Can high energy radiation create momentum?

p=h/lambda so All electromagnetic radiation has associated with it some momentum.

 

Each photon has momentum and this will transfer to an atom as it is absorbed. But if an electron is ejected at high speed, the nucleus will also head off in the opposite direction so that total momentum is conserved. The total momentum, after the event will be that of the original photon although the individual momentum of the electron may be higher than the individual momentum of the photon.

The phenomenon of light pressure is well known and is part of the reason why Comets' tails are always pointing away from the Sun and not, as one might think, trailing out behind the comet.

 

Cool film showing stuff pushed by light:



Material coming off Component B of 73P/Schwassmann–Wachmann which broke up starting in 1995, as seen by the HST. This animation covers a span of three days.

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

 

No. Photons have Momentum (h/λ) but not mass. Counter-intuitive, maybe, but true.

 

Aamof, it works in Classical Electromasgnetism, too. If you do the sums for a classical electromagnetic wave hitting a metal reflector, it is not too hard to show that there is a force. The value of this force turns out to be the same as if you do the same with QM. That gobsmacked me even more, actually. It's there in my old Panofski and Phillips Electomag text book from the 60s.

 

There is nowhere "beyond the reach of gravity" of anything. Both the gravitational force and the intensity of the light will diminish at the same rate (the inverse square law) so your suggested effect couldn't occur. The forces would be in the same proportion as they are right near the Sun or a Galaxy.