Heating of elements with laser light

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the interaction of laser light with materials, specifically focusing on whether iron can absorb heat from a blue laser light at 404nm compared to copper. Participants explore the implications of atomic structure and electron behavior in different states of matter.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Philip questions if iron would absorb heat from a blue laser while copper would not, referencing a specific emission line of iron.
  • One participant suggests that iron would need to be in gaseous form for narrow band absorption to occur.
  • Another participant posits that the valence electrons in a lattice of iron could affect the frequency or bandwidth of an absorption line.
  • A different perspective is offered, stating that solid materials absorb light and heat through various mechanisms, not solely through electron transitions, and that this is similar to how they behave in sunlight.
  • Further elaboration is provided on how the presence of other atoms can alter the absorption characteristics, indicating that condensed matter behaves differently than low-density gases.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the mechanisms of light absorption and the conditions under which iron absorbs laser light. No consensus is reached regarding the specific interactions of iron and copper with laser light.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the states of matter and the specific conditions under which absorption occurs. The discussion highlights the complexity of interactions between light and materials without reaching definitive conclusions.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those exploring material science, laser applications, or the behavior of light in different states of matter.

philip porhammer
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One of the emission lines of iron is 404nm, would iron absorb the heat from a blue laser and not copper?
Not a student, just an old curious guy.
Thanks,
Philip
 
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The iron would probably need to be in gaseous form or you wouldn’t get narrow band absorption.
 
so, the valance electrons in a lattice of Iron would change the frequency or bandwidth of an absorption line?
 
A solid material placed in the hot sun gets warmer than if it is placed in the shade. That has nothing to do with valence electrons. The same applies for laser light.

There are many mechanisms for light to be absorbed, scattered, or reflected by materials. Not all of them are associated with an electron in an atom jumping energy states.
 
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ok thanks
 
philip porhammer said:
so, the valance electrons in a lattice of Iron would change the frequency or bandwidth of an absorption line?
An isolated atom will have a line structure but, in the close presence of other atoms, the Pauli Exclusion Principle tells us that no two atoms can have the same quantum numbers. The presence of the other atoms (sufficiently close) will spread the lines into bands.
Condensed matter has very different behaviour from low density gases.
 
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thanks,
P
 
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