Scientists generate Antimatter beam

Azrael · Post by **Azrael** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 12:36 am

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,304497,00.html

Researchers at North Carolina State University have produced the world's most powerful antimatter beam.

"There is a reactor in Munich, Germany, that has been generating those types of radiation beams for some time now, and our analysis of the data shows that we have exceeded what they have reported," Dr. Ayman Hawari, director of the Nuclear Reactor Program at North Carolina State, told the university's Web site.

Post by **Tsukiyumi** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:15 am

too bad there's no info on the amount of particles produced, or the power cost, energy released in the reaction, etc.

Watch out! Incoming US photon torpedoes!

Monroe · Post by **Monroe** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 5:44 am

Hell yahs. The Star Wars program and militarizing space ftw

Post by **Mikey** » Wed Oct 24, 2007 3:11 pm

too bad there's no info on the amount of particles produced, or the power cost, energy released in the reaction, etc.

You're right. Who knows if this is actually a viable tech, or just a foortnote?

RK_Striker_JK_5 · Post by **RK_Striker_JK_5** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:45 am

Mikey wrote:
too bad there's no info on the amount of particles produced, or the power cost, energy released in the reaction, etc.
You're right. Who knows if this is actually a viable tech, or just a foortnote?

It's still made of cool.

I'd like some more info about this, too.

Post by **Tsukiyumi** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 2:55 am

I'm going to try to make one with crap I bought from CVS pharmacy.

Maybe I can MacGyver up a photon grenade...

Or just waste my money and lose my eyebrows in the process...

Post by **Mikey** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:28 pm

Tsukiyumi wrote:I'm going to try to make one with crap I bought from CVS pharmacy.

Maybe I can MacGyver up a photon grenade...

Hey, when I was in school, some housemates of mine were cookin' up 150-proof in their room with glassware they stole from the chem lab!

Post by **Captain Seafort** » Thu Oct 25, 2007 3:46 pm

You should have seen my A-level Physics coursework. A spring-loaded spigot mortar firing a half-inch ball bearing out to about 5-6 yards. In a crowded classroom. Oh, and the spigot had a habit of flying out of the tube in unpredictable directions. Why the plan wasn't banned for health and safety I've no idea.

Enkidu · Post by **Enkidu** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 3:01 pm

Physics is far from my strong point. What does an anti-matter beam do? Are we talking ray guns, or is there a peaceful application?

Post by **Tsukiyumi** » Fri Oct 26, 2007 11:49 pm

We could theoretically generate power from a matter/antimatter reaction, but just as with fission and fusion power, I imagine it will be weaponized before it's used for something civil.

Post by **Mikey** » Sat Oct 27, 2007 2:11 am

Of course, with any application of focused or contained antimatter, generating it is only a fraction of the hurdles to overcome. How do you keep it? How do you regulate it? Creation of antimatter is very old news - perhaps this particular research points the way for some of these follow-up questions.