Magnetic Deflectors

Magnetic deflectors, also known as magnetic field projectors and energy shields, are a type of device that project an artificial magnetic field around an object, usually a spaceship or space station. Their main function, particularly on civilian vessels, is to shield the object they contain and its occupants from radiation, but they are also used to protect against various types of weapons. When a ship or station is approached by a kinetic projectile or charged particle beam, an onboard artifical intelligence is capable of briefly "flaring" the deflectors, increasing their intensity to delfect in incoming attack away from the vessel. This technique can also disrupt missiles, though they are usually capable of rapidly correcting themselves. Neutral particle beams and lasers cannot be deflected this way, so more advanced deflector systems are capable of flooding their projected magnetic field with plasma, which can absorb or diffract such projected energy weapons.