Another laser and fusion development

[robert]

I just saw this today on NextBigFuture.com.

http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/07/photonic-propulsion-and-fusion-work-at.html

MIMS can be used for generating super-intense x-ray beams with unprecedented high conversion efficiency from kinetic-energy to x-ray energy, over 40%. Such super-intense x-ray beams can make inertial confinement nuclear fusion more efficient and economically viable. Metastable Innershell Molecular State (MIMS) is a new high energy density matter quantum state. MIMS exists in matters compressed “suddenly” at pressures in excess of one hundred million atmospheres.

[Solo]

That's bogus.

Edit: on looking into it, maybe there's something there after all. It's certainly unorthodox, who starts a company named after himself, trying to outrun the fusion community single-handedly?

[hanelyp]

It sounds plausible to me that there might be stable orbitals at extreme pressures that can't be reached at lesser pressures. I've heard of nuclear fusion at low temperature, high pressure overcoming electrostatic repulsion. But I don't really understand the quantum physics of electron orbitals. And I'd still want independent replication.

[MSimon]

It sounds plausible to me that there might be stable orbitals at extreme pressures that can't be reached at lesser pressures.

Highly unlikely. Pressure does not have much effect on the quantum aspects of nature. And if it requires pressure to reach and sustain it is not stable even if it existed.

[Nik]

Um, this work could be related to the recent discovery that if you zap alumin(i)um hard enough, the inner electron structure briefly mimics silicon, so material becomes transparent to far-UV...

http://www.physorg.com/news167925273.html

Big zap. Very, very briefly. Far-UV.

Mind you, the life-times seem comparable with meta-stable states in masers & lasers, and we know where they've got to...

Against that, I'm very wary of start-ups that seem to have more buzz-words than peer-reviewed theory...

[D Tibbets]

It sounds plausible to me that there might be stable orbitals at extreme pressures that can't be reached at lesser pressures.

Highly unlikely. Pressure does not have much effect on the quantum aspects of nature. And if it requires pressure to reach and sustain it is not stable even if it existed.

Well, reasonable pressures may not have much effect, but rediculus pressures may. Degenerate matter- neutron stars, etc . have different charitersitics compared to normal matter.
Dan Tibbets