laser weapons

[warped space]

ok so i have somewhat had an idea of making a laser that can melt metals or potentally be used as weapons of war

[Moontanman]

ok so i have somewhat had an idea of making a laser that can melt metals or potentally be used as weapons of war

 

 

They already exist in prototype stage, the main problem now is energy source, hard to get that much energy all at once over and over. They had a big airliner with a powerful laser in it and they had to carry huge tanks of highly volatile chemicals to power the laser. lasers small enough, solid state lasers, can be made very powerful, some say soon enough they could be used on a fighter plane to defend against missiles and to shoot down other planes. the laser can be made small but still requires huge amounts of energy, more than a fighter could carry or generate.

 

I may have over stated the problems...

 

http://www.gizmag.com/northrop-grumman-laser/22472/

 

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/04/08/navy-showboats-destructive-new-laser-gun/

Edited June 14, 2012 by Moontanman

[dimreepr]

ok so i have somewhat had an idea of making a laser that can melt metals or potentally be used as weapons of war

 

 

This strikes me as easily defendable; just make any potential target very reflective. A mirror would be immune to any sized laser.

 

 

[Moontanman]

This strikes me as easily defendable; just make any potential target very reflective. A mirror would be immune to any sized laser.

 

 

this is not true, few mirrors are perfect enough to reflect a high energy laser, even a nearly perfect mirror would still absorb some of the laser and eventually degrade. Such a mirror might take two or three shots in the same place before failing at best. if the object was the same color as the laser wave length it would be difficult to damage but again some absorption would happen, degradation occurs and in a couple shots or so the laser penetrates.

 

Regular mirrors would be worthless as would paint of the same color. the target would have to be the right color in a more fundamental way than paint. But anyway you look at it a laser that cycles over a range of wavelengths including infra red and UV pretty much defeats any defense.

 

But the free electron laser might be the phaser we are looking for if the energy to run it can be generated in a small enough package.

[Anders Hoveland]

There is probably going to be a whole field of research to develop materials that resist laser attacks. This materials must be able to withstand high temperatures, must minimise absorbtion of the wavelength of laser used, and must be able to degrade into decomposition products that will not themselves absorb. As an example, when trying to burn a piece of paper with a magnifying glass, you will find that it is initially difficult to get the paper to burn. But as soon as a little char appears, it immediately becomes much easier. The cellulose is decomposed to carbon, which then acts as a strong absorber of light, having a catalytic effect on the burning of the paper. Similarly, many reflective ceramics will begin to absorb microwave/infrared when they begin to melt.

 

I think technology will need to improve much more before lasers become practical as a weapon. Precision parts will need to be produced at much lower cost, and the lasers will need to have higher energy densities.

[Suxamethonium]

What happens if you miss your target? :S I'm assuming a high energy laser light is going to travel much further than a bullet before the energy dissipates.

[InigoMontoya]

LOW POWER lasers have already been successfully tested in missile defense roles. Turns out you don't have to shoot the missile down. You just have to blind it. And IR seekers are pretty sensitive so blinding isn't that difficult. Google for TADIRCM. That was probably 10 years ago. I'm sure they're much better now (although I don't see folks talking about 'em).

Edited June 15, 2012 by InigoMontoya

[KatzAndMice]

WHAT WOULD YODA DO?

[John Cuthber]

WHAT WOULD YODA DO?

Find the caps lock key.

[InigoMontoya]

The caps lock key; find it, he would.

 

Fixed your post.

Edited June 22, 2012 by InigoMontoya

[Enthalpy]

Weapons are presently more advanced than your suppositions.

 

Reflective surfaces aren't necessarily the answer since they become absorptive at higher temperature. But at least for slow targets, an ablative protection like at atmospheric re-entry shields must be effective. One design example has tar or some polymer got evaporated into a graphite-loaded plasma in front of the protected surface; this plasma is opaque to laser and thermal light and slows down a lot the ablation of the surface.