LCLS: The World's Most Powerful X-ray Laser

The first experiments are now underway using the world's most powerful X-ray laser, the Linac Coherent Light Source, located at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Illuminating objects and processes at unprecedented speed and scale, the LCLS has embarked on groundbreaking research in physics, structural biology, energy science, chemistry and a host of other fields.

Credit: Video courtesy of SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. http://www.slac.stanford.edu/

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Science & Technology

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[KillerRadar]

5:20 looks like weed lol

[EnigmaHood]

@forwardbias You're thinking of polar jets, and that's formed at the poles of an accretion disk that surrounds an object like a black hole. Polar jets are particle beams, not lasers.

[puddingpimp]

@richardw2121 Actually in a TV (CRT) the electrons are "boiled" off the atoms by thermionic emission, the tungsten cathode is heated, and then the electrons are accelerated by an electric field held between the Whenelt plate and the anode plate by the difference in voltage between the two elements. The magnetic field is used to focus and deflect the electron beam, but at this point the electrons are already free from the atoms, in the vacuum between the electron gun and the screen.

[moneyquickeasy]

Shoot missles with this.

[forwardbias]

Impressive laser, can it light stuff on fire though? hehe

I never knew that an x-ray laser was even possible. There are gamma ray "lasers" that exist in nature when hyper-nova's go off, at either end of the the axis, its like a deadly "beam". Normally X-rays are very hard to focus as they are that energetic. They go through pretty much everything except a thick block of lead.

[zoooooooooaa]

@TheLonelyImmortal yes. it happens quite often. Since you watched a video online, I assume you are familiar with the concept of "electricity". The flow is generated by a magnet rotating around a wire- in laymans turns, being pulled away by a magnet.

[richardw2121]

@TheLonelyImmortal

I dont see why not as the nucleus contains a lot more mass than the orbiting electrons and has a positive charge it will be affected less by the force and will want to remain stationary more than the electron

[TheLonelyImmortal]

@richardw2121 Could a magnet pull an electron away from an atom?

[richardw2121]

Basically folks.........

Electrons are subject to electromagnetic forces......(how a crt monitor works)

Electrons are also subject to the forces (and energies) of photons.....

E=Hf.............. look it up people

[richardw2121]

@TheLonelyImmortal yep thats how a typical tv works