Re: Laser snipers

Beth.Fulton@marine.csiro.au wrote:

> G'day guys,
>
> I know zip about weapon grade lasers, but...
>
> >Doesn't have to be visible light. It
> >could be Infrared. X-ray lasers
> >I think would be silent however...
>
> If at sufficient strength (don't know if weapon grade would be that by
the
> way), wouldn't it ionise the atmosphere and thus produce a sonic boom?
Good
> for the first shot, bad for any subsequent ones as they'd know where
the
> sniper was.

Now you've done it!  I now realize that I may have the education to look
up the
dielectric breakdown strength of air and back calculate the theoretical
maximum
power density for a laser in the paradoxical conditions of dry air at
sea
level.	All I have to do is look through a pair of dusty old textbooks
that I
have studiously ignored for almost ten years.  I may just do it to prove
to
myself that I still can.  I am pleasantly surprised that my head didn't
explode