Basic Laser Weapon System Design - Softcover

Motes, Dr. Andrew

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1521369607 ISBN 13: 9781521369609

Publisher: Independently published, 2015

Synopsis

This book describes the design process for laser weapons and shows how power and weight are related to laser efficiency and duty cycle. The author uses example requirements to step the reader through a basic design. It was written for engineers or physicists who have no experience in the field, or for engineering students who are interested in learning about laser weapons. Readers are expected to have an understanding of optics and laser physics. This book can also be used as a teaching tool for the engineering design process.

About this title

About the Author

In the last 50 years Andrew (Andy) Motes has been (in roughly chronological order) a sharecropper, woodcutter, trapper, grocery-store clerk, motorcycle mechanic, electronic technician, electronic engineer, computer software developer, space systems engineer or "rocket scientist," laboratory research scientist, laser physicist, author, teacher, college professor, military officer, civil servant, defense contractor, and International Arms Dealer. He received his BS degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Arkansas in 1978; his MS degree in Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1979 with a specialty in air and spacecraft Navigation, Guidance, and Control theory; and his PhD in 1987 from the University of New Mexico with a specialty in laser physics and electro-optics. All his degrees were earned while serving on active duty in the US Air Force. He worked on President Reagan's SDI (Strategic Defense Initiative or "Star Wars") program, the Army's THEL (Tactical High Energy Laser) program, the Air Force's ABL (Airborne Laser) program, and NASA's Next Generation Space Relay Architecture. He has been licensed to practice engineering in multiple states including New Mexico, Colorado, and Arkansas. He has written > 20 books, nine commercial educational software packages (including the award winning and best-selling software called School-Mom), and many scientific journal and magazine articles. He taught Astronautical Engineering and control theory at the US Air Force Academy, Physics and Electronic Design at John Brown University, retired from the US Air Force Reserves in 2007 at the rank of Colonel, and retired from federal civil service in 2012. 

From the Back Cover

"There have been promises of laser weapons since lasers were first invented more than 50 years ago. So why are these still not being used in warfare?" This book answers this question and teaches the basic concepts of laser weapon system design. It does this by assuming a target susceptibility to laser radiation damage, and then working backwards to find a weapon design that includes total mass.

Edition details

• Publisher: Independently published
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1521369607
• ISBN 13: 9781521369609
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 151