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In article <1277@abnji.UUCP>, anon@abnji.UUCP (anon) writes:
> "Re: detecting alien spacecraft by their gamma ray exhaust"
> But wouldn't that exhaust be focused, like a searchlight, thus being
> impossible to detect unless the spacecraft was travelling derectly away from
> us on earth?


A paper by Dr. Robert Forward which was presented at the American Astronautical
Society meeting last month discussed matter/antimatter propulsion.  Due to
their nature, gamma rays are very difficult to use to propel a spacecraft.
However, when a proton encounters an antiproton, gamma rays are not immediately
produced.  I don't have the paper in front of me, so I can not be sure, but
I believe that on the average 3 charged and 2 neutral pions are produced.
The neutral pions almost immediately convert to gamma rays, thus 2/5 of the
energy is lost.  However, the 3 charged pions last long enough to be used in
a variety of ways.  The point is, the gamma radiation is essentially worthless
and need not be directed.  Therefore, though I am no expert, I would think that
it would be possible that the gamma radiation would just radiate in all
directions.

Robert Brumley

UUCP: (isis,hao)!scicom!rwb