Lasers used to move particles - NOT a Tractor Beam

[MikeAusC]

Quotes from http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/09/08/tractor-beams-real/ The Laser used was 5 watts.

"Researchers from the Australian National University have announced that they have built a device that can move small particles a meter and a half using only the power of light."

"The device works by shining a hollow laser beam around tiny glass particles. The air surrounding the particle heats up, while the dark center of the beam stays cool. When the particle starts to drift out of the middle and into the bright laser beam, the force of heated air molecules bouncing around and hitting the particle's surface is enough to nudge it back to the center.

A small amount of light also seeps into the darker middle part of the beam, heating the air on one side of the particle and pushing it along the length of the laser beam. If another such laser is lined up on the opposite side of the beam, the speed and direction the particle moves can be easily manipulated by changing the brightness of the beams."

 

[LotusDarkrose]

Technology is sure coming a long ways. However, seeing as it took 5 watts to suspend the tiny glass particle, practical use on objects it would actually benefit to move (aka factory molds, car engines, construction equipment, etc.) would need many, many times 5 watts. And all the insanely powered lasers you read about in the news that break records and such, can only be turned on for fractions of a second.

It is a cool thought though. My eyes are just burning thinking about a tractor beam moving a shiny mold from one injection molding machine to another, and the light bouncing off and putting a hole through my skull :laughing:

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

While you can do the same thing with a gaussian beam, apparently they are just improving upon it?

If you take a decent-powered laser, you can suspend particles in air quite easily. I've done it myself

Always wear your goggles, though!