By the time the torpedo leaves the barrel, the base plate has burned away, exposing the secondary propellant charge. This is then ignited by one of two lasers located in each gun. The lasers alternately engage each projectile that exits the weapon, igniting the secondary propellant. The burning of the propellant produces considerable plasma plume as exhaust, resulting in the appearance of visual �beam�.
Computer targeting allows the computer to make small adjustments to the lasers, allowing for slight vector adjustments to the torpedoes. This significantly increases strike and kill probabilities against enemy craft. Cylon weapons do not utilize this functionality. Additionally, the Cylon projectiles contain less propellant than do Colonial torpedoes, shortening their acceleration range. Cylon weapons are therefore best considered unguided projectiles.
Colonial projectiles also have a small layer of tertiary propellant that is self sustaining, in the event that the projectile has not encountered a target by the time the secondary propellant is expended. This allows for a slight increase in effective range.
The burning of the propellant also served to charge the impact capacitors of the detonator through thermionic conversion.
The Colonials utilize an explosive called Lason in their torpedoes. This consists of a high-density crystalline material (current Earth experiments at MIT use yttrium-silicate in conjunction with the rare earth praseodymium) that holds high intensity laser light in a tightly contained suspension. On impact, the torpedo breaks open and the detonator fires a femto-second laser pulse that detonates the Lason, which expands, then encapsulates and immolates the target.
While the Cylon weapon system and projectile is somewhat simpler than that of the Colonials, its fuse is more complex. This is an attempt to increase kill probability in light of the more inaccurate nature of the Cylon weapons systems. The fuse system includes a proximity sensor and timer system as well as an impact detonator. The Cylons utilize Coralax as an explosive. Coralax is an unstable isotope of tylium, suspended in a magnetically charged iridium matrix. Coralax is highly radioactive, and in the course of breaking down emits poisonous particles of exotic matter, such as pluton.
In LL, the crew of the Pegasus utilized a sabot to fire Cylon ammunition.
