Apparently, the energy can grow very high. The abstract is at -- "Relativistic plasma nanophotonics for ultrahigh energy density physics" http://www.nature.com/nphoton/journal/v7/n10/full/nphoton.2013.217.html
-- and ends with the statement: "We obtained extraordinarily high degrees of ionization (for example, 52 times ionized Au) and gigabar pressures only exceeded in the central hot spot of highly compressed thermonuclear fusion plasmas. Scaling to higher laser intensities promises to create plasmas with temperatures and pressures approaching those in the centre of the Sun." I cannot find a full text, or preprint version, so I do not know whether the nanowire array contains hydrogen or is in water. If not, it might be interesting to know what would happen in those situations. Possibly this is a path to low cost hot fusion. -- Lou Pagnucco Axil wrote: > When high pressure hydrogen(or water) is included in this type of > Nanoplasmonic experiment, evanescent waves are produced. These waves > confine light, electrons and holes on the surface of the nanowires. > > For your convenience as follows: > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evanescent_wave > > An evanescent wave confines the Electromagnetic plasma most intensely at > the surface of the nanowire at a distance of 1/3 wavelengths of the > irradiating light. The waves intensity decays exponentially without > absorption as a function of the distance from the boundary at which the > wave was formed. Evanescent waves are a general property of the > wave-equations of light and electrons. > > These evanescent waves are a plasma localization mechanism that act just > like the magnetic fields in a tokomak. > > As energy is pumped into the nanowire it cannot escape. The energy of the > electrons and light grows based on positive feedback. > > The incoming radiation strengthens the evanescent waves and these waves > drive the electrons and light closer to the surface of the nanowire. The > energy in a positive feedback loop as the light and electrons produce > shorter and shorter light and electron wavelengths. > > The extreme curvature at the tips of the nanowire will produce a vortex of > light and electrons. These vortex currents will also appear on any rough > spots on the wire. > > It is this dielectric confinement (aka dark mode) of light and elections > produced by pressurized hydrogen will gnerate extreme levels of EMF power. > [...]
