Striking Back at Lightning with Lasers Reading Passage
Striking Back at Lightning with Lasers
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The weather is rarely more spectacular than when a thunderstorm strikes. Each year throughout the United States alone, its electrical fury ends up killing or severely injuring nearly 500 people. When the sky begins to darken, a relaxing round of golf could morph into a terrifying gamble with death. If the golfer is alone and out in the open, they could be the most vulnerable target for a lightning bolt. Additionally, there is damage to the property. Destruction done by lightning costs American electricity organisations more than $100 million every year.
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However, researchers in both the United States and Japan intend to strike back. They have already conducted tests in laboratories to evaluate how to reduce the strength of thunderstorms, and thus this winter they will face real storms while equipped with an array of lasers that they will be aiming at the sky to discharge thunderclouds before lightning strikes.
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The concept of manipulating storm clouds to fire their lightning is not new. In the early 1960s, scientists experimented with launching rockets with trailing cables into thunderclouds in an attempt to create an ideal discharge route for the massive electric charges that these clouds produce. The method is still used today at the test site in Florida, operated by the University of Florida with assistance from the California-based Electrical Power Research Institute (EPRI). EPRI, which is financed by power companies, is researching ways to safeguard the United States power grid against lightning strikes. According to Ralph Bernstein, manager of lightning plans at EPRI, they can utilise rockets to compel the lightning to hit wherever we want it to. The rocket site provides accurate measurements of lightning voltages, allowing engineers to evaluate how electrical equipment holds up under extreme conditions.
Bad Behaviour
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However rockets are ideal for research but cannot offer the protection from lightning everyone wants. The failure rate of the rockets, which cost approximately $1,200 per piece and can only be launched at a limited frequency, is nearly 40%. The circumstances often do not turn out as anticipated despite triggering lightning. According to Bernstein, lightning does not always behave properly. There are times when it will grasp a branch and venture into an area where it is not intended to go.
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Besides, who would wish to launch rockets into a populated place? According to University of New Mexico professor Jean-Claude Diels, whatever goes up must come down. Diels is heading an EPRI-supported experiment and attempting to utilise lasers to discharge lightning safely. Safety is indeed a basic criterion because no one wants to endanger themselves or their expensive equipment. A promising technology is only beginning to emerge from the laboratory after an initial investment of about $500,000.
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The concept first emerged roughly 20 years ago when incredibly powerful lasers started to demonstrate their capability to remove electrons from atoms and produce ions. Before the electric field is strong enough to cause the air to break down by striking down in an unmanageable flash, lightning could be guided to Earth by creating a line of ionisation in the air that extends up to the storm cloud. The laser should not be pointed directly at the clouds to prevent it from being struck, too. Instead, it would be pointed at a mirror, from which it would be aimed into the sky. The installation of lightning conductors near the mirrors would protect them. The cloud-zapper (gun) would ideally be affordable enough to be placed around all-important power stations and portable enough to be carried to international sporting events to shoot up at developing stormy clouds.
A Stumbling Block
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Though there is still a major stumbling block to overcome, the laser is a monster that occupies an entire room; it is not handy or portable. Diels is attempting to reduce the size and claims that a laser the size of a small table is coming soon. He intends to test this more controllable technique on real thunderclouds next summer.
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According to Bernstein, the power stations are displaying a significant interest in Diels' approach. However, they have not yet been able to raise the $5 million that EPRI anticipates would be required to establish a commercial system by making the lasers quite small and inexpensive. Bernstein continues to add that he can't claim he has money yet, but he is still working on it. He believes the upcoming field tests will be a turning point, and he is expecting positive results. If everything goes according to plan, Bernstein predicts there will be an avalanche of interest and support. He anticipates that someday the loud-zappers will cost $50,000 to $100,000 each.
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Other scientists might also benefit from it. Materials scientists could understand what happens when strong currents clash with the matter if they had a lightning "switch" in their control. Diels also expects to see the development of "interactive meteorology," which would enable both weather forecasting and weather control. He adds that we might have an impact on the weather if we can discharge clouds.
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Diels suggests that humans might be able to deal with other meteorological hazards. He states that they thought they could prevent hail by causing lightning. It is believed that thunder, a shock wave caused by a lightning flash, is what initiates storms and their typical torrential rain. Large hailstones that could be dangerous for crops could potentially not form if a laser thunder factory removes the moisture from the clouds. Hopefully, laser-wielding researchers will be able to retaliate for the first time this winter when storm clouds accumulate.
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