Let there be light.The article on nanotubes as light sources was frustratingly sketchy ("Tiny Tubes Brighten Bulbs: Nanotubes beat tungsten in lightbulb test--maybe," SN: 6/5/04, p. 356). Any photometric pho·tom·e·try n. Measurement of the properties of light, especially luminous intensity. pho  to·met laboratory with
a wattmeter WattmeterAn instrument that measures electric power. See Electric power measurement A variety of wattmeters are available to measure the power in ac circuits. They are generally classified by names descriptive of their operating principles. could compare the nanotube A carbon molecule that resembles a cylinder made out of chicken wire one to two nanometers in diameter by any number of millimeters in length. Accidentally discovered by a Japanese researcher at NEC in 1990 while making Buckyballs, they have potential use in many applications. unit to another light source in a few minutes. It is tempting to think that the heating effect, which must be close to that from a blackbody blackbody Theoretical surface that absorbs all radiant energy that falls on it, and radiates electromagnetic energy at all frequencies, from radio waves to gamma rays, with an intensity distribution dependent on its temperature. radiator, and the "electronic effect," which is undoubtedly a selective radiator, could give a lumen-per-watt efficacy higher than that in incandescence. I hope you keep us posted on this development with some specific data. BILL JONES, ORANGE CALIF. |
|
||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion