inconsistency with laser

[Trent (OP)]

I know that I am new here (so, this section is not good to begin with), but I find a consistency problem (not the mechanism itself, but the physics).

In the 10th tutorial, we see how to design a beam warship.  To do that, we need some researches as laser.  The problem is in the description of the improvement of laser range.  It's said that with an higher wavelength, the range of the laser is also higher (which is true because hence, we have less loss of energy with the distance).  But, in the same time, we begin with infra-red laser, we upgrade it into a visible laser, next into a near ultraviolet laser . . .  etc which is not a good thing because an ultraviolet light have a shorter wavelenght than a infra-red light.

Maybe, explane that we need more power to have greater range, and a laser with a shorter wavelenght is a result of this increase of power ? Or a mix between both explaination (with more power we turn the laser in ultraviolet, and to increase even more the range, we manage to turn it in visible wavelenght, for exemple) ?

Sorry if it is not in the good section, but i didn't see "physical consistency of aurora" topic, or something like this.  It's not really usefull and necessary, but if you want the game to be even more reallistic we can begin with simple physic inconsistency 

[Thiosk]

Oh my I never noticed this.  I should have. Im a god damned scientist.

Higher wavelength = lower frequency.

Is this hardcoded in the game somewhere?  iF its just in the tutorial, honest mistake.  If its in the game... it becomes the single most important feature needed in 5.61.  (joke)

[Trent (OP)]

I don't think so, it's just an information to explain how we make a laser with higher range.   So you just have to change the texte, and you can wait a more important update to do that. 

I am quiet sure it's not implemented in the game because a higher wavelenght not only increase the range of the laser, but, with the same power of generation of the laser, the power in itself is less important.   It's the reverse with shorter wavelenght.  Whereas, in the game, the increase of range keep the same power.

So, we need to increase the power of the laser (as I explain in the first post).   Maybe, if you want to change something, add a technologie te increase the power, then an other to be able to reduce the wavelenght, and finally make a design research with a compromise between the power of the laser beam and its range (as we have with sensor, a big size sensor allow us to see further big objects, with a small range for small object, and a smaller sensor allow us to see nearer big object but further small object).   Hence, we can make more kind of laser with the power, the wavelenght, and the focal size. 

What do you think about this idea ?

[sloanjh]

I know that I am new here (so, this section is not good to begin with), but I find a consistency problem (not the mechanism itself, but the physics).

In the 10th tutorial, we see how to design a beam warship.  To do that, we need some researches as laser.  The problem is in the description of the improvement of laser range.  It's said that with an higher wavelength, the range of the laser is also higher (which is true because hence, we have less loss of energy with the distance).  But, in the same time, we begin with infra-red laser, we upgrade it into a visible laser, next into a near ultraviolet laser . . .  etc which is not a good thing because an ultraviolet light have a shorter wavelenght than a infra-red light.

Maybe, explane that we need more power to have greater range, and a laser with a shorter wavelenght is a result of this increase of power ? Or a mix between both explaination (with more power we turn the laser in ultraviolet, and to increase even more the range, we manage to turn it in visible wavelenght, for exemple) ?

Sorry if it is not in the good section, but i didn't see "physical consistency of aurora" topic, or something like this.  It's not really usefull and necessary, but if you want the game to be even more reallistic we can begin with simple physic inconsistency 

This is a typo in the tutorial - it should have said "higher frequency" (i.e. smaller wavelength).  This has always seemed like reasonable techno-babble to me, although I admit I never thought "oh wait - there really is such a thing as a laser that might not behave that way".  That being said, I suspect Steve has the sign of the effect correct - my intuition says shorter wavelengths are probably "better" than longer wavelengths.  Even if you keep power and aperture the same, there's another subtle effect - dispersion (amount the beam spot has spread at a given distance).  The dispersion should go like some function (I suspect linear) of (wavelength/aperture) - big apertures will lead to the beam staying collimated longer than small apertures.  Since a beam with half the dispersion will require twice the distance to reach the same spot size as a reference beam, it makes sense for frequency effect to go as indicated.

Note sure how much of the above analysis went into Steve's actual decision process....

John