Post by Jaga on Nov 2, 2006 21:56:27 GMT -7
A New Antimatter Engine Design
this idea is still very far from realization:
A team of scientists is currently working with NASA to develop a new form of space propulsion technology based on positrons. This revolutionary antimatter engine will require only a few milligrams of positrons to send a spaceship to Mars. Facing many hurdles along the way, this is the first time some of the real problems of building a real antimatter engine are being confronted.
...
The first positron engine was proposed by a German engineer, Eugen Saenger, in 1953. This was the classic photon rocket, but the photons (gamma rays) had to be made to reflect in order to give thrust. Unfortunately, there was no way to deflect the gamma rays, then or now. We are different in that we make the gamma rays interact, producing ablative residue, which generates thrust. Compared to antiprotons, positrons are very advantageous: no residual radioactivity, low energy gamma rays make for a compact engine (energy confinement is much simpler), and costs for making positrons are many orders of magnitude less (due to technology of electron accelerators versus proton accelerators). As for the original idea, I can say with 95% confidence that we were the first to tackle the real issues of positron propulsion. Saenger did the early work on dynamical computations of a true photon rocket, but did not deal with the real issues of how to get thrust out of his photons. Sanger deserves the credit for the "big idea", we for solving the physics and engineering problems.
from:
www.tfot.info/content/view/88/64/
this idea is still very far from realization:
A team of scientists is currently working with NASA to develop a new form of space propulsion technology based on positrons. This revolutionary antimatter engine will require only a few milligrams of positrons to send a spaceship to Mars. Facing many hurdles along the way, this is the first time some of the real problems of building a real antimatter engine are being confronted.
...
The first positron engine was proposed by a German engineer, Eugen Saenger, in 1953. This was the classic photon rocket, but the photons (gamma rays) had to be made to reflect in order to give thrust. Unfortunately, there was no way to deflect the gamma rays, then or now. We are different in that we make the gamma rays interact, producing ablative residue, which generates thrust. Compared to antiprotons, positrons are very advantageous: no residual radioactivity, low energy gamma rays make for a compact engine (energy confinement is much simpler), and costs for making positrons are many orders of magnitude less (due to technology of electron accelerators versus proton accelerators). As for the original idea, I can say with 95% confidence that we were the first to tackle the real issues of positron propulsion. Saenger did the early work on dynamical computations of a true photon rocket, but did not deal with the real issues of how to get thrust out of his photons. Sanger deserves the credit for the "big idea", we for solving the physics and engineering problems.
from:
www.tfot.info/content/view/88/64/
