Potential showstopper for >0.3W laser diodes

[conundrum]

Hi all.

I was reading up on some very interesting work on using lasers for plasma experiments, as it turns out that you could use two or more high power lasers to focus on the centre of a sonoluminescence cell in order to generate a bubble without the use of hazardous isotopes.

Recall a few years back how the now discredited Taleyarkhan claimed to generate fusion using bubbles, but it turned out he was measuring coincidence particles from the isotope he used to generate the seed bubbles.

It seems that there is a potential nuclear proliferation issue with high power laser diodes, because the switching time can be in the nanoseconds due to the small structure.

This effectively means that an array of 600mW 12X BRD's could be a cheap way to set off an implosion warhead by (deleted deleted)

(deleted for very obvious reasons, PM me for this...)

Could be a major problem, as these are easy to get hold of and it means a single skilled individual with access to weapons grade materials and high power diodes could build a nuclear device without the usual hard to find parts such as krytrons, EBWD's etc that normally set off various anti proliferation systems.

Discuss.
-A

 

[532 with Envy]

I'v been making dangerous explosives since I was 8 year old.(a good red blooded American:beer
I think that everyone would appriciate your concern, but there are just to many ways to destroy things to be concerned about them all.

Frankly I'm more concerned about this experiment.
https://lasers.llnl.gov/
Don't get me wrong, I think its amazing what they are trying to do, I just feel that they are not "grown up" enough to be trying it just yet.

 

[conundrum]

Yeah, I recall reading about this.
See http://www.distobs.org/intro.html for people making distributed radiation sensors using cellphones to detect nuclear smuggling.

I think the best way to see it is that "Nature is constantly throwing particles with much higher energies at each other, if the Universe was that fragile then we would never have evolved in the first place"

Basically the worst they can do is irradiate themselves if the reaction is more energetic than first thought.
There is no danger of a catastrophic runaway reaction, otherwise the Tsar Bomba or earlier Castle Bravo test would have caused it long ago.

I'd be more concerned about someone releasing the plans on the 'Net for a device which causes instant LSD-like hallucinations for only $10 worth of parts, this would get ugly very quickly.

-A

 

[anselm]

Net for a device which causes instant LSD-like hallucinations for only $10 worth of parts, this would get ugly very quickly.

can you pm me these plans, please?
I'z only going to use device on meself, I pinky swearz...:drool:

Seriously man, are you disturbed, misguided, a conspiracy theorist, or just plain trolling?

Stop scaring people, americans are already scared shitless as it is.....

 

[conundrum]

I read that such a device may be possible, by using electrical and TMS at the same time... although it would probably be more like phosphenes rather than a full on trip.

Seems that applying a few milliamps using stick on electrodes they boosted learning abiliity, so its possible that a variation of this technology might allow simulated vision without implanted electrodes.

 

[Trevor]

A "skilled individual" who has access to "weapons grade material" wouldn't need to use laser diodes from Blu-ray drives like we do. Your argument is invalid.

Furthermore, there are thousands of teenagers who acquire high-power laser pointers every year. Their shenanigans are what will be the "showstopper" for high power laser diodes.

Not your imagined nuclear threat.

-Trevor

 

[Haloid95]

Could you please send me the blueprints and parts. :eg:


And its funny how someone edited tags. Lol

 

[mfo]

No need to worry, the world is ending in seven days anyway.

 

[532 with Envy]

No need to worry, the world is ending in seven days anyway.

I'll meet you in the city for a beer!:beer::beer:

 

[drevil]

i'm waiting for one of those infowars idiots to show up now.

 

[conundrum]

Indeed, it seems that the laser induced detonation thing is possible, however as others have said there are easier ways to do this including salvaging krytrons from discarded photocopiers.

I'd be more concerned about misplaced weapons grade materials in the first place, than the theoretical risk of someone making a multi kiloton class device in their basement..

BTW its not as simple as "just" putting the materials together, the mathematics involved are horribly complicated and the chances of a fizzle are very high with any sort of IND (improvised nuclear device)... Luckily.

On the other hand, pulsed lasers combined with sonoluminescence *might* be able to generate weak X-rays from water as if the timing is just right the bubble would collapse much faster than normal.

See http://cr4.globalspec.com/thread/67572/sonoluminescence-theory

Apparently X-rays can be generated from Sellotape as well, so has anyone tried zapping a piece of Sellotape, in a vacuum with a laser? that would be interesting.