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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

Ionizing metal vapors with lasers?

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Mar 13, 2013
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I would like to know whether you think it's possible to ionize metal vapors(or maybe even gases) in a Na vapor lamp for example with a low powered aka handheld laser.

I know you can't do that with gases but their ionization energy is more than twice as high as those you need for alkali metals.
Of course absorption is an important factor there.


If anyone tried this or got some scientific information please reply! :beer:
 





Joined
Apr 26, 2010
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With a handheld, I do not believe this is possible.

The energy required for this is extremely high. Though what you are referring to, is possible, outside of a handheld.

For instance, I spoke with a gentleman that uses a nanosecond laser, to send quick, high energy pulses, at targets, to ablate them.

In his demo, he used a grain a brown rice ....

Why is this done? Simple! To use a spectrometer to meter the plasma, and find the spectra for the material being ablated. Some tech is being used by the Mars rover to identify materials on the surface, to locate sources of water.

He also had an ENORMOUS pulsed CO2 laser that they used to heat up the plasma. Very neat stuff :)
 
Joined
Dec 11, 2011
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The problem comes from the lack of absorbance due to reflectivity of metals. To overcome this you need a very high irradiance, and that kind of power isn't exactly handheld friendly. Typically far infrared is used to vaporize or cut metals, but very, very few materials transmit this wavelength, so if your intended metal sample is in an ampoule or envelope of some sort, you won't be able to get the light in to ionize it.

If I place a small sample of very oxidized Na metal into the focal point of my 15W CO2 laser it will vaporize some of the oxide. Doing so of course ignites the vapors since they are in air. If this would actually ionize the vapors in a vacuum, I don't know, but my gut says not enough energy to rip away electrons.
 




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