Laser Nd:YAG Burning Air

Blue dot in middle of screen is ionized air. Yes you could make holgrams like this.

My friend wowing me when showing me how to use a Yag laser. My supervisor insists it is bad for my eyes to look at the burning air. I reckon it is blue radiative recombination, he thinks its green and scattered light (and therefore dangerous) and therefore the blue seen on the screen is an illusion.

He's also afraid of Stingray's though so I'm relaxed. I mean, who have they ever harmed??

Category:

Howto & Style

Tags:

• laser
• air
• cool
• burning
• ionized
• plasma

[TiagoTiagoT]

is it dangerous or the pulses are too short and too far apart to harm you if you wave your hand thru the hologram?

[nimlik]

@TiagoTiagoT It's burning the air dude.

It also burns paper....I would suggest that it would burn your hand.

[rachm06]

If it is really plasma,the laser must be very powerful,and this situation is dangerous for the laser itself,because the beam can be reflected on the "plasma mirror"(the ionized air has a different density)and come back to the laser breaking it.The holograms are a totally different thing.I think the blue spot could be a reflection of IR ray from the pumping diode,which in most cameras appear just like that.

[nimlik]

No, the air was "popping" in front of me. I could see and hear it. Air plasmas by focusing lasers have been done since the 70's apparently. It was about 400mJ in ~10ns pulse. That's 40MW..

[darketoile1]

I've always wanted to see a video of that. Seen only stills before...thanks! Got any more?

[nimlik]

I could take more but it will be more of the same. you've seen the best of it...glad you liked it!

[iminyourbasement]

@SiliconM4trix yes thats what i said they use the plasma just like in this video and make pictures , or more precisly tiny air bubbles arranged in a way that forms an image.

[SiliconM4trix]

No, those use projectors and angled glass planes to create the perception of depth. Lasers like this, however, can be used to create simple 3D displays by altering the focal point of the beam to control the position of the plasma on one axis.

[iminyourbasement]

thats how they make those glass cubes with the pictures in them.awsome

[cookman283]

Oh dear...

[MalachiteR]

Wow, learn what a quote is you dumbfuck.

[kewl2009]

ummm no. steve irwin was killed by a MANTA ray

[MalachiteR]

"He's also afraid of Stingray's though so I'm relaxed. I mean, who have they ever harmed??"

lol this video obviously came out before steve irwin died.

[twilighthellian]

they've harmed steve :[ I'd recommend changing the description before some steve irwin fan comes on here and starts blabmouthing (im not too much of a fan, but yes, just warning ya...)