Can lasers guide lightning strikes to a safe target?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of using lasers to guide lightning strikes to safe targets, exploring both the theoretical implications and practical considerations of such technology. Participants examine the effectiveness of lasers in creating paths for lightning and raise concerns about safety, particularly regarding aviation.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express enthusiasm for the idea of using lasers to create a path of ionized atoms for directing lightning strikes, citing a recent example of successful implementation in Switzerland.
  • Concerns are raised about the health and safety of pilots who might inadvertently glance at the lasers, with one participant suggesting that safeguards would be necessary to protect them.
  • Questions arise regarding the visibility of the laser in clear air and the implications for pilot safety, with some participants speculating that the angle of the laser beam would prevent pilots from looking directly into it.
  • A humorous remark is made about the potential for "Bond-villain" scenarios involving lasers directing lightning strikes, indicating a mix of serious and light-hearted engagement with the topic.
  • One participant notes that helicopter pilots might have a different perspective on the laser's visibility compared to fixed-wing pilots, suggesting varying levels of risk based on aircraft type.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the innovative nature of using lasers to guide lightning but express differing views on the implications for pilot safety and the visibility of the laser beams. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the potential risks associated with aviation.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the chaotic nature of lightning strikes and the challenges in ensuring that lasers can effectively guide them. There are also unresolved questions about the operational safety measures that would need to be in place for pilots.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those in the fields of atmospheric science, aviation safety, and laser technology, as well as individuals curious about innovative approaches to lightning protection.

anorlunda
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I like this idea. Very creative, but in retrospect it sounds obvious. Just create a path of ionized atoms.
https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/01/lasers-used-to-guide-lightning-strikes-to-a-safe-target/
Lightning rods protect buildings by providing a low-resistance path for charges to flow between the clouds and the ground. But they only work if lightning finds that path first. The actual strike is chaotic, and there's never a guarantee that the processes that initiate it will happen close enough to the lightning rod to ensure that things will work as intended.

A team of European researchers decided they didn't like that randomness and managed to direct a few lightning strikes safely into a telecom tower located on top of a Swiss mountain. Their secret? Lasers, which were used to create a path of charged ions to smooth the path to the lightning rod.

image-800x533.jpg
 
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I wonder what happens to the health and safety of pilots who glance at the lasers ?
 
Baluncore said:
I wonder what happens to the health and safety of pilots who glance at the lasers ?
Good question. I expect that they couldn't operate them unless safeguards were in place to protect the pilots.
 
anorlunda said:
Good question. I expect that they couldn't operate them unless safeguards were in place to protect the pilots.
Is that a real picture, or an artist's rendition? Why is there so much backscatter of the laser light in clear atmosphere? If the beam is truly that visible in clear air, there will be no pilots flying through it and looking right down at the source...
 
By now, Nature too
41566_2022_1139_Fig2_HTML.png


Apparently, that's a real picture
random internet find
zw200721.jpg


Regarding the planes/pilots: since the laser comes from below, I don't think it's an issue. From that angle the pilot cannot look into the beam. Those incidents around airports are mostly about the low flying planes and lasers at low angles.
 
So a Bond-villain's space lasers could direct lightning strikes onto specific targets? Please don't let some of our congress-persons hear about this.
 
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Rive said:
Regarding the planes/pilots: since the laser comes from below, I don't think it's an issue. From that angle the pilot cannot look into the beam. Those incidents around airports are mostly about the low flying planes and lasers at low angles.
Helicopter pilots get a better view. The laser pointers that frequent airports do not usually generate high-power ionising radiation.
 
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