Matter/Antimatter

Aki · 01-07-2005

I was just thinking, instead of using fuels, we could be using matter and antimatter annihilation as a source of energy for rockets. This would be more efficient, since 100% of the mass gets converted into energy, and that does not cause any pollution. What do you think?

Stargazer · 01-08-2005

Absolutely! However, the technology is not mature enough, I believe. For one, it's still difficult and extremely expensive to produce antimatter, and also not all issues regarding storage has been solved yet. I have no doubt they will be solved though. Then we could finally cut shorter the times it will take to go anywhere, and of course there wont be necessary to bring as much fuel.

Aki · 01-08-2005

Yes, that's true. It would be a real problem storing antimatter without have it to react with the matter-made container it's stored in.

Stargazer · 01-09-2005

There are some ideas on how to do that, though, which is to contain the antimatter in a magnetic field (obviously the antimatter would need to have a charge, like antiprotons or positrons.) Unfortunately it's extremely expensive to produce antimatter, but I can see facilities used for that purpose alone for massproducing antimatter.

maddog · 01-10-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aki

I was just thinking, instead of using fuels, we could be using matter and antimatter annihilation as a source of energy for rockets. This would be more efficient, since 100% of the mass gets converted into energy, and that does not cause any pollution. What do you think?

Aki, about all we can do at the moment is make a bomb with it. However, this process
is between 1000 to 10^6 times more efficient at elliminating everything that the
conventional thermonuclear weaponry we all so fond of.

To actually have proper combustion, you would need proper containtment. The only way
to do that would be in a magnetic bottle. Even with superconducting magnets, this is
more than can be done at the present moment.

Maddog