TEA CO2 Laser turns air into plasma

A Lumonics TEA-203 CO2 laser fires ~1 Joule pulses through a focusing optic and turns the air into a plasma at the focal point.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• CO2
• carbon
• dioxide
• laser
• TEA
• air
• plasma

[tannersword1]

haha that is so sick!! just one joule eh? do you know the pulse width or power?

[EventHorizon5]

I don't know the exact pulse width off hand but I believe it is around 100 nanoseconds.

[kthapar01]

can this be made into a weapon?

[chilidress]

a laser full of pure co2 will work? nicely?

[AKAtheA]

@GearzVoNKod3 of course not, there'd be no air to heat...

[GearzVoNKod3]

would this have a similar effect in a vaccuum?

[tiffkid12]

You should show us this in extreme slow motion!

[rocketman340]

nice air breakdown !

[Bassotronics]

Cool! Mid air electrocution at a long distance! That has great potential for military purposes. Good work captain!

[senigmata]

it looks like a fusion reactor u would see in a sience lab

[amadeo262]

That looks like a 15J Lumonics with an aperature in it that makes it ~1J when operated at TEM00. We've done the same thing in our lab. It never gets old.