Inquiring About Laser: Is It Ionizing Radiation?

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Nickolas
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Laser Radiation
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around whether lasers are considered ionizing radiation. Participants explore the definitions and classifications of radiation, particularly focusing on the conditions under which lasers may or may not cause ionization.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that certain lasers may be ionizing while others are not, depending on the energy of the photons emitted.
  • One participant explains that ionizing radiation includes electromagnetic radiation with high enough energy per photon, such as ultraviolet light, X-rays, and gamma rays, while visible light and microwaves are not ionizing.
  • A participant references a source stating that radiation like visible light and lasers typically does not cause ionization, categorizing them as non-ionizing radiation.
  • Another participant introduces the concept of multi-photon absorption, where an extremely intense laser can excite an atom to a higher state and potentially ionize it with additional photon absorption, but notes that this is not the case for most lasers.
  • Participants express a need for more basic information on multi-photon absorption, indicating a desire for further resources on the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether lasers are ionizing radiation. There are multiple competing views regarding the conditions under which lasers may cause ionization, particularly in relation to their intensity and energy levels.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the complexity of defining ionizing versus non-ionizing radiation and the specific conditions that may lead to ionization in certain scenarios, such as with high-intensity lasers.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for individuals interested in the physics of radiation, laser technology, and the nuances of ionization processes in different contexts.

Nickolas
Messages
19
Reaction score
0
Hi
Could you help me
i want to ask about laser..
is laser ionzing radiation or not?
it verey important to me , some website say it ionzing and some say it is not.
could you help for this :confused:
 
Science news on Phys.org
Perhaps some are ionizing and some are not. :smile:
 
Ionizing radiation is radiation in which an individual particle (for example, a photon, electron, or helium nucleus) carries enough energy to ionize an atom or molecule.

The composition of ionizing radiation can vary. Electromagnetic radiation can cause ionization if the energy per photon is high enough (that is, the wavelength is short enough). Ultraviolet light, X-rays, and gamma rays are all ionizing radiation, while visible light, microwaves, and radio waves are not. Ionizing radiation may also consist of fast-moving particles such as electrons, positrons, or small atomic nuclei.

So, some LASERS are ionizing, and some are not. I do not know of any radio wave lasers, are there any? Hmmm... if microwave lasers are called masers, are radio wave lasers called... rasers? :biggrin:
 
Last edited:
:smile:
i Know that,but look this:

Radiation such as visible light, infrared, microwave, laser, etc. that cause no ionization are non-ionizing radiation
from:
http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/nuctek/interact.html
look this also;

DOUBLE IONIZATION IN STRONG LASER FIELDS

http://hsbpc1.ikf.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/publications/files/Doerner-ICPEAC2001.pdf
?
please my language is not English
so
:blushing:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nickolas said:
:smile:
i Know that,but look this:

Radiation such as visible light, infrared, microwave, laser, etc. that cause no ionization are non-ionizing radiation
from:
http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/nuctek/interact.html
look this also;

DOUBLE IONIZATION IN STRONG LASER FIELDS

http://hsbpc1.ikf.physik.uni-frankfurt.de/publications/files/Doerner-ICPEAC2001.pdf
?

It it possible (as stated in the paper you cite) for an extremely intense laser to excite an atom (or molecule) to a higher excited state and then absorb a second photon to ionize it. This is a process called two-photon or multi-photon absorption. However, in general, laser light is not ionizing radiation.

please my language is not English
so
:blushing:

Don't worry about it. What is your native language? Perhaps someone here also knows it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Laser Jock said:
It it possible (as stated in the paper you cite) for an extremely intense laser to excite an atom (or molecule) to a higher excited state and then absorb a second photon to ionize it. This is a process called two-photon or multi-photon absorption. However, in general, laser light is not ionizing radiation.



Don't worry about it. What is your native language? Perhaps someone here also knows it.

In short, a very strong laser can ionize an atom, called multi-photon absorption. Usually lasers are not strong enough to do this.
 
Could you give me website About multi-photon absorption But introduction Because ican't found basic information about
this subject
:smile:
Thank you very much
 
Here is one site that talks about multi-photon absorption.

Here is another.
 
Mk

Laser Jock


Thak you very much :smile:
you are help me a lot .that very kind og you
:shy:
 

Similar threads

Undergrad Laser and nano-holes experiment
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
3K
High School Wavelength of a laser beam emerging from a prism
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Graduate Simple math model for a Particle Image Velocimetry system
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
1K
Undergrad Does the ruby laser (the first invented laser) have nonlinear behavior?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
Graduate The coherence length is much longer than the manufacturer claims
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
3K
Undergrad How does a laser rangefinder work?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
Undergrad How does a ring laser detect Earth's rotation?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Graduate Generating Audio Signals from Lasers: Theoretical Possibilities?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
Graduate Is a Pin-Bar TEA Laser the Key to High-Pressure CO2 Laser Success?
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
Undergrad Possible non-burning visible beam mock-up?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K