Laser rays can generate rain on demand

People in countries suffering from droughts one day can create water clouds as required by laser technology. Physicists have found that firing a laser beam into the air can produce small particles of water. This breakthrough technique can generate rain in the future.

Image: fresnobeehive.com

In the past, people used rockets carrying silver iodine scattered in the sky. These particles act as the 'condensed nuclei' that water particles can form around them.

Jerome Kasparian's team found that firing energy through atmospheric clouds created a channel of nitrogen and oxygenated molecules. These molecules act as condensed anchors similar to silver iodide molecules. The droplets along this wet canal nearly doubled in size from 50 to 80 micrometers when they ionized.

Kasparian's team then tested the technique in natural conditions. They shoot 'Teramobile laser' sharply up the sky above Berlin on some nights. They found small particles accumulating along the laser pathway when the humidity was high. "This is the first time the laser has been used to create outdoor condensation," said Roland Sauerbrey, a laser physicist.

Source: Science