Max: Did Zeus Use Lasers?
Laser triggers electrical activity in thunderstorm
A team of European scientists has deliberately triggered electrical activity in thunderclouds for the first time, according to a new paper in the latest issue of Optics Express, the Optical Society’s (OSA) open-access journal. They did this by aiming high-power pulses of laser light into a thunderstorm.
At the top of South Baldy Peak in New Mexico during two passing thunderstorms, the researchers used laser pulses to create plasma filaments that could conduct electricity akin to Benjamin Franklin's silk kite string. No air-to-ground lightning was triggered because the filaments were too short-lived, but the laser pulses generated discharges in the thunderclouds themselves.
'This was an important first step toward triggering lightning strikes with laser beams,' says Jérôme Kasparian of the University of Lyon in France. 'It was the first time we generated lighting precursors in a thundercloud.' The next step of generating full-blown lightning strikes may come, he adds, after the team reprograms their lasers to use more sophisticated pulse sequences that will make longer-lived filaments to further conduct the lightning during storms.
A team of European scientists has deliberately triggered electrical activity in thunderclouds for the first time, according to a new paper in the latest issue of Optics Express, the Optical Society’s (OSA) open-access journal. They did this by aiming high-power pulses of laser light into a thunderstorm.
At the top of South Baldy Peak in New Mexico during two passing thunderstorms, the researchers used laser pulses to create plasma filaments that could conduct electricity akin to Benjamin Franklin's silk kite string. No air-to-ground lightning was triggered because the filaments were too short-lived, but the laser pulses generated discharges in the thunderclouds themselves.
'This was an important first step toward triggering lightning strikes with laser beams,' says Jérôme Kasparian of the University of Lyon in France. 'It was the first time we generated lighting precursors in a thundercloud.' The next step of generating full-blown lightning strikes may come, he adds, after the team reprograms their lasers to use more sophisticated pulse sequences that will make longer-lived filaments to further conduct the lightning during storms.
posted by Max Dobberstein at 4/16/2008 12:37:00 PM
5 Comments:
You do realize there is weapon potential to this type of research?
Electrical storms are common all over the planet (or, if you can, make your own!). Fly a plane over one of these storms, aim a laser, and direct jumpin' gigawatts of 'lectricity at your target. True, a bomb would be easier - but probably not as destructive to certain targets.
Furthering the "Chris Knitghtness" of this research, imagine if a weapon like this were aimed at a human target. A human target zapped by lightning would be written off as an "act of God". Talk about "shock & awe"!
Of course, the ultimate use of this concept would be a "hand stunner". A non-lethal "stun" weapon like those seen on Star Wars and Star Trek could have a lot of uses. Imagine if you would a pistol sized weapon. The main components of this weapon would be a medium powered laser, a large battery that could discharge quickly and a fairly large capacitor. You fire the laser at a given target, the electricity follows the plasma flow you have just created and the target gets a jolt.
Weapons like this already exist. The average "taser" fires current down a pair of wires embedded in the target. There are weapons that use air as a conductive medium - but at very short ranges. A laser guided system would remove the wires and possibly extend the range.
This of course could be scaled up. A higher capacity, faster discharging battery and larger capacitors means a weapon that could melt conventional body armor, bullet proof glass and even vehicle armor. If you could vary your settings, you would have the the ultimate law enforcement, "peace keeping" weapon; one that could be set to "stun", "maim", "kill" and "evaporate".
Scaled up slightly larger and you would have a main battle tank weapon that could be varied to stun a large grouping of troops, destroy incoming missiles and aircraft and melt buildings from a thousand yards. Of course, the tank would need to be twice the current size and be nuclear powered - but I doubt that's out of reach to a large country that could find use for a weapon such as this.
Sleep well, kiddies ...
How about a bomb version?
No sweat! Gimme an array of batteries. Mate this to a large number of capacitors of various capacities. Connect to this a large laser array, maybe 20 or so. Drop this from a bomber or cruise missile.
The different capacity capacitors will be set to fire when full, thus the larger ones will fire last. The early strikes will take out soft targets: humans, pets, cars & other small machines.
The medium strikes will continue these soft target kills, but are more likely to arc from one conductive object to another. Meanwhile, the lower capacity capacitors are still charging for another strike.
By the time the larger capacitors are ready to discharge, the mediums have discharged twice or thrice and the smaller ones have discharged several times. The large ones will be like a concentrated lightening strike barrage. The EMP from all these strikes will fry wiring for miles.
All of this will happen in the thirty seconds from bomb release to impact on the ground.
Infrastructure will be devastated. Life forms for miles will be smoking holes in the pavement or trying to put out fires.
This wouldn't leave the radiation of a nuclear blast. Of course, the fires and general destruction would be as heavy. This is a "showy" weapon. It would be best used early in politically motivated bombing campaigns. If you intend to strike all targets, civilian or otherwise and not have to clean up radiation later - this is your bomb.
For a less indiscriminate weapon, make the whole bomb "stun"; tiny capacitors. There would still likely be fire and infrastructure destruction, but fewer civilian casualties.
Actually, if you could sustain the larger strikes for the full thirty seconds, and give the whole weapon a spin, you would lay down a blanket of multiple strikes in an ever shrinking circle until the weapon hit the ground. From the air you would have a beautiful pattern like a Spiro-graph from Hell!
I can't say I didn't consider the same thing, but your unfettered enthusiasm is a bit scary.
I want people to remain frightened of science. This way, they will remain locked in prisons of their own ignorance and I will grow superior to them!
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