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Researchers Create Real Tractor Beams

Posted by timothy on from the rebels-will-be-crushed dept.

Gadgetank writes "Researchers out of the Australian National University have created a device, working in conjunction with other necessary devices, that can literally move small particles with light. And only light. The way it works is by shining a hollow laser beam around some tiny glass particles. The researchers heat the air around the particles, and therefore cause the dark center of the beam to remain cool."

24 of 111 comments (clear)

  1. not a real tractor beam by D3 · · Score: 5, Informative

    They use this to PUSH particles around, not PULL them.

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    Do really dense people warp space more than others?
    1. Re:not a real tractor beam by The+MAZZTer · · Score: 5, Funny

      Well then they just need to reverse the polarity!

    2. Re:not a real tractor beam by LanMan04 · · Score: 5, Informative

      Quoth wikipedia (from the "Optical Tweezers" article:

      Optical tweezers (originally called "single-beam gradient force trap") is a scientific instrument that uses a highly focused laser beam to provide an attractive or repulsive force (typically on the order of piconewtons), depending on the refractive index mismatch to physically hold and move microscopic dielectric objects. Optical tweezers have been particularly successful in studying a variety of biological systems in recent years.
      --------
      So does that mean this new method works on a different principle?

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    3. Re:not a real tractor beam by Bobfrankly1 · · Score: 3, Funny

      So when a deer in the road moves toward me because I shine my headlights down the road, my headlights are a tractor beam?

    4. Re:not a real tractor beam by Chris+Burke · · Score: 2, Funny

      I vote we call them tugboat beams instead.

      That's a pretty great idea, actually. I second this!

      It's certainly much better than my idea of renaming tractors "uni-directional laser tweezer trucks"

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      The enemies of Democracy are
    5. Re:not a real tractor beam by jandoedel · · Score: 3, Insightful

      So when a deer in the road moves toward me because I shine my headlights down the road, my headlights are attractor beam?

      There, fixed it for you.

    6. Re:not a real tractor beam by c6gunner · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Ain't the English language a funny thing? Tugboats push instead of tug/pull. People park in driveways. And so on.

      Not really, no. Tugboats primarily pull, although they can also push. And a driveway is a path which you drive on in order to reach the house. You could park your car on a driving-range, too, but that wouldn't make the name inappropriate.

    7. Re:not a real tractor beam by Beardydog · · Score: 2, Funny

      It's not something that you just dump microscopic dielectric objects on. It's not a big truck. It's a series of tubes.

    8. Re:not a real tractor beam by Albinoman · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I bet you're a lot of fun at parties.

    9. Re:not a real tractor beam by wierd_w · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Actually, Wasn't there an article about a month ago here on slashdot about the "Maximum effective energy" a laser can reach, before the photon flux itself breaks down into antiparticle pairs? A similar effect could be attained using a modification of the optical tweaser approach used here, that WOULD be effective in space. (It would, however, also tend to vaporize whatever you shined it at... but Meh.) Namely, you add another "layer" in your optical tweasers, at a very very high photon flux. This will create antiparticle pairs in one part of the beam path (middle layer), the less energetic optical confinement stream (outer layer), and then the "cavity" in the center. Due to the self-scattering caused by the antiparticle pair production, this approach would have very limited range, but would at least partially solve the "no atmosphere" problem. (I wouldnt expect to move a huge asteroid this way; the vented gasses caused by hitting it with that much photon flux would provide vastly more propulsive force than that of the optical tweaser effect... but if you absolutely MUST move a particle in what is otherwise a vacuum, this kind of thing might work. Just keep it small enough to fit in the cavity, and OUT of the high flux layer. I just can't think of any reason why you would want to do this though. )

    10. Re:not a real tractor beam by Gary+Perkins · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I think it's more likely cultural difference. American English seems to have minor differences in the meanings of words.

      I know as far as a driveway, most everyone here doesn't really have one. It's more like parking spaces. But we call them driveway's anyways.

      I'm surprised I started this whole discussion. I was actually just alluding to some jokes by one or two popular American comedians. It's been repeated often enough that I couldn't begin to remember who, but the point of the joke is simply that English really is somewhat of a backwords language compared to most of the world.

  2. Echolocation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    "seems like only yesterday..."
    http://science.slashdot.org/story/10/09/08/1558201/Tractor-Beams-Come-To-Life

    1. Re:Echolocation by Intron · · Score: 4, Insightful

      This story is a reflection caused by bouncing the other story from a mirror using hollow laser beams.

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      Intron: the portion of DNA which expresses nothing useful.
    2. Re:Echolocation by derGoldstein · · Score: 4, Funny

      Slashdot has become so big that the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing, and neither hand actually READS Slashdot...

      --
      Entomologically speaking, the spider is not a bug, it's a feature.
  3. Not terribly novel by toppavak · · Score: 3, Informative

    Mechanical forces exerted on objects by light have been described since the 1970's and practically demonstrated since 1986.

  4. In related news by gearloos · · Score: 3, Funny

    John Deere files suit

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  5. Pfft by Adambomb · · Score: 5, Funny

    Wouldn't work in a vacuum, less space than a nomad. Lame.

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    Ice Cream has no bones.
  6. OMG by future+assassin · · Score: 3, Funny

    It worked so well that moving the particles caused the news about them to be duped http://tech.slashdot.org/index2.pl?fhfilter=Tractor+Beams They call it the Dupification Effect.

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    1. Re:OMG by c++0xFF · · Score: 2, Funny

      It worked so well it sent the news back into the past! That's incredible!

  7. This has gotten ridiculous... by hedpe2003 · · Score: 5, Funny

    A Slashdot submission... linking to a forum... linking to a new site... linking to a.... Slashdot submission???

    When I think SEO backlinking... I think this.

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    Comprehensive solutions via a competition of ideas like no other.
    1. Re:This has gotten ridiculous... by Culture20 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      For further information please see this article about Wikipedia.

      Wasn't all of that information on Wikipedia's Wikipedia page original research written by Wikipedia? That article should be deleted for being non-notable, and original research.

  8. Re:Tractor beam? Hardly by mosb1000 · · Score: 2, Funny

    You should seriously consider losing some weight.

  9. Re:Tractor beam? Hardly by eln · · Score: 3, Funny

    You can use a repulsor beam like this to bring things within your grasp if it's positioned properly, much like women can increase their own attraction by bringing their much uglier friend with them to the bars. In practical terms, your large gravitational pull is actually counteracted by a natural repulsor beam (also generated by your weight) that keeps women away from you. If this new beam were to be placed directly behind your target, it may be able to successfully counteract your own repulsive field enough to draw the women in, or at least allow them to enter into a stable orbit around you. After that, you just have to turn up the charm and you're golden.

  10. Time Travel by Zalbik · · Score: 2, Funny

    Damnit....I warned them that this would disrupt the space time continuum.

    Those fools had to go ahead and do it anyways.

    And now look what's happened...we're caught in a loop!