You have a 10 kW UV laser

[Minerva]

If you fire this beam (5mm 0.45 mR divergence) into the parent cumulonimbus cloud producing lots of strikes does the beam invoke a trigger leader and strike the operator nearly instantly? -M

 

[YoshiSato]

If I had a laser in the 10 KW range I'd be shooting at something other than clouds.

 

[cirrhosis]

Hopefully not shooting it into airplane cockpits.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: Minerva
If you fire this beam (5mm 0.45 mR divergence) into the parent cumulonimbus cloud producing lots of strikes does the beam invoke a trigger leader and strike the operator nearly instantly? -M

I think it would. The lightning would just follow the path of ionized air, wouldn't it?

I've seen videos where they shot rockets trailing a very thin wire up into cumulonimbus clouds and it vaporizes the wire.

 

[drinkmorejava]

uhh, heating it up isn't going to help. Most lightning theories work around massive static build up from things like convection currents, the heat is essentially just going to turn that area of the cloud into steam. Just use it to blow up stuff.

 

[YoshiSato]

Originally posted by: cirrhosis
Hopefully not shooting it into airplane cockpits.

No, just bigger targets than I shoot with my plasma rifle in the 40 watt range. 😀

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: drinkmorejava
uhh, heating it up isn't going to help. Most lightning theories work around massive static build up from things like convection currents, the heat is essentially just going to turn that area of the cloud into steam. Just use it to blow up stuff.

If you heat it up enough you'll ionize the air, which conducts electricity quite nicely.

 

[drinkmorejava]

then how about this, if it works so well, won't the lightning just come back and blow the laser to hell.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: drinkmorejava
then how about this, if it works so well, won't the lightning just come back and blow the laser to hell.

Huh? That's what the OP just asked you!

 

[everman]

What if you could build a very large capacitor and put it between the laser and the lightning? Or route it to a fusion reactor?

 

[mugs]

We get it, you're a girl and you're smart.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: mugs
We get it, you're a girl and you're smart.

Exactly. Thank God it was finally said. 😛

 

[ForumMaster]

Originally posted by: YoshiSato
If I had a laser in the 10 KW range I'd be shooting at something other than clouds.

:laugh: True true. But to the OP's question, yes i believe it would hit the operator cause the lightning would follow the ionized air path because it offers less resistance.

 

[Minerva]

This is very cool. 🙂 -M

p.s. Why the hostility? Aren't ladies allowed to be just a little nerdy? 😉