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Re: Coil ideas for experiments
In a message dated 4/14/2000 12:58:24 PM US Mountain Standard Time,
tesla-at-pupman-dot-com writes:
<<
Actually, you'll need 10^12 W/cm^2. I talked to one of the optics profs
today.
We worked out a nice plan:
Pulsed (CO2, I think) laser at 10mJ per pulse, 10ns Pulses, at 10 pulses per
second. Focus the beam down to a spot size of 10um, and you have your
10^12W/cm^2.
The down side is that this is still a pretty huge laser requring some
interesting optics to handle the high power. Also remember that m ost lasers
are less than 10% efficient: put in 1kW, and you'll get at most 100W laser
(continuous). I'm not certian how much power input would be needed for this
device, however.
The prof did say that one could use a prism, or accousto-optic modulation to
make figures that the arc could/would follow. I must admit, it would be
pretty
sweet to see a TC spit out streamers that trace out a square, circle, or my
name :-)
I still feel that using a laser this large in a non-laboratory environment
could
have some serious safety problems.
>>
So with 10% efficiency, 10 mJ per pulse, and 10 pulses per second (What's
with you and the number 10?), it should use about 36 watts (joules) and hour
with the assumption that 10mJ is equal to 1/100th of a watt. So then, if
powered by an ordinary 120vac source, it should pull about 1/4 an amp.
That's not too much power. The problem would be in acquiring the equipment.
Outside of a lab, it shouldn't be too dangerous as long as it isn't pointed
at any living things, man made or flammable objects, or reflective surfaces.
In short, point it at a dark rock. The only problem I see with this idea
would be in preventing the laser from traveling towards the laser and arcing
toward it's power source. In this case, a system of prisms would be
desirable. Perhaps I should speak with my optrician about his laser to see
if a system of that type would work.