US Military Will Install Laser Turrets on Bombers and Fighter Jets

reply to post by yuppa


He didn't say it would be a nuclear explosion. He said that the beam would cause a massive explosion as it was held on target.

Originally posted by Zaphod58
reply to post by yuppa

 

He didn't say it would be a nuclear explosion. He said that the beam would cause a massive explosion as it was held on target.

How would it cause a explosion? it would cause Slag most prolly. That laser is so strong i doubt it would have to have been held or target for the time to fire it.

reply to post by yuppa


When the beam hits it causes a rapid temperature rise. The target can throw off plasma in an explosion as it is hit by the laser.

spacedaily.com...

That's a very small laser in the laboratory. Now imagine what a really powerful C-130 mounted laser could do.

Originally posted by yuppa
reply to post by Bedlam

 

Somehow I do not think the FEL causes nuclear explosions. Just because its powered by it does not make it
explode. A FEL can be very precise as well.

Didn't say nuclear anything.

What happens when you dump enough energy at a target like a metal beam to instantly melt it? It doesn't melt. You get surface ablation, a plasma bloom, then energy absorption by reverse brehmsstrahlung, that causes the beam energy to NOT melt the beam, but convert into expanding the bloom catastrophically. We call that "an explosion".

Also, the bloom will reflect a portion of the beam randomly all over the island. Now, if you have a FEL banging away at it, you've got plenty of power to toast up Manhattanites for a mile around - if you're positing that the beam was FELd away in a split second, you've got plenty left over for killing everyone like hot dogs in a microwave. Yet, that didn't happen. No bloom, no plasma, nothing.

reply to post by Bedlam


AHhh. Now i get what you meant. That does make sense. SO it would not just vaporize what it hit then without some serious heat thrown off. Which makes me wonder if a FEL can be used in civilian areas ever.