IRL Antimatter

posted on November 17th, 2010, 10:38 pm

Breakthrough! Scientists Create and Capture Antimatter - FoxNews.com

Anyone else disappointed that they never mention how big of a boom the antimatter in the experiment creates. I mean I doubt what they had in this one was that big, but still, it'd be interesting to read.

posted on November 17th, 2010, 10:43 pm

Interesting = Not on Fox News.

posted on November 17th, 2010, 10:49 pm

How about BBC News? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-envir ... 3791 

posted on November 17th, 2010, 11:11 pm

Anyone else disappointed that they never mention how big of a boom the antimatter in the experiment creates. I mean I doubt what they had in this one was that big, but still, it'd be interesting to read.

I doubt it would have been that big, especially considering their antimatter may not have actually come into contact with matter (assuming my understanding of particle physics is correct, which it may not be).

[Andre27]

posted on November 18th, 2010, 12:58 am

Last edited by Andre27 on November 18th, 2010, 1:03 am, edited 1 time in total.

In order to prevent the AM coming into contact with matter it would have to be in a perfect vacuum which AFAIK is far beyond the capabilities of current science.

But regarding the "explosion" the energy released by the annihilation of a single "anti-hydrogen" atom would be minute. The only energy which can be released is that which is contained in that single atom since energy cannot spontaneously be generated. And newsflash: a single atom does not hold a lot of energy.

If you could get 1 gram of anti-hydrogen atoms you would have 6.022x 10E23 atoms which hold a significant amount of energy. A single atom however, i would not lose sleep over it.

Edit: corrected minor mistake.

posted on November 18th, 2010, 2:02 am

I believe it is possible to create a vacuum, but my only evidence is seeing a supposed "vacuum tube" in a museum (a feather and a rock drop at the same speed there).  I'll have to check on that.

[deathincarn]

posted on November 18th, 2010, 4:57 am

Last edited by deathincarn on November 18th, 2010, 5:02 am, edited 1 time in total.

For the LHC to create even a single gram of anti-matter it would have to be in constant operation for approximately 10000 years. also the 'Big Bang' created in the LHC from protons colliding has the about the same force of two mosquitoes colliding into each other. so for you and me and the average joe soap, thats pathetic, but on the sub-atomic scale of things its HUGE!

Just for interests sake, just to let u know the smallest particles of matter that we know about are: up-quarks, down-quarks, electrons and photons. A proton (which is what they are colliding in the LHC) is combination of up-quarks and down-quarks bundled together that is positively charged. (its needs to be positively charged else it is impossible to speed the particles up close to light using electro-magnets, i.e. that why cant they cant speed up a neutron coz it has no charge). and the whole point of the LHC is to smash protons and find out whats smaller than a quark, and also to discover the particles that carry the various forces, like the gravitational force, electromagnetic force, weak nuclear force and strong nuclear force.

 

posted on November 18th, 2010, 5:57 am

Unfortunately, we're going to have to hold on to the anti-mater for more than 1/10 of a second to make any use out of it.  Although that's longer that they can hold most other particles.

posted on November 18th, 2010, 7:21 am

Unfortunately, we're going to have to hold on to the anti-mater for more than 1/10 of a second to make any use out of it.  Although that's longer that they can hold most other particles.

Yeah, in trek terms that'd be catastrophic failure of the antimatter containment pods, and would basicly be an unscheduled self destruct.

posted on November 21st, 2010, 2:49 pm

I believe it is possible to create a vacuum, but my only evidence is seeing a supposed "vacuum tube" in a museum (a feather and a rock drop at the same speed there).  I'll have to check on that.

A vacuum is easy, but a perfect vacuum ( no air or matter, not just a lower pressure than the surrounding area) that is the challenge.

[deathincarn]

posted on November 21st, 2010, 5:28 pm

Last edited by deathincarn on November 21st, 2010, 5:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.

A vacuum is easy, but a perfect vacuum ( no air or matter, not just a lower pressure than the surrounding area) that is the challenge.

ah but there lies the true riddle, what is matter really... because as the logic goes, matter has mass, but its the yet unproven particle the higgs particle that gives matter 'mass'. so the definition of a perfect vacuum might just change. also just saying that a perfect vacuum contains nothing (i.e. no mass, no matter, no nothing) is virtually impossible (i say virtually impossible = close to impossible, because nothing is impossible) because it still contains Space-Time (because theatrically a perfect vacuum should contain nothing, not even time). also even if a perfect vacuum was created it would be virtually impossible to keep it a perfect vacuum because some particles can just travel through it like the Neutrino.

posted on November 21st, 2010, 6:37 pm

ah but there lies the true riddle, what is matter really... because as the logic goes, matter has mass, but its the yet unproven particle the higgs particle that gives matter 'mass'. so the definition of a perfect vacuum might just change. also just saying that a perfect vacuum contains nothing (i.e. no mass, no matter, no nothing) is virtually impossible (i say virtually impossible = close to impossible, because nothing is impossible) because it still contains Space-Time (because theatrically a perfect vacuum should contain nothing, not even time). also even if a perfect vacuum was created it would be virtually impossible to keep it a perfect vacuum because some particles can just travel through it like the Neutrino.

Ach, leave that wee lass tae me laddie

[deathincarn]

posted on November 21st, 2010, 7:11 pm

Last edited by deathincarn on November 21st, 2010, 7:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA  tok'ra that cracked me up big time. really epic!

i am a real life electrical engineer after all so forgive me for the detail i put into my rantings and ravings. oh scotty your like a father to me

posted on November 21st, 2010, 10:15 pm

oh scotty your like a father to me