The VS don't use frigin lasers

[zMessiahz]

Originally posted by NeoTassadar
You are forgetting that lasers that do not exite the air particles enough to radiate light are the low-power, constant beam ones we have today. The ones in this games are fired off in bursts were more energy than we can put into one today (besides the sattelite-killers) into a beam only about 5 feet long. That much energy hitting at once would exite the air molecules enough to emit light, most likely. Not even the sattelite-killers we have today have that energy density. Their beams are several miles long and last for about 10 seconds constant before they melt the thing. The Vanu's are 2-5 ft. and the bursts last a few milliseconds at the most.

The total energy state of what you say is true (although the US now has a laser capable of breaking through a ballistic missile's armor in under 2 seconds now!). However, it is not the total energy that would cause other particles to emit light. The effect we are discussing is the molecules present in air (for simplicity just "air" not air contaminated by say... dust) would absord and re-emit energy carried by the photons in light. That effect is the same no matter the overall energy of the laser. Its reduced to if the molecule being struct has electrons in an energy state capable of obsorbing the energy from a single photon. The number of photons (read more powerful laser) is inconsequential. That is, unless said material is abosorbing them, then the number determines the amount of energy transfered and the number of molucles that will absorb the energy.