Creating Pressure Wave from EM Radiation: No Explosives

[plutoisacomet]

Hello, is it possible to create a pressure wave from any form of electromagnetic radiation that travels inward to a central point emanating from a spherical surface.

Also, the pressure wave must not be produced from explosives that are imploding.

 

[pam]

You are describing the attempts at laser induced fusion.

 

[Astronuc]

Hello, is it possible to create a pressure wave from any form of electromagnetic radiation that travels inward to a central point emanating from a spherical surface.

Also, the pressure wave must not be produced from explosives that are imploding.

The pressure due to photons depends on the energy of the photons and the intensity (number of photons) or flux (number of photons/unit area).

In the inertial confinement scheme using lasers (and even electron beams), it is not the pressure from photons, but the ablation of an outer layer as a consequence of rapid heating and energy deposition that provides the pressure (impulse) on the fuel target.

 

[plutoisacomet]

Thanks guys!