Science quiz: Applications of lasers

1 / 6 |
Name the nuclear fusion technology illustrated here, where laser beams blast a capsule, producing X-rays that compress a capsule (sphere) to fuse hydrogen nuclei.

2 / 6 |
A popular application of lasers is in __________, which is a technique to record and then recreate the set of all points in a wave that are in phase. While it’s used in many areas of physics, it’s perhaps best known in security features. Fill in the blank.

3 / 6 |
The technique known as X spectroscopy uses a laser as the light source. The shorter this light’s wavelength, the higher the technique’s resolution. It’s used to determine the energies at which molecules vibrate and composition of corrosion on the surface of paintings. Name X.

4 / 6 |
When light from space nears the earth’s surface, some of the information it contains becomes distorted in the atmosphere. So ground-based telescopes shine a laser upwards and which their optics use as a reference point in the sky. What are these points called?

5 / 6 |
Space laser __________ are powerful tools with which to measure the shape of the earth’s surface. A satellite shines a laser beam down and measures its reflection time. Variations in this time indicate ups and downs on the surface. Fill in the blank.

6 / 6 |
Y, of which there are currently two in the world, with a third set to come up in India, detects gravitational waves using a pair of Michelson-Fabry-Pérot interferometers, each 4 km long and operated with laser light. Name Y.