Physics

The Brightest Light Ever Produced On Earth Discovered

Elaine Hannah
First Posted: Jun 28, 2017 05:32 AM EDT

Recently, physicists have generated the brightest light ever produced on Earth bright as billion of the surface of the Sun. This could lead to the improvement of a more powerful X-ray technology.

The findings of the creation were published in Nature Photonics. The work was led by researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The scientists used the DIOCLES laser to generate the ultra-bright light. This laser is one of the most powerful lasers in the United States, according to Science Alert.

The scientists fired the laser at electrons suspended in helium. Then, they gauged how the single electrons dispersed the photons of light that hit them. The scattering was so extreme that it altered the appearances of the objects. There were about 1,000 photons scattered simultaneously in this experiment.

Donald Umstadter, the lead researcher of the study, said that when they have this unimaginably bright light, it turns out that the scattering fundamentally changes in nature. He further said that it is as if things appear differently as you turn up the brightness of the light. This is somewhat unusual as an object normally becomes brighter. On the other hand, in this experiment, the light is changing the object's appearance and the light's coming off at various angles and colors, depending on how bright it is.

This new creation could enhance the current X-ray technology and might be used to detect tumors that the current X-rays could not identify. It could also lead to the development of an ultrafast camera to snap electron motions and chemical reactions. It might also create 3D images of nanoscopic objects and could spot minute details that current technology cannot do. The magnetic laser could aid the researchers to figure out some puzzling problems in the laboratory as well, according to New Atlas. 

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