Most of us grow up familiar with the prevailing law that limits how quickly information can travel through empty space: the speed of light, which tops out at 300,000 kilometers (186,000 miles) per second.
But impressively, last year, researchers from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California and the University of Rochester in New York managed it inside hot swarms of charged particles, fine-tuning the speed of light waves within plasma to anywhere from around one-tenth of light's usual vacuum speed to more than 30 percentTo break the hearts of those hoping it'll fly us toand back in time for tea, this superluminal travel is well within the laws of physics. Sorry.
, and it's this 'wave of waves' that can be tweaked to slow down or speed up, depending on the electromagnetic conditions of its surrounds. The overall effect was due to refraction from the plasma's fields and the polarized light from the primary laser used to strip them down. The individual light waves still zoomed along at their usual pace, even as their collective dance appeared to accelerate.
Practically speaking, this is good news for advanced technologies waiting in the wings for clues on how to get around obstacles preventing them from being turned into reality.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Perseus makes Sudan plans as profits soarGold miner Perseus Mining has announced plans for a final investment decision on its recently acquired Block 14 gold project, in the Sudan, by the second half of 2023, while also announcing record financial results for the 2022 financial year. Perseus MD Jeff Quartermaine told delegates at Paydirt’s Africa Downunder conference, in Perth, that the Block 14 operation could add 200 000 oz/y of gold to Perseus’ production profile, with the project estimated to have a mine life of 13-years, based on a current reserve of 2.85-mllion ounces of gold and a resource of 3.34-million ounces of gold.
Read more »
Our Long-Term 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI S Has the FundamentalsWithout any major options and equipped with a six-speed-manual, our 241-hp Golf GTI is a basic hot hatch.
Read more »
Man cut out of vehicle after violent crash in San FernandoThe crash happened just before 11 p.m. Tuesday on San Fernando Road and Brand Boulevard, just after a BMW was seen speeding through red lights in the area.
Read more »
Wasilla motorcyclist killed in pursuit-related collision with moose at over 100 mph, police sayDavid Nagl was fleeing officers who tried to pull him over for speeding and failing to stop at a traffic light, according to the Wasilla Police Department.
Read more »
Blue Light Speeds Up Aging? In Flies, MaybeNew research makes blue light sound awfully scary, but there's little evidence that humans are being harmed by light from our devices.
Read more »