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Antimatter Molecule Should Boost Laser Power

Posted by Zonk on from the i-hope-that-annihilation-ray-laser-is-for-peaceful-purposes dept.

Laser Lover writes "Molecules made by combining an electron with their anti-particle positron have been created by researchers at the University of California Riverside. The team's long term goal is to use the exotic material to create 'an annihilation gamma ray laser', potentially one million times more powerful than existing lasers. 'An electron can hook up with its antiparticle, the positron, to form a hydrogen-like atom called positronium (Ps). It survives for less than 150 nanoseconds before it is annihilated in a puff of gamma radiation. It was known that two positronium atoms should be able to bind together to form a molecule ... '"

9 of 211 comments (clear)

  1. Could we use it on sharks? by BadAnalogyGuy · · Score: 5, Informative

    Because that's what they were saying the first time this was posted.

  2. Nature article by teridon · · Score: 4, Informative

    Well, part of it, anyway:
    http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v449/n7159/abs/nature06094.html

    --
    I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing. -- Thomas Jefferson
    1. Re:Nature article by teridon · · Score: 2, Informative

      Damn.. forgot to mention: The current Nature podcast has an interview with David Cassidy:
      http://www.nature.com/nature/podcast/index.html

      --
      I hold it, that a little rebellion, now and then, is a good thing. -- Thomas Jefferson
  3. super-atom condensate???? by boxxxie · · Score: 3, Informative

    they mean a Bose-Einstein condensate. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bose%E2%80%93Einstein_condensate/

  4. More info by robably · · Score: 3, Informative

    There's an interview with David Cassidy about this in the 13th September Nature Podcast (the page also has the podcast as a direct MP3 download and a transcript).

  5. Burning your gamma ray candle in both ends by viking80 · · Score: 5, Informative

    To conserve momentum (and other) at least two photons are released in opposite direction when the two particles annihilate each other. If this is part of a gamma ray laser, you will have two rays: One aimed at your enemy, one in your face, and a mirror will probably not work at 0.5MeV.

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    don't cut it off www.mgmbill.org
    1. Re: Burning your gamma ray candle in both ends by Maximum+Prophet · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not all lasers have mirrors. Mirrors are a hack to get the gain of the tube > 1. If you're lasing media is long enough to have gain > .5, you only need 1 mirror at the back, but if you have enough lasing media you don't need any mirrors. Natural C02 lasers have been detected in the atmosphere of Mars that are miles long.

      A mirror for gamma rays would be cool, but would probably so far I don't think there are mirrors for even X-Rays. (Although they have made gold Fresnel lens for X-Rays.

      --
      All ideas^H^H^H^H^Hprocesses in this post are Patent Pending. (as well as the process of patenting all postings)
  6. Re:Oh yes... by lexarius · · Score: 5, Informative

    Positrons aren't actually that hard to find. All you need is (trying to remember Chem 2) an isotope that produces beta+ radiation. Heard of a PET scan? The P is for Positron. They put some radioactive sugar in your brain and map where the annihilations occur to determine brain activity.

  7. Re:iran by GundamFan · · Score: 3, Informative

    I disagree, while nuclear weapons may have hastened the end of the war, the "end" came in the form of a formal surrender.

    If the US had not sought out or accepted the surrender of Japan the war would have continued in one form or another. Even if what one side is communicating is "give up or we do that again" it is still two sides meeting and making an agreement (the surrender was indeed negotiated, the US did compromise on the removal of the Emperor for instance) that ended the Pacific campaign.

    --
    I don't give a damn for a man that can only spell a word one way.
    Mark Twain