Research question for SDI followers on x-ray laser....

[punpirate]

Almost twenty years ago, there was a press conference with several LLNL scientists on x-ray laser progress. During that press conference, one of the scientists was asked did it work, and he said that the data was "inconclusive." Another was asked the same question, and he replied to the effect of, "truthfully, we don't know."

Shortly afterwards, the deputy director of LLNL in charge of weapons development, Lowell Wood, wanted to prosecute all of the people participating in the press conference for violating the National Security Act.

I remember seeing the videotape of the press conference (circa 1986-7) and remember reading of the brouhaha afterwards, but I can't find any hard sources on the web about this event.

Does anyone else remember this and can a hard source be provided (if this is in William Broad's book, Teller's Wars, mea culpa, I haven't found a copy just yet.

Cheers, and thanks for any leads.

[bejammin075]

1. Good luck, sorry I can't help

I a scientist (though not way into the physical sciences) and I remember havving a conversation with someone about the technology. I think it would take a huge amount of power to power an x-ray laser, especially one that's used as a weapon. so it would likely be on the ground, to have that large of a power source. this whole line of technology is insane though. if they DID have an x-ray in the sky, i can just imagine how the neocons would abuse it. you could torch anyone anywhere on the earth.

[Tesha]

2. Teller's intention at the time was...

> I think it would take a huge amount of power to power an x-ray laser,

IIRC, Teller's intention at the time was to pump the X-Ray laser
amplifiers with a nuclear bomb. The basic approach was:

0. Place the devices in orbit well ahead of their need.
1. Locate the targets.
2. Swivel the amplifiers around so they each were aimed at a target.
3. Trigger the nuke, sending a single large pulse of X-Rays at each
of the targets that had been designated.

The whole idea seems crack-pot to me, but a wonderful way to help
enrich the nuclear weapons design community with our tax dollars.

Tesha

[punpirate]

3. A little history...

... the laser was to be pumped by the first big burst of high-energy x-rays from the detonation of a small nuclear bomb. Destroys itself as it lases.

And, it was only truly useful in space--as I understand it, in air, high-energy x-rays rapidly degrade to lower and lower energy states, so the beam from such a laser would probably be of little use in space-to-ground warfare.

I'm just trying to verify that that part of SDI was abandoned because it didn't really work and that the promoters of x-ray laser probably lied about the results.

Cheers.

[bananas]

4. Does this help?

ON EDIT:
the aps.org url isn't pasting correctly,
it still works but should be
http://www.aps.org/WN/WN88/wn030488.html


I did a quick "google groups" search,
using the words "x-ray laser llnl inconclusive",
this was the first hit.


http://groups-beta.google.com/group/rec.games.frp.gurps/browse_thread/thread/f542c7d54f357959/3b4540206d143901?q=x-ray+laser+llnl+inconclusive&rnum=1&hl=en#3b4540206d143901

<big snip>

From: http://www.aps.org/WN/WN88/wn0­30488.html


> WHAT'S NEW, Friday, 4 March 1988 Washington, DC

> 2. SDIO IS NO LONGER INTERESTED IN THE X-RAY LASER


> as a component of Star Wars, according to a spokesman quoted in the
> San Jose Mercury News. Lawrence Livermore officials acknowledge it
> would require at least another 5 years and $1B to determine whether
> such a weapon is possible. Just prior to the Rekjavik summit, Edward
> Teller described the x-ray laser to Administration officials as
> ready to enter "the engineering phase." The GAO, which is
> investigating the matter (WN 25 Dec 87), briefed Rep. George Brown
> last week. The briefing was classified, and Brown would only say
> that letters and briefings to Administration officials by Teller and
> Lowell Wood "were misleading, particularly to individuals without a
> technical background."

[punpirate]

5. The first link is for...

... gamers, the second link is dead, but the last bit reported in the Mercury News is interesting. $1 billion is a relatively small amount compared to what they'd spent to that date (including research done before Reagan announced his SDI plan), so there was likely a problem, related to the failure to extend funding after years of working on it.

That gives me a couple of new dates and names on which to follow up. Thanks.

Cheers.