[Ed Hansberry]

http://news.com.com/2100-1001-958719.html

Ok, maybe I am being a bit optimistic, but this is the stuff of science fiction. "By corralling clouds of antimatter particles in a cylindrical chamber laced with detectors and electric and magnetic fields, the physicists assembled anti-hydrogen atoms, the looking glass equivalent of hydrogen, the most simple atom in nature. Whereas hydrogen consists of a positively charged proton circled by a negatively charged electron, in anti-hydrogen the proton's counterpart, a negatively charged anti-proton, is circled by an anti-electron, otherwise known as a positron. They then observed the flashes of energy when the new anti-hydrogen atoms annihilated themselves in collisions with ordinary matter in the walls of the chamber."



Next thing you know, we'll be crawling through Jeffries tubes aligning the EPS conduits to ensure the Bussard Collectors are operating within .92 of specs. The image is from Star Trek in Sound and Vision.

[Ed Hansberry]

http://news.com.com/2100-1001-958719.html

Ok, maybe I am being a bit optimistic, but this is the stuff of science fiction. "By corralling clouds of antimatter particles in a cylindrical chamber laced with detectors and electric and magnetic fields, the physicists assembled anti-hydrogen atoms, the looking glass equivalent of hydrogen, the most simple atom in nature. Whereas hydrogen consists of a positively charged proton circled by a negatively charged electron, in anti-hydrogen the proton's counterpart, a negatively charged anti-proton, is circled by an anti-electron, otherwise known as a positron. They then observed the flashes of energy when the new anti-hydrogen atoms annihilated themselves in collisions with ordinary matter in the walls of the chamber."



Next thing you know, we'll be crawling through Jeffries tubes aligning the EPS conduits to ensure the Bussard Collectors are operating within .92 of specs. The image is from Star Trek in Sound and Vision.

[rubberdemon]

Alas, I read in a related article that it takes something like 10,000 times more energy to make antimatter than you can get out of it. I have a feeling that this might stay in the realm of science fiction longer than most of us will be around...

[mookie123]

Well. is not like they know how to contain the anti hydrogen yet. The practiclaly made the antihydrogen and watch it explodes after touching matter. The first person who can do this will be rich beyond imagination. (imagine boundless energy)

Of course the Army is already thinking about harvesting positron as a weapon energy, but they back down after seeing the tecnical intricacy and the cost with current technology.

[Ed Hansberry]

Originally Posted by mookie123

Well. is not like they know how to contain the anti hydrogen yet.

Oh come on. We all know you use a magnetic containment field. :roll:

:lol:

[bandersnatch]

Alas...the "magnetic containment field" was one of Star Trek's booboos. Anti hydrogen, like all atoms, has a neutral charge. Now, if you just leave it as a soup of anti protons, now we're talkin'!

[Ed Hansberry]

Originally Posted by Bandersnatch

Anti hydrogen, like all atoms, has a neutral charge.

Not when you focus them with di-lithium crystals. (you are not getting into the spirit of this thread. :wink: )

[mookie123]

focusing atoms? so far we only able to focus, as in focusing stream of particle in coherent wave, a very limited type of atoms. Hydrogen isn't one of them most are Alkally ion vapor. And what's worst only until recently this "stream" of atoms are only blob and spurt that has to go in the direction of gravity. It more like dripping rather than shining light stream like Laser that you can focus into a crystal.

Well ok is not like we are making a warp drive here.... lol

[LarDude]

Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry

Oh come on. We all know you use a magnetic containment field. :roll:

:lol:

Reality is often stranger (more exciting) than SciFi; humans are an ingenious lot:

1) "Meta-stable" states of exotic atoms (Helium-4 with an electron replaced by an anti-proton at the
Low-Energy Antiproton Ring at CERN).

2) Neutral Atom Traps (in countless labs all over the world) use six
polarized laser beams (+x,-x,+y,-y,+z,-z) to slow down, trap and then move or otherwise manipulate neutral atoms.

[krisbrown]

We'll, who'd have guessed there were so many Quantum physicists reading this boards just waiting for their chance to spring into action.

[LarDude]

Originally Posted by krisbrown

We'll, who'd have guessed there were so many Quantum physicists reading this boards just waiting for their chance to spring into action.

Whoops! ops:
Pardon me while I give the propeller on my cap another spin.