Strings of light

1999/10/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Ingeniaritza
• Fisika

Laser technology continues and has more and more applications. The "laser cords" were discovered in 1995 and can be used to detect strong winds at airports, find factories that emit toxic chemical or biological substances, create lightning, etc. The key is in creating extremely short light pulses (about a trillion seconds).

If the pulse is too long, no strings are formed in the atmosphere, but an instant electric shock. It must also be low energy. With these conditions the laser creates an electrically charged air channel, by illuminating through this channel through the atmosphere.

If these laser lights reached a height of 75 kilometers in the atmosphere, effects and glitter would occur on local sodium ions, creating artificial stars that would help navigation.