You don't say?
Posted on 03/21/2019 6:38:41 AM PDT by BenLurkin
Researchers there have developed a way to levitate and propel objects using only light, by adding specific nanoscale patterning to their surface. Scientists have the ability to move and manipulate tiny objects with the use of ‘optical tweezers.’
The tweezers move objects via the radiative pressure from a sharply focused beam of laser light. However, this impressive tool can only move small very small objects a very limited distance.
The trick is to create very specific patterns on the object's surface.
These nanoscale patterns interact with the light so that the object keeps ‘righting’ itself if disturbed so that it creates a restoring torque to keep it buoyant by the light.
This means that an object can keep itself stable and not rely on highly focused beams. The patterns could even mean the light source is millions of miles away from the object.
The technologies developers are also exploring ways which it could be used to enable rapid manufacturing of ever-smaller objects, like circuit boards
(Excerpt) Read more at interestingengineering.com ...
Beam Me Up, Scotty!
Like roaches?........................
You don't say?
This is not new. There were techniques around 2000 where you could sort encysted bacteria into bins using laser light, and the technique then was called optical tweezers.
What’s the big deal? I can move a cat all over the house by using a single red dot of light.
You can move humans with red dots too. Amazing how fast they can move sometimes.
LOL. Exactly what popped into my head while reading the headline.
An article that doesn’t define “radiative pressure” is a poorly written article.
Explain, or don’t write the article. And don’t jump to propelling a spacecraft with a beam of light, unless you explain first.
There is something interesting about a Crooke’s radiometer I did not know until recently. It will not work in a complete vacuum.
So I suppose my flip comment doesn't really count, since the Radiometer is powered by heated air, not light or infrared pressure.
Don’t feel bad... It’s similar to the mistake I made when I discovered I was wrong about how they work. I was trying to compare this instrument with possible heat/cold influenced pressure on an object in space. That’s when I discovered these still do have a certain amount of air in them and I was way off in my line of thought. No air, no heat expansion or pressure. lol
Actually, I was not trying to point out a discrepancy in your reply, just sharing something I discovered and had not known before. I somehow thought they were in a complete vacuum. :)
Golf ball. Laser. Voila!
Thanks BenLurkin.
crooke's radiometer thomas gold
That is what I ran into. And someone here rightfully pointed this out, If photons could push, Pluto would have been pushed away a long time ago. I’m still baffled that the solar winds can push our geomagnetic field so much with no physical residuals to our planetary body. One would think it would have even a slight counter affect against the pull of the Sun.
Pluto's 4 billion miles from the Sun, so, there's very little push from the solar wind on Pluto. The force pushing the inner planets away from the Sun -- the tidal transfer of momentum -- is much stronger on the Earth than is the solar wind.
"Pull my finger." Water from the Sun by Paul D. Spudis, October 17, 2012
But did the bacteria right themselves when disturbed?
“ One would think it would have even a slight counter affect against the pull of the Sun “
It does have a slight counter effect but many, many zeroes would be present between the decimal point and the first non-zero digit when describing the magnitude of the force.
Thanks!
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