Laser Bombs

[why06]

Hi!<br />I read once that as the enregy builds up in aruby laser as photons keep striking atoms and emits more photons that basically the energy would reach such a high level inside the chamber it would literally blow up! Could a stronger version of this be used as a actual weapon. right? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[chriscdc]

No because you need to excite the electrons on the ruby atoms first which requires energy, which requires a power source. Therefore it is a bomb in the same way that if you passed several million amps though a 13 amp fuse it becomes a bomb.

 

[yevaud]

Exactly. If it was inside a sealed environment, the heat would eventually cause the presure inside to grow and ultimately explode. But conventional explosives are far more efficient. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[why06]

what if was a kind of gas laser that only caught fire at the high temperatures a laser can produce and say this gas was highly explosive.<font color="red"><br /></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[yevaud]

Even so. Explosives are specifically designed for that old "Bang" effect. What you propose isn't. Not efficient enough. But it's a neat thought though, hmm?<br /><br />If you heat a sealed can on a stove, it'll do the same thing - eventually explode - for the same reasons. The heat = presure = exceeds the ability of the can to contain it. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[why06]

well I gave it a shot ... unless anyone elshas any ideas...? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[yevaud]

See, this is a classic test in the electronics world. I know, as I passed it once, and got hired for a most excellent job.<br /><br />The boss shows me a black box - a blank area on a schematic. He says, "you have x voltage going in here, and y voltage going in here, and z voltage going in here. What does this do?"<br /><br />My answer "either generate a hell of lot of heat, or explode, given what I'm *not* shown on the schematic."<br /><br />It was the proper answer. That voltage has got to go somewhere, and if it's just a box, it'll probably reappear as heat. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Differential Diagnosis:  </em>"<strong><em>I am both amused and annoyed that you think I should be less stubborn than you are</em></strong>."<br /> </p> </div>

 

[why06]

I would post more ideasbut as I think about them I find I begin doubting my self of their actually believability <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[nexium]

Go ahead and post. One of them may be a real gem. Even the smartest people have more duds than sucessful ideas, but we miss the gems unless we keep on piching ideas. Neil

 

[webtaz99]

Actually, what happens to the atoms in a lasing medium is that they get exited to a higher energy level. The "a" in laser means "amplification" - each photon released will exite another atom, which will also release another photon. But the photons are all at the same wavelength, and a given atom of lasing medium will only absorb 1 of those photons, and once it is excited it will not absorb more energy from the same wavelength until it releases that energy and drops back to its original state. And what actually happens is that the percentage of excited atoms reaches a certain level (known as population inversion), and the lasing effect is triggered. The only way to keep "pumping" the atoms to higher energy levels is to keep increasing the wavelength of pump photons. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[why06]

I've Kind of forgot what I was talking about now but.......<br />Wait!!!....hold on...I think im getting it back now... Oh yeah....now I remember....<br /><br />I was saying if possibly if we used alaser made out of some other material than ruby that when the atoms were excited in it would explode only when its exposed to a powerfuls light-possibly a phospherus-<br /><br />---Do you understand what Im Saying <img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[webtaz99]

There are light-triggered explosives, but they have a rather obvious safety issue. <br /><br />The bottom line is that photons just aren't that explosive.<br /><br />There is a kind of mutation of that concept. There are "laser cannons" that use a photopolymer medium. A stick of plastic serves as the lasing medium, and when triggered by a flashlamp, the chemicals in the polymer react to supply energy for the lasing process. After the stick produces its pulse, it is ejected and replaced by another, creating a "semi-automatic laser cannon". The technique is being looked at for "not-quite-blinding" weapons use, or for overloading optical sensors. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[chriscdc]

Sorry, but your explanation of a laser appears inaacurate.<br /><br />First you have to excite the atoms to a certain state. From this state the atoms can either spontenously drop to the next lower level or can be stimulated to drop to this level by interacting with a photon. So you have a number of atoms that are excited by a high energy photon. One then drops to a lower level, which causes further atoms to drop to a lower level as the photon passes it. This is the Amplification and the Stimulated part of LASER. In order to use the same atom again you need to wait for it to first lose any extra energy and then hit it with the pump photon again. The pump photon does not need to increase in wavelength at all. Increasing the wavelength will make it impossible for the atoms to absorb the photon as it now has a lower energy than the allowed bands.

 

[chew_on_this]

If I recall correctly, the electrons in the atom are excited and jump to a higher state. They then drop back down releasing the energy in a ordered fashion (coherent light).

 

[chriscdc]

Yes electrons. But seeing as the most relevent aspect to an atom in this situation are the electrons and that I didn't feel like deviating too much from the post I was correcting, I used atoms instead of electrons.<br /><br />The only reason why the light released is coherent is because it was stimulated by the other photon passing it. Essentially the two photons are in sync.

 

[why06]

Of course there not but they point is maybe if this device was contained to build up energy it might explode a lot more violently if the electrons were in an ecited state when they were exposed to light. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[why06]

Just some extra info....from certain sites:<br /><br />From : http://learn.caim.yale.edu/chemsafe/references/reactives.html<br /><br />1. "Pyrophoric materials ignite spontaneously when exposed to the oxygen and or moisture in air at or below 130oF. These must be stored under water, mineral oil or an inert dry atmosphere depending on the substance. Examples: phosphorus, titanium dichloride, tributylaluminum, sodium, and lithium hydride"<br /><br />2. "Some materials, such as ethers, form peroxides when exposed to air or light. Date these containers when new and dispose as hazardous waste within six months.<br /><br />Provide list of peroxide formers"<br /><br /><br /><br />From : http://www.safetyinfo.com/aa-guest-info/chemical-reactive.htm<br />[yelllow] Very important! Quote!<br /><br /><br />1. "Hydrogen and chlorine react explosively in the presence of light"<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[why06]

A modified laser made of hydrogen and chlorine would be very explosive.....<br /><br />Exspecially if the the hydrogen and chlorine were in a solid or liquid state.<br /><br /><font color="yellow"><br />Hmmm.... I wonder if the government is monitering this?<img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>