How can lasers both cool atoms to near zero yet power fusion reactors?

RE: laser cooling:

FGR, the heatsink takes the form of

emission photons.

It is because these are not the same lasers. By a far margin.

Comparing the laser used in those two different applications would be like comparing the electric motor that makes a cell phone vibrate with the one on a Azipod that pushes cruise ships and bulk carrier along.

The laser used to 'cool' atoms are low power, finely tunes laser that just 'squeeze' and trap the atom in a light cage, it basically gives it a gentle nudge in the opposite direction to the one it is vibrating, dampening that vibration (and in the world of atoms, vibration is heat).

The lasers used in the fusion experiments are massive units, I do not feel it is necessary to explain why they would indeed work at heating up an object, right?

The Answer is Obviously governed by the Iteration of Radiation with matter and its quantum mechanical treatment.

Now, Lasers can cool atom but it depends on the

1). Quantum Energy Level of Atoms

2). Energy and Momentum transfer between Laser and Atoms

3). Laser Wavelength( A parameter that actually decides the momentum of photon)

4). The External Field(Magnetic).

Any parameter that is not matched with what is required, the experimentation may fail.

Now cooling implies that the Mechanical Energy(Thermal Velocity) of the atoms are greatly reduced, which actually narrow downs.

Because Temperature of a Ensemble of molecules/molecules is essentially the Spread in Maxwell Boltzmann Velocity Energy Distribution curve and The standard deviation or the spread of the system of molecules is narrowed down to extremely small(May not to be Zero, Because of the Quantum Statistics of Atoms or molecules governed by Fermi Dirac or Bose Einstein Statistics depending upon atom of molecules spin wave function, The velocity is greatly reduced to zero (May be the Translational velocities but Not Rotational or vibrational)

Thus, Achieving Absolute Zero may not be realized practically with Laser cooling, however, we can go to near to temperatures of Absolute Zero as quantum Statistics becomes dominant.

See. www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser Cooling

Laser on the other hand can be used to ignite a Nuclear reaction and process is called, Laser Atom/Nuclear Fusion.

Now, In this process may be easy to discuss or realize, but involves lots of pain and complicated science and techniques.

Essentially Laser is focused into a very small region, to achieve High Temperatures(Because, Intensity becomes large and atoms(Hydrogen or lighter molecues or even heavier) Temperature is great and even of the order of (10^6 to 10^8 Centigrades). But this is cannot be achieved with one laser however they use 8 to 12 laser systems arranged in a good three dimentional chamber and focus them. The focusing technique it self is a very complicated and involves lot of technology which we cant discuss in this small region of yahoo answer.

To Conclude with what you asked, Law (Black body, or thermo), Answer is Yes! The Laws governed here are ofcourse Black body or thermo et all.

But Black body and Thermal Radiations are not unversal. These laws of Governed by

Quantum Statistics like,

1) Maxwell Boltzmann Distribution Laws

2). Fermi Diract distribution law(for particles of spin of half integrals )

3). Bose Einstein Distribution law(for particles of spin of integral multiple like, 0,1,2,3.. etc)

These three laws inturn govern the Black Body and Thermo radiation.

Stark looks to apply Palladium isotope from his missiles because of the fact the reactor's gasoline. as quickly as the reaction starts off, the flexibility harnessed is enourmous at 3 GJ/s or such as 3 GW. (it extremely is greater beneficial than two times power required for time-vacationing (which needed in undemanding terms a million.21 GW of means) in decrease back to the destiny movies). This means could be utilized to means up his in shape for a protracted time for his greater reactor, no longer the 1st one. To make this rather useful means furnish, i've got self assurance we are able to. and that i've got self assurance it extremely is achieveable. yet i think of that it extremely is finished in undemanding terms in some hundred years. The action picture is in undemanding terms fictional and that i've got self assurance that the author are purely fantasizing touching directly to the suitable power source. (desires as a rule grow to be genuine at last). If we stay in nineteenth century, human beings won't have self assurance you in case you could deliver sound wave and pictures accross the globe. Now, it extremely is achieveable. So what makes an arc reactor impossible? it extremely is finished. yet no longer in modern-day time.

The other answerers here have given good responses, but I can't help but be reminded of an old fable, where a gnome marvels at a man's ability to blow on his hands to warm it, and yet blow on his soup to cool it.