An electrolaser is a type of electroshock weapon which is also a directed-energy weapon. It uses lasers to form an electrically conductive Laser-Induced Plasma Channel (LIPC). A fraction of a second later, a powerful electric current is sent down this plasma channel and delivered to the target, thus functioning overall as a large-scale, high energy, long-distance version of the Taser electroshock gun. TASER and Taser redirect here. ... Directed-energy weapon refers to a type of weapon that emits energy in a particular direction by a means other than a projectile. ... For alternative meanings see laser (disambiguation). ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... An electroshock gun, also referred to as a stun gun, is a weapon used for subduing a person by firing something which administers electric shock, disrupting superficial muscle functions. ...

Alternating current is sent through a series of step-up transformers, increasing the voltage and decreasing the current. The final voltage may be between 10⁸ and 10⁹ volts. This current is fed into the laser beam. To complete the electric circuit, there must be either a second laser beam, or a ground return, from the target to the last transformer in the step-up series. City lights viewed in a motion blurred exposure. ... For other uses, see Transformer (disambiguation). ... International safety symbol Caution, risk of electric shock (ISO 3864), colloquially known as high voltage symbol. ... Electric current is the flow (movement) of electric charge. ... It has been suggested that Ground conductor be merged into this article or section. ...

Laser-Induced Plasma Channel

A Laser-Induced Plasma Channel (LIPC) is formed by the following process: There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

• A laser (possibly a laser diode) emits a laser beam into the air.
• The laser beam causes blooming, which is the temporary change of state of component(s) of the atmosphere (like oxygen) to ionize into a plasma.
• The plasma forms an electrically conductive plasma channel.

Because a Laser-Induced Plasma Channel relies on the atmospheric blooming effect, there must be air or some other gas between the electrolaser weapon and the target: it will not work in space vacuum. For alternative meanings see laser (disambiguation). ... A packaged laser diode with penny for scale. ... Directed-energy weapon refers to a type of weapon that emits energy in a particular direction by a means other than a projectile. ... In the physical sciences, a phase is a set of states of a macroscopic physical system that have relatively uniform chemical composition and physical properties (i. ... General Name, symbol, number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series nonmetals, chalcogens Group, period, block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless (gas) very pale blue (liquid) Standard atomic weight 15. ... ... For other uses, see Plasma. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Layers of Atmosphere - not to scale (NOAA)[1] Outer space, sometimes simply called space, refers to the relatively empty regions of the universe outside the atmospheres of celestial bodies. ...

Uses

Methods of use:

• To kill or incapacitate a human target through electrocution.
• To seriously damage, disable, or destroy any electric or electronic devices in the target.
• As electrolasers and natural lightning both use plasma channels to conduct electric current, an electrolaser can set up a light-induced plasma channel for uses such as:
  • To study lightning
  • During a thunderstorm, to make lightning discharge at a safe time and place, as with a lightning conductor.
  • As a weapon, to make a thunderhead deliver a precise and plausibly deniable lightning strike onto a target from an aircraft; in this case, the aircraft and laser function something as the base in a transistor, creating a path for a large amount of energy with a very minor amount of initial input.

Because of the plasma channel, an electrolaser may cause an accident if there is a thunderstorm (or other electricity sources such as overhead powerlines) about. Sign warning of possible electric shock hazard An electric shock can occur upon contact of a human or animal body with any source of voltage high enough to cause sufficient current flow through the muscles or nerves. ... The article on electrical energy is located elsewhere. ... This article is about the engineering discipline. ... Lightning over Oradea in Romania For information on lightning precautions, see Lightning safety. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Lightning over Oradea in Romania For information on lightning precautions, see Lightning safety. ... A thunderstorm, also called an electrical storm or lightning storm, is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its attendant thunder produced from a cumulonimbus cloud. ... A lightning rod is a metal strip or rod, usually of copper or similar conductive material, used to protect tall or isolated structures (such as the roof of a building or the mast of a vessel) from lightning damage. ... Thunderhead can refer to: Thunderhead - a name given to Cumulonimbus clouds seen during a thunderstorm Thunderhead (comic character) - a Marvel comic character in the comic Monstergirl Thunderhead (film) - a film about a young boy and his colt — the second in a series of three films: My Friend Flicker, Thunderhead (the... Plausible deniability also Deniability is the term given to the creation of loose and informal chains of command in government, which allow controversial instructions given by high-ranking officials to be denied if they become public. ... Assorted discrete transistors A transistor is a semiconductor device, commonly used as an amplifier or an electrically controlled switch. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... A thunderstorm, also called an electrical storm or lightning storm, is a form of weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its attendant thunder produced from a cumulonimbus cloud. ...

The only defenses against electron particle beam weapons are magnetic fields, electrical insulators, capacitors, electrostatic fields, and Faraday cages. In physics, magnetism is a phenomenon by which materials exert an attractive or repulsive force on other materials. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... See Capacitor (component) for a discussion of specific types. ... Electrostatics is the branch of physics that deals with the force exerted by a static (i. ... Entrance to a Faraday room A Faraday cage or Faraday shield is an enclosure formed by conducting material, or by a mesh of such material. ...

See Electroshock gun for more information (principles of operation, controversies, etc). An electroshock gun, also referred to as a stun gun, is a weapon used for subduing a person by firing something which administers electric shock, disrupting superficial muscle functions. ...

Examples of electrolasers

Ionatron

Publicly traded company Ionatron develops directed-energy weapons for the United States Military The company has produced a device called the Joint IED Neutralizer (JIN) which may presently be undergoing field testing in Iraq^{[citation needed]}. The JIN is intended for safely detonating IEDs or improvised explosive devices. Future designs include weapons mounted on land and air and sea vehicles and as a hand-held infantry version. Ionatron is a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ stock exchange trading under the ticker symbol IOTN. They are developing directed-energy weapons, consisting primarily of electroshock laser weapons which use a Laser-induced plasma channel to carry electric current to a target over a distance of tens of meters. ... A directed-energy weapon is a type of energy weapon that directs energy in a particular direction by a means other than a projectile. ... Explosive devices, as used by terrorists, guerrillas or commando forces, are formally known as Improvised Explosive Devices or IEDs. ...

Ionatron said that the weapons will be able to be used as a non-lethal alternative to current weaponry, but will be able to deliver a high enough voltage jolt to kill.

Phoenix

There was an unconfirmed report that in 1985 the U.S. Navy tested an electrolaser. Its targets were missiles and aircraft. This device was known as the Phoenix project within the Strategic Defense Initiative research program. It was first proved by experiment at long range in 1985. But this report may have referred to an early test of MIRACL, which is or was a high-powered chemical laser. The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ... The Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) was proposed by U.S. President Ronald Reagan on March 23, 1983[1] to use ground-based and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles. ... MIRACL, or Mid-Infrared Advanced Chemical Laser, is the only successful directed energy weapon developed by the SDI program. ... A chemical laser is a laser that obtains its energy from a chemical reaction. ...

Peter Anthony Schlesinger's project

See this link for USA experiments with what was probably an electrolaser. Anthony's company is HSV Technologies... at a now defunct website http://hsvt.org ... see, also: WIRED news article

StunStrike

The new project StunStrike is probably an electrolaser. The StunStrike[1] is a wireless electroshock weapon, probably a Tesla coil, being developed by XADS. It is in various sizes from rifle size upwards, with various ranges. ...

Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems

Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems in Anderson, Indiana is developing a series of rifle-sized and artillery-sized electrolasers for the U.S. Marines. See XADS. Anderson is a city in Madison County, Indiana, United States. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is the second smallest of the five branches of the United States armed forces, with 170,000 active and 40,000 reserve Marines as of 2002. ... XADS (Xtreme Alternative Defense Systems) is a privately held firm in Anderson, Indiana (USA). ...

HSV Technologies

HSV Technologies of San Diego, California http://www.hsvt.org are designing a non-lethal device which was profiled in the 2002 TIME magazine article “Beyond the Rubber Bullet”. It is an electrolaser using ultraviolet laser beams, and promises to immobilize living targets at a distance without contact. There is plan for an engine-disabling variation for use against the electronic ignitions of cars. “San Diego” redirects here. ... Look up time in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other uses, see Ultraviolet (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Laser (disambiguation). ...

In fiction

Electrolasers, or unnamed effects that could be explained as electrolasers, often occur in science fiction and videogames, such as: Science fiction is a form of speculative fiction principally dealing with the impact of imagined science and technology, or both, upon society and persons as individuals. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ...

• The Volt Auto Rifle in Command & Conquer: Renegade
• The Lightning Gun in Unreal Tournament 2004
• The Lightning Gun in Quake
• The Arc Welder in Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force
• The Arc Charger in Resistance: Fall of Man
• The Electron Mace in Syndicate Wars
• The Steve Jackson Games role-playing game GURPS has sourcebooks ("Space" and "Ultra-Tech") that have listed Electrolasers as hand weapons since at least 1988. They even work the same way.
• In the Cobra novels by Timothy Zahn electrolasers are used as hand weapons.
• In The Mightiest Machine (1935) series by John W. Campbell, Jr. the Transpon Beam is similar in concept to the electrolaser.
• The "PIG" plasma cannon from the Alien series uses a device quite similar to the eletrolaser to create the necessary magnetic containment bottle.
• See raygun.

Unreal Tournament 2004, also known as UT2004 or UT2K4, is a futuristic first-person shooter computer game developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. ... Zombies attacking the player at the starting of Episode 1, Mission 3: The Necropolis. ... Star Trek: Voyager Elite Force is a first-person shooter computer game made by Raven Software and published by Activision in 2000. ... Syndicate Wars is the third title in the Syndicate Series created by Bullfrog Productions in 1996. ... Steve Jackson Games (SJG) is a game company that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games. ... This article is about games in which one plays the role of a character. ... The Generic Universal RolePlaying System, commonly known as GURPS, is a role-playing game system designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming environment. ... For the series of novels by Joseph R. Rosenberger, see COBRA (action-adventure novels) COBRA refers to a series of science fiction novels by Timothy Zahn. ... Timothy Zahn (born September 1, 1951) is a science fiction novelist. ... This is a bibliography of works by John W. Campbell, Jr. ... John Wood Campbell, Jr. ... This article is about the first film in a series. ... // Rayguns are a type of directed-energy weapon. ...

References

Laser-triggered lightning:

• http://panda.unm.edu/AcadAdv/lightning.html
• http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/1367-2630/4/1/361/nj2161.html
• http://jot.osa.org/abstract.cfm?id=67851
• http://scitation.aip.org/getabs/servlet/GetabsServlet?prog=normal&id=APPLAB000085000023005781000001&idtype=cvips&gifs=yes
• http://www1a.comm.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp/~lrg/abstract4.html
• http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1978affd.rept.....L&db_key=PHY&data_type=HTML&format=

Other forms:

• http://www.defense-update.com/products/l/LPIC.htm as a corridor or passageway denial system
• http://www.ionatron.com/ Ionatron