disposable camera laser?

[tuskiomi]

Excuse my arrogance, particle physics is not my strong point.
would there be a viable method of collecting Xenon from flash tubes, and use that to make a gas laser? I know thati n a camera, xenon electrons are excited to make jumps to 1 energy level above current, and transmit a photon. I don't know how that's different from a laser.
anyone care to enlighten me on the viability of this?

 

[Cyparagon]

You should probably know what a laser is before attempting to build one, eh? Start here:

Lasers

There have been a few experimental xenon ion lasers, but they're way beyond your (or my) current capability.

 

[tuskiomi]

Thats it?
i mean, if i took photons and arranged them to go parallel, and the same direction, that would be a laser?
even if it was, saym, from a lightbulb?

 

[Teej]

Thats it?
i mean, if i took photons and arranged them to go parallel, and the same direction, that would be a laser?
even if it was, saym, from a lightbulb?

Theoretically, sort of....except for the stimulated emission part, and the same wavelength part, the population inversion part, etc....but that's a little like saying "So, all I have to do is nail this jello to this burning tree?"



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Just read the link given you....read ALL of it, not just the first page...and, it actually answers your remaining questions.

 

[tuskiomi]

We obviously don't do this with mirrors, how is it done?

 

[Teej]

We obviously don't do this with mirrors, how is it done?

Um, with mirrors. Also prisms, etc.

 

[Bionic-Badger]

It's called look it up on Google. This isn't a place for explaining the basics of how lasers work, when a perfectly good Wikipedia article will answer your questions.

 

[tuskiomi]

It's called look it up on Google. This isn't a place for explaining the basics of how lasers work, when a perfectly good Wikipedia article will answer your questions.

I didn't ask how lasers work. I asked if a viable method of making a xenon laser was to collect xenon from camera tubes. :thanks:

 

[Teej]

I didn't ask how lasers work. I asked if a viable method of making a xenon laser was to collect xenon from camera tubes. :thanks:

OH, OK, no, its not a viable method.

:san:


Its a bit like asking if a viable method to make a hydrogen bomb would be to just get some hydrogen from a dirigible.


As your question mostly indicated that you don't know how a laser worked, and, essentially, you wanted to know if you could make one via that method, it seemed more useful to help you learn how a laser worked. Once you knew how a laser worked, you would be more able to to evaluate ways to make one.


Does that make sense?


IE: If you wondered if you could get a certain gas from an item that contained the gas...the answer would be yes...if you had a way to extract it in a pure form, etc. If you had the skill set to do that, you would not need to ask the question though. So, the post was answered with the assumption that you were looking for a way to make laser....but didn't know how they worked. You'd need that info to continue your quest...so, it was offered.

 

[Cyparagon]

I didn't ask how lasers work

I think you did:

if i took photons and arranged them to go parallel... that would be a laser?

I know thati n a camera, xenon electrons are excited to make jumps to 1 energy level above current, and transmit a photon. I don't know how that's different from a laser.

Regardless, once you know how lasers work, you'll understand lasers require more than a random gas, you'll see very soon that your harvesting idea is not practical.

 

[Blarg King]

If you could get your hands on a SMALL ruby rod and enough camera flashes you could make a tiny pulsed laser.

 

[Teej]

If you could get your hands on a SMALL ruby rod and enough camera flashes you could make a tiny pulsed laser.

But could he then extract some safety from some safety manuals, and use them to make safety glasses?

 

[The Lightning Stalker]

Good one, Teej, +2.

I can almost guarantee that the "xenon" in
flash tubes is the wrong gas mix to make a
decent laser. So even if you could devise
a way to get it out, it would lase very
weakly, if at all. The equipment required
for such a venture would cost more than
several whole lasers. The vacuum pump
alone will set you back at least $250.
Don't even think that a cheap A/C vacuum
pump will cut the mustard. Oh no, we're
talking lab grade, and that is just the
roughing pump. To achieve the high vaccua
required to get a high purity gas will
require a diffusion or turbine pump ahead
of the main roughing pump. Then there are
gauges, plumbing, and chamber(s) to do the
work in. Such things are not meant for us
humble mortals. Leave it to the big boys
at the Unis and manufacturers.

 

[tuskiomi]

Or. We could freeze the gas solid with cheap cryogenics (liquid n2).
xenon melting point
nitrogen boiling point

 

[Blarg King]

IMO more fun to take the tubes and put them near the flyback from a USB plasma ball and make them glow.

Or microwave them.

 

[Blarg King]

But could he then extract some safety from some safety manuals, and use them to make safety glasses?

Ah you mean soaking my sunglasses in safety manual extract wont turn them into safety glasses!?

Man Have I been doing it all wrong.