Is a particle beam or laser beam conductive?

[lucas_]

If particle beam or laser beam weapon would be used to cut the electrical wires in high voltage transmission lines of the enemy. Could the current conducts into the particle beam (or laser beam) itself and can short circuit in the weapon platform? I know ionized air can conduct electricity. Isn't particle beam or laser beam some form of ionized medium too?

 

[scottdave]

Laser is just light waves, no particles (unless you consider photons, but they won't conduct, and are moving away from the beam source. I think a beam of ionized particles might become conductive, but the particles are moving away from the source. Even if the electric wire was of the polarity and voltage to repel the particles back toward the source, it would scatter them in multiple directions rather than focusing them straight back.

 

[DaveE]

Photons aren't a particle beam (or plasma, ionoized, etc.) because it carries no electrical charge. So you are really asking two separate questions.
I can't imagine a way to create a reverse current in a "particle beam" that isn't basically another "particle beam" weapon firing in the reverse direction. The energy (or voltage) require to create a particle beam is much much larger than what you would find in even the highest voltage power distribution system.
For photons, there may be something similar to what you suggest. I call it "a mirror". A photon beam would be created in a laser. In practice, the people that design high powered lasers are often quite concerned about retro-reflections where the beam is reflected back into the laser resonator cavity. This can cause physical damage since high power lasers are typically operated as close as is practical to the damage thresholds of the materials used. This isn't speculation or science fiction, this is a real problem. Think about a laser to cut metal (like CO2 lasers), metals are typically pretty good reflectors. In many installations steps are taken to deal with accidental retro-reflections with things like optical isolators. Even if you don't actually damage the laser, you can destabilize it and mess up the beam.
This is why IMO, the "star wars" missile defense system with lasers was a stupid idea, doomed to failure. It's easy to defend against light beams with much cheaper defenses, like mirrors and smoke. Theoretically it could work; in practice it is a stupid approach.

 

[lucas_]

Photons aren't a particle beam (or plasma, ionoized, etc.) because it carries no electrical charge. So you are really asking two separate questions.
I can't imagine a way to create a reverse current in a "particle beam" that isn't basically another "particle beam" weapon firing in the reverse direction. The energy (or voltage) require to create a particle beam is much much larger than what you would find in even the highest voltage power distribution system.
For photons, there may be something similar to what you suggest. I call it "a mirror". A photon beam would be created in a laser. In practice, the people that design high powered lasers are often quite concerned about retro-reflections where the beam is reflected back into the laser resonator cavity. This can cause physical damage since high power lasers are typically operated as close as is practical to the damage thresholds of the materials used. This isn't speculation or science fiction, this is a real problem. Think about a laser to cut metal (like CO2 lasers), metals are typically pretty good reflectors. In many installations steps are taken to deal with accidental retro-reflections with things like optical isolators. Even if you don't actually damage the laser, you can destabilize it and mess up the beam.
This is why IMO, the "star wars" missile defense system with lasers was a stupid idea, doomed to failure. It's easy to defend against light beams with much cheaper defenses, like mirrors and smoke. Theoretically it could work; in practice it is a stupid approach.

I read of navy with operating laser gun. So missile defensee system with particle beam weapons make better sense? Presently what is (or soon to be) the most advanced particle beam technology already deployed in battle fields?

 

[bob012345]

I doubt you would trivially create the conditions to create a conductive path to ground along the beam however, there have been designs of so-called electro-lasers which intentionally create an ionized challenge through the air to conduct electricity towards a target as a weapon. They work but not that well. The beam bounces around like lightning. I thought of trying a high powered squirt gun with an electrolyte but it turns out the stream of conductive fluid has breaks in it as it beads up along the way.

I believe the Navy does have a laser cannon that can shoot down incoming drones, missiles and planes but I don't think it's operational. There is also a plane based anti-missile laser system. I believe they are chemical based.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrolaser