Can lasers guide lightning strikes to a safe target?

In summary, researchers have found a way to safely direct lightning strikes using lasers. By creating a path of charged ions, they were able to guide the strikes towards a telecom tower on a Swiss mountain. The use of lasers also ensures the safety of pilots, as safeguards are in place to protect them from the beams. However, concerns have been raised about the potential misuse of this technology for destructive purposes.
  • #1
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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  • #2
I wonder what happens to the health and safety of pilots who glance at the lasers ?
 
  • #3
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.
 
  • #4
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...
 
  • #5
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.
 
  • #6
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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  • #7
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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1. How do lasers guide lightning strikes?

Lasers guide lightning strikes by creating a path of ionized air molecules, which act as a conductor for the lightning bolt. This path is created by the intense heat and energy of the laser, which breaks down the air molecules and creates a channel for the lightning to follow.

2. Can lasers prevent lightning strikes from happening?

No, lasers cannot prevent lightning strikes from happening. They can only guide the lightning to a specific target, but they cannot alter the weather conditions that cause lightning to occur.

3. What are the potential benefits of using lasers to guide lightning strikes?

The potential benefits of using lasers to guide lightning strikes include protecting sensitive equipment or structures from damage, reducing the risk of wildfires caused by lightning strikes, and potentially redirecting lightning away from populated areas.

4. Are there any potential risks or drawbacks to using lasers to guide lightning strikes?

There are potential risks and drawbacks to using lasers to guide lightning strikes, such as the cost of installing and maintaining the equipment, the potential for the laser to malfunction or be affected by weather conditions, and the possibility of the laser attracting lightning strikes to the guided path.

5. Has this technology been successfully used in real-life situations?

Yes, this technology has been successfully used in real-life situations. For example, the Kennedy Space Center in Florida uses lasers to protect their launch pads and equipment from lightning strikes. Additionally, the U.S. military has also used lasers to protect their aircraft and sensitive equipment from lightning strikes.

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