[Chemist_Geek]

BTW, 50,000 atoms is still a miniscule amount of anti-matter. I don't have time at the moment to run through the calculations to determine how much energy in familiar terms, such as kilowatt hours or tons of TNT, that would be liberated if they were combined with 50,000 normal hydrogen atoms.

Well, my first question is: Are these really anti-atoms, or just anti-protons? If they are anti-atoms, then magnetic containment will fail easily as atoms are electrically neutral. (The magetic moment of the hydrogen atom is way too small to use for containment at any reasonable temperature, IIRC.)

Secondly, let's do some calculations. That number of particles is still only 8.303 X 10^-20 moles, a teensy amount. Its mass is only 8.369 X 10^-20 grams.

Now, assuming we have a like mass of normal hydrogen atoms, and they're combined and annihilate with 100% efficiency, there will be produced 1.504 X 10^-5 J. For comparison, one kWh is equivalent to 3.6 X 10⁶ J, so, our antihydrogen will produce 4.129 X 10^-12 kWh; just over four trillionths of a kWh.

[SkyRat]

Atoms. Maybe they assembled Hydrogen Isotopes.

I would like to know how they maganed to trap them too.

[Frank_Discussion]

"Well, my first question is: Are these really anti-atoms, or just anti-protons?"

Good Distinction. When I was being taught chemistry in high school, I was lead to believe that "matter" was atoms and molecules, and that sub-atomic particles were "something else". I know most people were taught this "fact". Physicists and Chemists generally consider sub-atomic particles and up to be matter, IIRC.

[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.