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Post by bigbombr on May 11, 2017 5:30:50 GMT
If I'm not mistaken a nuclear pumped laser is essentially a nuclear shaped charge. it just directs the blast in a beam instead of omnidirectionally. Not exactly. A nucleair shaped charge or Cassaba howitzer launches a tight cone/beam of superheated plasma at near relativistic velocities. A nuclear pumped laser uses the burst of gamma- or X-ray radiation from a nucleair explosion to pump a single-use graser or X-ray laser.
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Post by RiftandRend on May 11, 2017 8:16:39 GMT
I wonder if you mount it properly you could make it a dual use system. The lasing medium and optical components could be mounted in a casaba howitzer. The nuke is detonated and the destroyed lasing medium is blasted out.
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Post by bigbombr on May 11, 2017 9:54:11 GMT
I wonder if you mount it properly you could make it a dual use system. The lasing medium and optical components could be mounted in a casaba howitzer. The nuke is detonated and the destroyed lasing medium is blasted out. I don't think it would work well because of the Monroe-effect, and the relative transparency of your gain medium to X-rays. An interesting idea though. Does anyone more knowledgeable on the matter have an opinion?
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Post by nerd1000 on May 12, 2017 10:16:43 GMT
Here's something interesting: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_dynamic_laserI think it would be quite straightforward to replace the combustion chamber with a high temperature nuclear reactor. After lasing the hot gas could be cooled in a heat exchanger and returned to the core, allowing the laser to operate indefinitely.
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Post by matterbeam on May 12, 2017 11:05:11 GMT
Here's something interesting: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_dynamic_laserI think it would be quite straightforward to replace the combustion chamber with a high temperature nuclear reactor. After lasing the hot gas could be cooled in a heat exchanger and returned to the core, allowing the laser to operate indefinitely. Yup. The Nuclear Thermal rocket tied to a box with mirrors on the sides. Run the supersonic exhaust through a turbine and you can even generate electricity from it to further pump the laser beam. Efficiency is stated as 30%, rising probably with a larger temperature difference between the hot and cold end of the mirror chamber. A turbine might be 40% efficient, meaning you can extract up to 58% of the nuclear reactor's energy. Cooling the thing would be complicated by the fact that the nitrogen or helium you're using as the lasing medium gets quite cold by the time it completes its loop.
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