Using lasers to create rain and control the weather.
Scientists at the University of Central Florida have successfully developed a powerful laser beam technology that can create artificial rain and control the weather.
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| Scientists may be able to control the weather and create artificial rain - Photo: Science News |
Scientists say that electrostatic particles play a crucial role in the condensation of water and the lightning-generating activity within storm clouds. Theoretically, stimulating these electrostatic particles with lasers is key to creating lightning.
Matthew Mills, a research fellow at the UCF Centre for Laser Optics, said: “When the laser beam is strong enough, its operation is different from normal, meaning it breaks down the inner workings. More specifically, the laser beam creates a violent disruption, tearing apart the oxygen and nitrogen electrons in the air, creating plasma particles.”
Based on this theory, students from UCF College of Optics and Photons collaborated with researchers at the University of Arizona to create a "laser beam" to control the weather and generate artificial rain.
A high-energy laser beam is surrounded by a secondary beam, which serves to sustain and power the central laser beam, allowing it to project further. This combined dual-beam laser system is then directed straight up into the sky, causing clouds to shed water, creating artificial rain and generating lightning.
This research was funded with $7.5 million from the Department of Defense. The findings were published in the journal Nature Photonics.
According to Tuoitre.
