From: "Webmaster" <webmaster@laserstars.org>

Newsgroups: sci.physics.plasma

Subject: New web site on plasma recombination lasers in stars

Date: 14 Apr 2005 05:03:32 -0700

Organization: http://groups.google.com

Naturally occurring plasma lasers discovered in stars

http://laserstars.org

Very strong stellar winds can produce plasma recombination lasers.

Rapidly cooling hot plasmas can generate a population inversion.

Rapid cooling mechanisms include adiabatic expansion and gas contact.

Even a small population inversion can lead to laser action due to the

exponential growth behavior of amplified spontaneous emission over

the very large distance scales of stellar atmospheres.

Laser emission lines are very strong, broad and dominate the spectra.

Maximum laser gain occurs in a narrow range of plasma parameters which

depends on the ion and the transition. The maximum gain for the 4686

He II transition occurs at 2.5e15 electrons/cm3 and 2.05e4 Kelvin.

This sensitivity to initial conditions leads to the wide variety of

laser emission lines found in emission line stars.