CERN has trapped antimatter

right-track · 11-18-2010, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dirty

So...what does this really mean?

Every particle in the universe has an antiparticle, a bit like a mirror image that acts exactly the same, but with a reverse charge. When the two meet, they convert themselves into pure energy.
This means that there's now a possibility to develop an engine that can propel future spacecraft through space making the Space Shuttle's current engine look like an outboard motor!
There's also talk of blasting cancer cells using antiprotons.

Connair · 11-18-2010, 10:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by right-track

Every particle in the universe has an antiparticle, a bit like a mirror image that acts exactly the same, but with a reverse charge. When the two meet, they convert themselves into pure energy.
This means that there's now a possibility to develop an engine that can propel future spacecraft through space making the Space Shuttle's current engine look like an outboard motor!
There's also talk of blasting cancer cells using antiprotons.

Man I had never heard about this stuff. This sounds extremely interesting. Im curious to see what it turns up.

right-track · 11-18-2010, 11:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Connair

Man I had never heard about this stuff. This sounds extremely interesting. Im curious to see what it turns up.

I've got my fingers crossed for an invisibility cloak.

Connair · 11-19-2010, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by right-track

I've got my fingers crossed for an invisibility cloak.

All in good time.

MoonlitSunshine · 11-20-2010, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Connair

All in good time.

According to other threads, he only has till april to discover how to make his entire house invisible :P

Dayvan Cowboy · 11-18-2010, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by right-track

Every particle in the universe has an antiparticle, a bit like a mirror image that acts exactly the same, but with a reverse charge. When the two meet, they convert themselves into pure energy.
This means that there's now a possibility to develop an engine that can propel future spacecraft through space making the Space Shuttle's current engine look like an outboard motor!
There's also talk of blasting cancer cells using antiprotons.

...but it's also the most expensive stuff in the world. According to wikipedia:

Quote:

Many experts, however, dispute these claims as being far too optimistic by many orders of magnitude. They point out that in 2004, the annual production of antiprotons at CERN was several picograms at a cost of $20 million. This means to produce 1 gram of antimatter, CERN would need to spend 100 quadrillion dollars and run the antimatter factory for 100 billion years.

and one researcher even said:

Quote:

If we could assemble all of the antimatter we've ever made at CERN and annihilate it with matter, we would have enough energy to light a single electric light bulb for a few minutes

so personally I don't think antimatter will live up to it's hype. Also, I heard that it is terribly difficult to contain and that if it touches anything material, it's going to go boom. Also, what ever happened to that LHC thing? I haven't heard about it in a while. Did it ever resume working or did it break down again? I did a crazy amount of research on the LHC when I was grade six and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.