UNL physics researchers use optical rocket, new technology | New



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Donald Umstadter, professor of physics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, conducted a research experiment that led to the use of a new application called "optical rocket".

According to a Nebraska Today press release, this application uses the force of light to directly accelerate the material and improve the performance of compact electron accelerators. Through research, electrons using the "optical rocket" can be launched at a speed of nearly one trillion trillion times faster than the speed of an astronaut who launches into space.

The forces exerted by the light may resemble a "light sail" that could propel a spacecraft years after its launch. It can also create an "optical clip" capable of manipulating microscopic objects.

This experiment was funded by the National Science Foundation after scientists from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China modeled an experiment related to this topic. With Umstadter, the experiment was conducted by students and scientists from the UNL. Grigoroy Golovin, Associate Research Professor, was the lead author of the paper, published in September 2018 in the journal Physical Review Letters.

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