Ganska mycket den enda typen av tekniska kommentarer av saker som detta (som jag vet) kommer från här . Merparten av analysen kommer från ram-för-ramanalys av filmerna, tillsammans med extrapoleringar från realvärldens fysik.
Han tar på sig är det här:
There is no sure answer in terms of real life science; so far we can only place constraints on the nature of the beam by making careful observations about the filmed behaviour. The shots create light which is emitted sideways, otherwise the bolts would not be seen. The visible bolts appear to travel at various velocities, which usually appear to be slower than the speed of light. However there is an invisible component of the beam which often propagates far ahead of the visible bolt. The invisible forerunner is probably an aspect of the fundamental beam itself, and the luminosity of the bolt is a side-effect. The forerunner beam is known to damage targets before the visible bolts arrive, and this component of the shot may actually propagate at lightspeed.