You mean a photon drive? Like the one commonly used in the spaceships (not currently, but in the distant future)?
ESL's do not work by magnetics or even electromagnetic forces for that matter.
They are strictly electrostatic!!
The diaphragm is moved by the differences of (voltages) static forces acting upon it.
Magnetism has know effect on them at all!!!
FWIW
jer
I used to have such discussions as this with a friend back in the mid 80's.
And some thing like this is now being done on an acoustical level using ultrasonic's with two modulated beams intersecting each other.
And the result of the two signals beating against each other results in excitation of the air at lower frequency's in the audible range at the point were the two beams intersect.
The result is the modulated signal.
My friend had this idea to do this with light waves, in which I understood him fully.
But my question to him is how would you transfer the force of the photons beating against each other to excite the molecules of the air in the same fashion.
If light is a electromagnetic wave than how do you excite the air with out a physical means.
The only other way I know how to do this is to use Heat or Plasama.
Light is at one frequency range and if the resonate frequency of the oxygen and nitrogen in the air is in this range it may be possible to do so but it would require a lot of power just to jiggle a few molecules.
And you have to have a lot of displacement to make some decent SPL's to be practical.
Cheers !!
jer
And some thing like this is now being done on an acoustical level using ultrasonic's with two modulated beams intersecting each other.
And the result of the two signals beating against each other results in excitation of the air at lower frequency's in the audible range at the point were the two beams intersect.
The result is the modulated signal.
My friend had this idea to do this with light waves, in which I understood him fully.
But my question to him is how would you transfer the force of the photons beating against each other to excite the molecules of the air in the same fashion.
If light is a electromagnetic wave than how do you excite the air with out a physical means.
The only other way I know how to do this is to use Heat or Plasama.
Light is at one frequency range and if the resonate frequency of the oxygen and nitrogen in the air is in this range it may be possible to do so but it would require a lot of power just to jiggle a few molecules.
And you have to have a lot of displacement to make some decent SPL's to be practical.
Cheers !!
jer
Hi jer,
Compared to the speed of light the changes in voltage are small enough that statics is a good approximation and no significant magnetic field is generated, I agree.
Electric and magnetic fields are different components of the same thing (the electromagnetic field strength tensor) though and distinguished only by the frame of reference. Photons are the force carrying particles for the electromagnetic field.
I only wanted to point out that all of these speaker techs are based on electric charges responding to light (changes in the the electromagnetic field) if you think about it from that point of view.
I'm a quantum physics grad student so I have my classical EM under control. Quantum physics will always be mysterious, however...
Compared to the speed of light the changes in voltage are small enough that statics is a good approximation and no significant magnetic field is generated, I agree.
Electric and magnetic fields are different components of the same thing (the electromagnetic field strength tensor) though and distinguished only by the frame of reference. Photons are the force carrying particles for the electromagnetic field.
I only wanted to point out that all of these speaker techs are based on electric charges responding to light (changes in the the electromagnetic field) if you think about it from that point of view.
I'm a quantum physics grad student so I have my classical EM under control. Quantum physics will always be mysterious, however...
ESL's do not work by magnetics or even electromagnetic forces for that matter.
They are strictly electrostatic!!
The diaphragm is moved by the differences of (voltages) static forces acting upon it.
Magnetism has know effect on them at all!!!
FWIW
jer
You could say that those who follow the path of physics academia have a lack of common sense and are pretty naive. Professors always encourage you to keep going but in the end there aren't enough jobs for everyone and we are cheap labor.
The good thing is that no one understands quantum physics, not really. But thinking about the fundamental questions doesn't help you to write papers. 'Shut up and calculate!' Once you have a Nobel prize you can think about it again...
The good thing is that no one understands quantum physics, not really. But thinking about the fundamental questions doesn't help you to write papers. 'Shut up and calculate!' Once you have a Nobel prize you can think about it again...
My friend had this idea to do this with light waves, in which I understood him fully.
Cheers !!
jer
You'll be blind and deaf at the power level required to create non-linearities in the air. For instance, when laser pulse makes snap noise in the air the power level is already tremendous
Yep, My point exactly!!!!
"But my question to him is how would you transfer the force of the photons beating against each other to excite the molecules of the air in the same fashion."
"If light is a electromagnetic wave than how do you excite the air without a physical means."
"The only other way I know how to do this is to use Heat or Plasma."
"Light is at one frequency range and if the resonate frequency of the oxygen and nitrogen in the air is in this range it may be possible to do so but it would require a lot of power just to jiggle a few molecules."
"And you have to have a lot of displacement to make some decent SPL's to be practical."
"But my question to him is how would you transfer the force of the photons beating against each other to excite the molecules of the air in the same fashion."
"If light is a electromagnetic wave than how do you excite the air without a physical means."
"The only other way I know how to do this is to use Heat or Plasma."
"Light is at one frequency range and if the resonate frequency of the oxygen and nitrogen in the air is in this range it may be possible to do so but it would require a lot of power just to jiggle a few molecules."
"And you have to have a lot of displacement to make some decent SPL's to be practical."
I remember my classes in Quantum Physics 27 years ago...really black art stuff that was so over my head it made my head spin....I also remember trying to explain antimatter to my Computer Science roommate while "Under the Influence"...it always made it a little more explainable and believable...
And also etched in my memory is explaining the relativity analogy of "Einstein running into a barn with a pole longer than the barn at the speed of light - there would be a time period that the entire pole would be able to fit into that barn"...
And don't get me started on Schrodinger....
And also etched in my memory is explaining the relativity analogy of "Einstein running into a barn with a pole longer than the barn at the speed of light - there would be a time period that the entire pole would be able to fit into that barn"...
And don't get me started on Schrodinger....
I wish the friends I get "Under the Influence" with would ask me about antimatter!! Your friends are cooler than mine!
LOL
Well, there is those little mills in glass bulbs that have aluminum foil that is blackened on one side. They turn when exposed to light. My understaning is that is down to the back side heating up more rather than photon momentum.
If you were to build a loudspeaker membrane to the same princible, it would likely not be suitable as a tweeter.
SEdwards, I am a PhD physicist and make a good living, as do many of my colleagues. The trick is to know when to get out of the tenure track and take an industry job. It is the general problem solving skills that many companies are after, not the specifics of any particular field of physics.
Edit:
The thermal explanation is correct: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crookes_radiometer
These things only work in a moderate vacuum, not at atmospheric pressure nor in high vacuum because you need a certain average path length for the gas molecules -- not the ideal conditions for a tweeter!
If you were to build a loudspeaker membrane to the same princible, it would likely not be suitable as a tweeter.
SEdwards, I am a PhD physicist and make a good living, as do many of my colleagues. The trick is to know when to get out of the tenure track and take an industry job. It is the general problem solving skills that many companies are after, not the specifics of any particular field of physics.
Edit:
The thermal explanation is correct: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crookes_radiometer
These things only work in a moderate vacuum, not at atmospheric pressure nor in high vacuum because you need a certain average path length for the gas molecules -- not the ideal conditions for a tweeter!
Last edited:
Laser Beam Speaker ?
Perhaps crossed laser beams - if powerful enough could be modulated and aimed to cross in some small area and combined be powerful enough to excite the air to become a plasma that would fluctuate with the audio ? Withoug a diaphragm ! Sounds sort of like an ionic loudspeaker and the plasma would probably produce ozone - a no no !!! ... Back to the drawing board ...
Perhaps crossed laser beams - if powerful enough could be modulated and aimed to cross in some small area and combined be powerful enough to excite the air to become a plasma that would fluctuate with the audio ? Withoug a diaphragm ! Sounds sort of like an ionic loudspeaker and the plasma would probably produce ozone - a no no !!! ... Back to the drawing board ...
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