from the explosion react to being constrained by a reflective surface?

and Thirdly (BONUS) How will the energy from the explosion react IF it were to be suddenly released? I'm thinking 'end of the world...'. How bad are we talking?

posted about 8 years ago

EveryBitHelps‭

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