| Off Topic > Ten Forward |
| Antimatter Cruiser in old JPL Study |
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| Stormbringer:
Regarding contempt of gravity. It is not easy to get out ove even the earth's paltry gravity well. Consider than we originally had to use three stage rockets like the saturn to get even a tiny capsule above it. 90 or more percent of the ships mass was fuel and motors, etc. Thr remaining miniscule amount was for the LEM and command module. IOW cargo space. So rockets are mostly fuel, tanks motors etc and can barely manage to get into orbit. This thing has a much better ratio of fuel to cargo. It is vastly faster more powerful and versatile than any conventional rocket can hope to achieve. I'll post suggested reading later / more time. |
| Stormbringer:
I don't think that is true. The anihilation produces energy across the entire spectrum. There would be induced radiation in the reaction and exhaust channel. Just as in fission. Even most types of fusion eventually induces radioactivity and degradation of the shielding in the reactor chamber. AM reactions would be even more enegetic. |
| 762:
Well the process would definitely yield radioactive by-products. If an antiproton reacts with a Boron-10 nucleus, it will mutually annihilate with one proton, resulting in a Beryllium-9 nucleus. Be-9 is stable but another reaction would yield Li-8, which is radioactive (.84 second half-life, both alpha- and beta-decay). The alpha decay yields a free neutron, which could could potentially lead to more radioactive isotopes (but would probably be sucked up by the Boron). There are other possibilites I'm sure. P.S. If any real physicists are reading this, please tell me if I am talking out of my arse! |
| Corbomite:
Quote: P.S. If any real physicists are reading this, please tell me if I am talking out of my arse! --- End quote --- Well you being Hydran and all I can definitely say you are talking out of something that smells like your arse! |
| 762:
Well I had chili for lunch, so it might just be. Talk about nuclear reactions... |
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