Scientists Claim Antimatter Breakthrough

Ananova ^ | 9-18-2002

[blam]

Scientists claim antimatter breakthrough

Scientists have announced the first large-scale production of antimatter.

A team based at the European Organisation for Nuclear Research in Geneva say they have developed a large amount of the substance.

Antimatter is a reverse form of ordinary matter. When the two kinds of matter meet they annihilate each other in an enormous burst of energy.

It's this process which provides the power source for Starship Enterprise in its film and TV space adventures.

Physicists have made only very small quantities of antimatter before. But the CERN team say they have made at least 50,000 atoms of anti-hydrogen, the antimatter counterpart of normal hydrogen.

They admit the achievement will not lead to starship-style warp drives - at least not in the foreseeable future.

But it could help scientists answer some of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the universe.

Team member Professor Michael Charlton from the University of Wales at Swansea said: "This is a milestone that has opened up new horizons, to enable scientists to study symmetry in nature and explore the fundamental laws of physics which govern the universe."

He says it will also help scientists address what happened to the antimatter created in the Big Bang.

According to Nature, the CERN scientists used sophisticated electric and magnetic field traps and ultra-low temperatures to generate the anti-atoms.

Story filed: 19:02 Wednesday 18th September 2002

[Salgak]

Actually, it's not beyond imagination. A matter-antimatter reaction will release the energy equivalent of twice the mass of the antimatter. That is, the mass of the anti-matter, and an equivalent mass of matter, are totally converted to energy. The old standby, E equals m c-squared.

It makes the biggest nuke look like a kiddy firecracker.

By "large quantitities", they're likely talking micrograms, or milligrams at most. Previous production has been in the several-atomic-particles to several-atoms range. . .

[Salgak]

"We've secretly replaced the dilithium crystals in the warp drive with Folger's Crystals. Let's see if Scotty can tell the difference. . . . ."

[El Gato]

just over four trillionths of a kWh.

Thanks for running the numbers. I figured that 50,000 hydrogen atoms (or protons, almost the same from a mass/energy standpoint) wasn't enough to even produce a noticeable "pop!", let alone something usefull.

[Charles H. (The_r0nin)]

Actually, the US military commisioned some studies on anti-matter weapons years back and decided that even if the antimatter could be generated cheaply and easily the bombs wouldn't be worth it.

This is mainly because the energy of a chemical or atomic reaction (explosives or nukes) tends to be translated into concussion and other blast effects (not to mention radioactive fallout) that extend the damage radius of the weapon. A matter-antimatter collision releases energy across a wide spectrum with very little concussive effect, making it a great fuel but a lousy bomb...

[FourtySeven]

"We've secretly replaced the dilithium crystals in the warp drive with Folger's Crystals. Let's see if Scotty can tell the difference. . . . ."

LOL VERY funny; I think my workmates think I'm crazy for bursting out laughing for no reason just now. hehe

[Darkshadow]

The anti-matter's the easy part. Let's see 'em gin up some dilithium crystals.

Go here and look at Crystals.
Unfortunately, they seem to be out of stock.

[Bon mots]

So if we're now worried about suitcase nukes, an anti-matter device would be more like a keychain nuke?

How long before the human race turned such technology upon each other?

[Chemist_Geek]

I figured that 50,000 hydrogen atoms (or protons, almost the same from a mass/energy standpoint) wasn't enough to even produce a noticeable "pop!", let alone something usefull.

No, but I think that it's more than we have ever made at one time before, so it is a significant accomplishment.

When we manage to make 1.00 mg of anti-hydrogen, and assuming 100% efficiency in annihilation, then we'll be cooking. (180 GJ, or equivalently, 49.9 MWh...)

[drmatt]

Are you kidding? Haven't you seen what happens in Star Trek when they lose containment of the warp core?

[McCloud-Strife]

It's this process which provides the power source for Starship Enterprise in its film and TV space adventures.

Make it so number 1

[3Lean]

If my calculations are correct (long time since physics class) the energy released from the annihilation of 50,000 atoms of anti-hydrogen (and the corresponding 50,000 atoms of hydrogen) would be about 150 ergs. Again relying on my distant memories, I believe I once was told that an erg was approximately the energy required for a fly to do one pushup.

[SunkenCiv]

Note: this topic is from 9/18/2002. Thanks blam.

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