🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Jan8.032819.2268@bby.com.au>, gnb@baby.bby.com.au (Gregory N. Bond) writes:
>>>>>> On Thursday, 7 Jan 1993 12:03:40 PST, Jon J Thaler <DOCTORJ@SLACVM.SLAC.STANFORD.EDU> said:
> Jon> This is about 13 orders of magnitude larger than the total number of
> Jon> antiprotons ever created and stored (about 10**14)
> So, even assuming 100% conversion efficiency, 1kg of antimatter =
> 10^19 Joules, or about 300 years output from a 1GW coal or nuclear
> power station, to produce. It will release twice this amount when
> mixed with ordinary matter.
> 
> Now if we could generate antiprotons with better than 50% efficiency,
> we have an inexhaustible energy supply......  

As Jon pointed out, you gotta conserve baryon number by all known
processes for creating antimatter (the monopole catalysis Henry
discussed is *highly* speculative and unproven).  So you can't do
better than 50%... and in fact...

> Anyone have estimates on the realistic estimates on achievable
> conversion efficiency?  10^4?

Yes, Bob Forward says the paper limit is 10^-4.  :-(  That's with perfect
collection of *all* antiprotons emerging from the target at all angles
and momenta.  If your p-bar factory is in the real world, your
efficiency will be somewhat lower (Fermilab's is around 10^-9).

Bill Higgins, Beam Jockey         | "I'm gonna keep on writing songs
Fermilab                          | until I write the song
Bitnet:      HIGGINS@FNAL.BITNET  | that makes the guys in Detroit
Internet:  HIGGINS@FNAL.FNAL.GOV  | who draw the cars
SPAN/Hepnet:      43011::HIGGINS  | put tailfins on 'em again."
                                            --John Prine