I am a layman who ends up attending a number of research conferences with experts in their field. I do my best to understand but I’m always starting at level 0.
These last few years I’ve heard researchers from TRIUMF and Oak Ridge, among others, talk about transmission of beams and seeing diagrams of the paths their beams transverse. Sometimes, like the particle accelerator at RAON, the path is straight but has a 90′ turn. And sometimes the path is curved and seems to have a number of things the beam is bounced off of.
I’ve also seen some lasers which seem to have the laser beam bounce all over the place. No straight line, no gentle curve, but what is probably 45′ angles and many many of them.
Are these steps (turns?) because they need to modify the beam? Are they adding or subtracting something from the beams? Are the beams getting more focused? Wouldn’t a straight line be easier to control and focus as opposed to adding turns and curves?
In: Physics
As someone who’s also attended conferences with experts in their field, I can understand how confusing it can be to start from level 0. From what I understand, the mirrors and curves in particle accelerators and laser experiments are used to control and manipulate the beams. Straight lines may seem easier to control, but sometimes you need to bounce the beam off of certain materials or curving the path can help with focusing the beam. It’s all about precision and getting the desired outcome. Hopefully that helps simplify things a bit!
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