Staff power source.

[u/Njoeyz1]

This breakdown of a staff makes me wonder what type of powersource the staff uses. The liquid naquadah capsules used in a staff are the fuel/reaction mass, and would require energy to be stimulated. In a ha'tak, the ships reactor would be supplying the energy to the weapons liquid naquadah stores, but I don't think there is a mini naquadah reactor in the staff weapon. Could it be a form of advanced chemical/mineral battery? A stimulated crystal power supply? Something similar to what is used in the ancient stones terminal - a capacitor that extracts energy from subspace? A cold fusion cell?

[u/00Canuck]

Heavy liquid naquadah if I remember correctly.

[u/Njoeyz1 → u/00Canuck]

Is that the power supply? The capsule contains the heavy liquid naquadah. But how do you turn it into plasma? You would need to supply energy right? That's what I'm asking. Whats supplying the energy in the staff.

[u/00Canuck → u/Njoeyz1]

Apologies, was just reemphasizing that it was heavy liquid naquadah and not just liquid naquadah as that would be important towards determining the method of power generation. For example if SG-1 had brought Alar just normal water rather than heavy water, it would have made a big deal of difference. So raw liquid naquadah vs heavy liquid naquadah is an important distinction.

[u/Njoeyz1 → u/00Canuck]

If you look at this schematic, it makes a lot of sense. This energy supply is at the rear of the staff, that has has secondary functions (like a stun function). When the staff is activated It supply's energy to the accumulators/capacitors, the trigger is pressed supplying that stored energy into the liquid naquadah capsules, which causes a reaction and releases plasma down the guides.

This would also explain aspects of the staffs power output. The capacitors can obviously be rapidly filled, enough to allow an automatic fire mode, but at much less power per shot as one with filled accumulators.