Re: RETRO MIRROR SCHEMES

["L. Parker" <lparker@destin.gulfnet.com>]

At 06:47 PM 3/8/96 +0100, you wrote:

>>IDEA!  Why not skip converting the sunlight and just gather it directly into 
>>lasers using these huge mirror apparatuses that I'm proposing.  The arrays 
>>aroundSol would need to be heavy to keep from getting blown away, but that's 
>>okay.

I mentioned this to Kelly some time ago, but didn't send it to every one
else. There was an article published in Scientific American about 10 or 15
years ago where someone had figured out how to make a MECHANICAL (that's
what you call it when it only uses mirrors)Solar Pumped Laser. Some sort of
spiral collector/intensifier with flute shaped collimators.

Anyway, without any moving parts it is capagle of generating a visible light
laser from the Sun the only part I don't get is how you can have a
polychromatic laser in the first place, since by definition a laser is
monochromatic...

Anyway, since there is no conversion the only loss would be to thermal
heating from internal absorption, it should be very efficient. And real
CHEAP to build.

Lee
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+  Weave a circle 'round him thrice, and close your eyes with holy dread...   +
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