Air Force Turns 747 Into Holster for Giant Laser (washingtonpost.com)

[Jim Choate]

On Tue, 24 Jul 2001, Eugene Leitl wrote:

> On Mon, 23 Jul 2001, Jim Choate wrote:
> 
> > Maybe. But even mirrors can be burned through by a laser. And then we've
> 
> Jim, why are you trying so hard to make a complete fool out of yourself,
> in a public forum?
> 
> A chemical laser needs active optics to track your remote target. What do
> you think that optics is made from, unobtainium? Do you understand basic
> laws of optics? I recommend purchasing a 15 W laser (and a pair of
> matching protection goggles), and then use it to ignite a match from a
> close distance, and then over a few km, preferably during summer in your
> native Texas. You could target the beam towards a projection wall, and
> watch it with a pair of binoculars. It will be quite instructive.

The optics used for focusing are NOT mirrors, they are (hopefully)
transparent at the frequency under use. A mirror on the other hand is
required to be OPAQUE with respect to transmission, we want full, 100%,
reflectivity. That means that every photon that hits that mirror
interacts, loses some energy, and gets re-emitted.

I have a half dozen lasers, thank you very much.


 --
    ____________________________________________________________________

                Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night:
                God said, "Let Tesla be", and all was light.

                                          B.A. Behrend

       The Armadillo Group       ,::////;::-.          James Choate
       Austin, Tx               /:'///// ``::>/|/      ravage at ssz.com
       www.ssz.com            .',  ||||    `/( e\      512-451-7087
                           -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'-
    --------------------------------------------------------------------