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From:	"Paolo Falco the FoxMaster" <Falco@****.iT>
Subject:	LASER, laser, LaSeR arrrgggghhh!!!!
Date:	Sat, 27 Jul 1996 18:31:34 +0200

Message no. 1 On 27 Jul 96, Robert Watkins wrote the FoxMaster about RE: shadowdawn
-Reply:

> You might want to remember you need the laser there, too... Actually,
> [...]

This was just the last instalement of the Laser Axe problem... BUT
even if at a certain time I fell into agreeing that focusing a laser
was possible, The more I think about it, the less I think it can be
done... Or, it can be surely done, but it won't have the dramatic
effect on the beam that we all expect it to have. This is because,
AFAIK, laser beams have to be reasonably narrow to start with if you want
to give off coherent light. AND; i cannot remember if passing through
a lens keeps its coherency. I think it does, but I'm not quite sure,
since you are essentially changing the optic path. But I'm not here
to talk about physics. The problem is this:
YOU WANT YOUR LASER AXE AS DESCRIBED BY FASA? Then just keep your
shitty weapon and rule whatever pseudo-science you want about lasers!
YOU THINK (Like most of the sane people do) THAT THE LASER AXE IS A
TYPO? Or that even if it isn't it's so shitty you'll never use it?
Ditto without the pseudo-science ruling! :)
What I am trying to convey is that there are beter things to do than
trying to figure out how lasers MIGHT work (for a shitty weapon)
without knowing the basic principles quantum optics. IF you really
want, in September I could clear all doubts by asking some pals at
the CSELT laser labs, but for now, why don't we talk about something
less, ummm, SHITTY, like dunno, streetline specials or Tiffany self
defenders? :)

------------------------------------------------------------------
Paolo Falco | "I closed my shop and you brought only ONE
Ironbound Section | ball?" (from "Clerks" - and My Experience)
------------------------------------------------------------------
Skater's Site And Generally Paradoxal Poetry Page With Lemmings at
http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/2717
------------------------------------------------------------------

From:	Robert Watkins <robertdw@*******.net.au>
Subject:	Re: LASER, laser, LaSeR arrrgggghhh!!!!
Date:	Mon, 29 Jul 96 07:46:33 +1100

Message no. 2 >This is because,
>AFAIK, laser beams have to be reasonably narrow to start with if you want
>to give off coherent light. AND; i cannot remember if passing through
>a lens keeps its coherency.

A) A laser has no theoretical limit to how narrow or anything like that
it can be. In "Ringworld Engineers", for example, by Larry Niven, they
use a laser that's the size of a solar flare. (And he's got the maths for
the theoretical model on how to cause the laser lying around,
apparently). Lasers tend to be small because the effect the laser has
depends on the power AND on the area of the laser 'dot'. If you want a
good effect from the laser, for low power, you make the area small.

B) You can pass it through a lens, no worries. However, unless it's one
of those theoretically perfect lenses (such as a magnetic lens, which we
won't go into), imperfections will cause problems. OTH, you're talking
about focusing it on a point about 10 cms, not 100 kilometers. (For what
it's worth... a lens is just a special shape of glass. Glass isn't
anything special. If you can shine the beam through ANY matter (like, oh,
air) and keep the coherency, you shouldn't have a problem with glass. BUT
the beam will scatter, which isn't the same thing)

Besides, it doesn't even MATTER if the light is coherent. It's still
there. Coherent light tends to have more punch ONLY because it's all
going the same way. Focusing it in with a lens is STILL going to give the
focus point problems in regards to heat, the same way as if you were
using a magnifying glass out in the sunlight.

>What I am trying to convey is that there are beter things to do than
>trying to figure out how lasers MIGHT work (for a shitty weapon)
>without knowing the basic principles quantum optics.

So? :) There's lots of things that could be better to do than what we
spend a lot of time talking about on this list.

(Anyway, the laser lens doesn't really interest me... I can see it can be
done (though I wouldn't like to hit the lens too hard...), but I still
want to know where the powerpack for the laser is. Oh, and how long can I
have it on? And is the light from the laser particularly visible? Anyway,
it's a poseurs weapon.)

--
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* )=(===__==,= # Robert Watkins <---> robertdw@*******.com.au *
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