Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 10:42 am
This has nothing to do with laser cooling (as used e.g. for creation of Bose-Einstein condensate). It was simply radiating heat away from ship by gas dynamic laser principle. So you have one really bright point (laser) instead of large radiators.Zixinus wrote:Somehow that doesn't make sense to make. Personally, it sounds like technobabble, or at least something that might not work effectively in the vacuum of space. I know they can use laser cooling to make Borns-Einstein Condensatum (spelling?) but that is done by getting rid of the "hottest" molecules (so that cool heads would prevail ). Essentially, active cooling done on a atomic scale. The atoms are held by lasers.
But of course you can be right that it is wrong idea, but if I remember it right, thermodynamical concerns were addressed in that paper. The rule is that overall entropy must be increased and according to that paper, it is possible with gas dynamic laser concept (and enough energy). But without that paper, these are meaningless speculations, unfortunately I don't remember much from it
Or is there somebody who can say if it is good or wrong idea? Somebody who knows gas dynamic lasers well? Can it be done that way that there would be no violation of thermodynamics laws?