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Death Star Science: The Physics Of Destroying An Earth-Sized Planet
StartsWithABang writes: The ability to destroy an Alderaan-like (or, ahem, Earth-like) planet has long been the dream of slashdotters everywhere. But generating the power necessary to unbind a planet — some 2.24 x 10^32 Joules — is simply impossible on board an object only the size of a small moon. But if, instead, you could house a 1-2 trillion ton asteroid (about 5-7 km across) made of antimatter and deliver it to the planet's core, Einstein's E=mc^2 ensures that the planet will be destroyed in seconds.
Please stop, Ethan. You make me want to amputate my brain.
It isn't a normal laser, it is a gravity laser. The gravity laser compresses all of the matter in the way to the point where fusion occurs between all elements. This lets you poke a whole through the planet since the beam can get past the matter it has already compressed. While the beam is still on it will be pulling more and more of the planet into it. When you get enough captured in the beam, turn it off and left the compressed matter explodes via nuclear fusion.