Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Invisibility Cloak for Heat


Thermal cloaking may help soliders hide from heat sensors

French scientists have discovered a way to 'cloak' objects or people from heat sensors or thermal imaging devices.

The new technology may have a variety of uses such as hiding soliders from infrared detectors, or isolating computer chip circuits to keep them from overheating, reported BBC News.

The research uses the principles of transformation optics, a breakthrough science that involves materials that are able to bend light around something rather than through it.

According to Space Travel, in the new technique, the researchers proposed a cloak made of 20 rings of material that is able to dissipate and channel heat.

"Heat isn't a wave - it simply diffuses from hot to cold regions," said Sebastien Guenneau, of the University of Aix-Marseille, according to Discovery News.

"For instance, a wave can travel long distances with little attenuation, whereas temperature usually diffuses over smaller distances."

The tests were done on small objects such as computer chips but the next step may be to find an ability to cloak heat that human beings give off.

via GlobalPost.com

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