energy transmission

[Zolar V]

Can you Transmit energy across vast distances without too much loss?

 

I was thinking what if we covered something like mars in solar panels and transmitted the energy using maybe Microwave or something to a station on earth?

[Moontanman]

I'd have to say no, even a laser spreads out tremendously over long distances.

[Zolar V]

maybe thats because lasers are mostly just light shot out of a barrel, similar to muskets.

 

maybe if you were to spiral the laser you wouldn't have such wide distribution.

[ercdndrs]

Thing is, light doesn't bend/spiral too often.

While it's true that most lasers spread out over awhile, some won't as much (you can actually reflect them off the moon).

 

Your best bet would probably be to use radio waves.

[Zolar V]

but you can. Maybe spiraling light is a venture worth looking into.

[Moontanman]

but you can. Maybe spiraling light is a venture worth looking into.

 

First, a laser is not light from a cannon.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser

 

Do you have any idea how to spiral light? And how would this keep it from spreading out in transmission?

[Zolar V]

First, a laser is not light from a cannon.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser

 

Do you have any idea how to spiral light? And how would this keep it from spreading out in transmission?

 

I know its not just light from a cannon, and spiraling something that is being moved from point A to point B over an open medium has the tendency to dissipate less.

 

I have absolutely no idea how to spiral light, Lasers wern't even part of my OP or in the title. But if i had to venture a guess, Magnets can spiral laser beams. because a laser is emitted Em, and we manipulate the EM spectrum by using the Properties of Electric Currents Through Spiraling Mediums as well as Magnetic Properties of similar things.

[Moontanman]

No magnets do not effect light, photons are chargeless.

[Zolar V]

Yes, photons are chargeless, but they may be affected by other particles the other particles affected by magnetic fields.

So it is possible that spiralling could be accomplished through indirect means.

[Klaynos]

Yes, photons are chargeless, but they may be affected by other particles the other particles affected by magnetic fields.

So it is possible that spiralling could be accomplished through indirect means.

 

 

What do you mean by spiraling?

 

If you mean making the beam spin then that will make no difference to the collimation and will most likely make it worst.

 

If you mean making the individual photons rotate it's called circularly polarised and will again not change the collimation.

 

We could use MASERs but they would suffer from the same effect, but as the wavelength is longer I suspect the collimation will be significantly worst and the absorption would be greater.

[PaulS1950]

I read something about how lasers were being fired through a lower powered laser light of a different frequency to keep the beam more focused inside the atmosphere. Much like an ionizing tunnel or some such thing. Would this help outside the atmosphere or is it limited to atmospheric use?

[Zolar V]

i just thought of this, but a laser bounces off a mirrored surface pretty well.. maybe if you were to align mirrors in a circular rotating pattern, you might be able to spin the beam similar to a bullet coming out of a gun.. but still lasers are not the topic at hand.

[Mr Skeptic]

I think that you would be able to do this if you had the occasional set of lenses at the proper places, to refocus the light. The trick then is to keep the lenses in place...

[Zolar V]

Hmm, i wonder.

 

Can you put a spin on a Electromagnetic wave similar to a bullet coming out of a gun?

[Mr Skeptic]

Do you know why they make bullets in a gun spin?

[Zolar V]

the spinning motion of the bullet allows for it to follow a straighter path through the non-laminar air medium. Basically it reduces physical resistance (air-resistance) to the bullet.

[Mr Skeptic]

Not quite. It has several effects: one is that it gyroscopically stabilizes the bullet, so that it doesn't tumble. Another is that it ensures that drag from unevenness on the bullet does not make the bullet veer off course. The bullet travels in a roughly helical parabolic path. None of this applies to light, nor would it apply to keep things like buckshot from spreading.