A few years back I was working for a company that manufactures
lasers for machining (and semiconductors...). Something that
always amazes people is that
*you can HEAR the laser destroying the material*
This is highly couterintuitive. What happens (in TL8 stuff) is
that a "high power" (10 Watt CW or so) laser is pulsed in extremely
short bursts (~200 nanosecond) at about 1000 Hertz. The beam is
focused on the target. Typically, the part is held by vacuum.
When the laser (now short, high-energy) bursts hits the part, the
metal vaporizes and "jets" away from the surface of the part. This
rocket effect makes the part vibrate at an audible frequency against
the parts handler.
Soooo...
Picture a group of mercs in armor. A sniper hits one of them in the
back with a laser. The survivors will recognize the sound (and
possibly the smell) of the attack. To paraphrase another "Great
American" (from the movie Heartbreak Ridge) "The laser makes a
clear and distinctive sound when fired at you in combat."
Also explains why ship's lasers get better damage pulsed, and better
aim when CW.
Richard