Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site petrus.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!lll-crg!ucdavis!ucbvax!decvax!bellcore!petrus!mwg From: mwg@petrus.UUCP (Mark Garrett) Newsgroups: net.sci Subject: Re: Questions on PHOTONS Message-ID: <680@petrus.UUCP> Date: Fri, 8-Nov-85 15:09:27 EST Article-I.D.: petrus.680 Posted: Fri Nov 8 15:09:27 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 13-Nov-85 04:12:31 EST References: <1092@mtuxo.UUCP> <679@petrus.UUCP> Organization: Bell Communications Research, Inc Lines: 12 ++ > ....The light intensity inside > does build up to very high levels. However, it won't go on forever because > all kinds of non-linear effects which were negligible for normal conditions > have profound effects at high photon density. Sorry, my mistake. You don't need non-linear effects (although they exist) to explain lasers. When the energy put into the system by the pump equals the losses due to the absorbtion and leakage (intentional and not), then the equilibrium light intensity is reached. -Mark