Laser Beams in Space: They are invisible

[AlexB23]

Hello folks. Yesterday I have learned something about lasers. If one were to turn on a laser in a vacuum (such as in space), it would be impossible to see the beam of light, except where the light touches an object, no matter how powerful the laser is. In 2021, scientists made lasers visible in a vacuum though, by changing the polarization of the light. So sorry Trekkies and Star Wars folks, lasers can not be seen in space.

Lasers made visible in a vacuum.

Physicists make laser beams visible in vacuum

A beam of light can only be seen when it hits matter particles and is scattered or reflected by them. In a vacuum, however, it is invisible. Physicists have now developed a method that allows laser beams to be visualized even under these conditions. The method makes it easier to perform the...

www.sciencedaily.com

 

[Paulos23]

It is not surprising to me. The only reason we see lasers on earth is because the light is reflexing off the air. There is no air in space so nothing to reflex the light for us to see.

 

[trophy33]

Pshaw! Our primitive silent and invisible technology! Both Asgards and Ori knew how to make the beams of their warships not only visible, but also audible.

 

[AV1611VET]

Does a vacuum cleaner work in outer space?

 

[AlexB23]

It is not surprising to me. The only reason we see lasers on earth is because the light is reflexing off the air. There is no air in space so nothing to reflex the light for us to see.

Yep, that is true. Photons reflect off of atoms, and as there are little to no atoms in a cubic meter of outer space, that means there is almost nothing for a laser beam to reflect off of.

 

[AlexB23]

Pshaw! Our primitive silent and invisible technology! Both Asgards and Ori knew how to make the beams of their warships not only visible, but also audible.

I liked Star Gate (watched a bit of SG: Atlantis), so I should start up with the original shows first on DVD. Star Trek ships also have lasers (phasers) that are visible and audible. If only physics had cool sci-fi stuff. It would be cool to race a laser beam at Warp 1 and see the laser beam out the ship's window.

 

[AlexB23]

Does a vacuum cleaner work in outer space?

Vacuum cleaners would not work in outer space, as there is no air to move for the vacuum pump.

This guy simulates space in an acrylic box. The vacuum cleaner fails to vacuum under low pressures inside the acrylic chamber (3 minutes).

 

[AV1611VET]

This guy simulates space in an acrylic box. The vacuum cleaner fails to vacuum under low pressures inside the acrylic chamber (3 minutes).

Far out!

 

[AlexB23]

Far out!

Heck yeah, brother. That is the beauty of YouTube. We get people who have more time and money than us who can test out interesting ideas, and broadcast his/her experiments to the world. What a time to be alive. Yes, I know I trash the 2020s a lot, as we may be closer to the End Times, but regardless of that, we have so much at our disposal with technology. Some guy built a real-life laser blaster on YouTube. Others make computer generated movies. Welcome to 2024, brother.

 

[AV1611VET]

Heck yeah, brother. That is the beauty of YouTube. We get people who have more time and money than us who can test out interesting ideas, and broadcast his/her experiments to the world. What a time to be alive. Yes, I know I trash the 2020s a lot, as we may be closer to the End Times, but regardless of that, we have so much at our disposal with technology. Some guy built a real-life laser blaster on YouTube. Others make computer generated movies. Welcome to 2024, brother.

Thank you, Alex.

Not to mention the availability of those old movies.

You know?

The real horror/sci-fi movies.

The Tingler ... Fiend Without A Face ... The Forbidden Planet ... The Blob ... Kronos ... It Came From Outer Space ... etc.

 

[AlexB23]

Thank you, Alex.

Not to mention the availability of those old movies.

You know?

The real horror/sci-fi movies.

The Tingler ... Fiend Without A Face ... The Forbidden Planet ... The Blob ... Kronos ... It Came From Outer Space ... etc.

You are welcome, bro. Amen to those classic movies. I need to watch those movies, cos my library has free DVD rentals. First have to finish up the last two Star Trek movies (Insurrection and Nemesis). At this rate, my DVD player will be greatly used over the next few years with a whole selection of free DVDs.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Yep, that is true. Photons reflect off of atoms, and as there are little to no atoms in a cubic meter of outer space, that means there is almost nothing for a laser beam to reflect off of.

The article you posted isn't about space lasers. It is about using the polarization of laser lights scattered by the atoms inside a vacuum chamber to isolate the small amount of scattered light and focus the beams in the experimental apparatus more quickly. Light scattered of atoms gets polarized making it easier to block non-polarized background light and "see" the beam.

 

[AlexB23]

The article you posted isn't about space lasers. It is about using the polarization of laser lights scattered by the atoms inside a vacuum chamber to isolate the small amount of scattered light and focus the beams in the experimental apparatus more quickly. Light scattered of atoms gets polarized making it easier to block non-polarized background light and "see" the beam.

Yeah, I am not that good with high level physics. What would be the use case of this machine? Scanning substances using light beams?

 

[trophy33]

I liked Star Gate (watched a bit of SG: Atlantis), so I should start up with the original shows first on DVD. Star Trek ships also have lasers (phasers) that are visible and audible. If only physics had cool sci-fi stuff. It would be cool to race a laser beam at Warp 1 and see the laser beam out the ship's window.

I think that Asgards and Ori used plasma beams, not laser beams. It must be better, then.

 

[Hans Blaster]

Yeah, I am not that good with high level physics. What would be the use case of this machine? Scanning substances using light beams?

The article states it clearly -- to set up the optical traps in their atomic physics experiments faster.

 

[AlexB23]

I think that Asgards and Ori used plasma beams, not laser beams. It must be better, then.

Ahh, the technobabble of sci-fi.

 

[AlexB23]

The article states it clearly -- to set up the optical traps in their atomic physics experiments faster.

Yeah, would these atomic physics experiments have useful applications for us common folk?

 

[Hans Blaster]

Yeah, would these atomic physics experiments have useful applications for us common folk?

I dunno. You'd have to look into these specific researchers and see what their projects are about. A large fraction of the things "invented" by scientists are methods and techniques for doing science. There are whole journals in various fields dedicated to methods and techniques.

 

[loveofourlord]

Another fun thing is, you wouldn't be dodging lasers in space, best you can do is out maneuver, but the laser would hit the second it was fired. unless I assume more like a plasma beam or such.

 

[The Barbarian]

Does a vacuum cleaner work in outer space?

It would, if it could pull a stronger vacuum than exists in that area of space. Even interstellar space has a few molecules floating around in a cubic meter of space. But that would take a lot of energy to pull such a vacuum.