ANTIMATTER:An Antiproject

EricPhranque

Joey

HISTORY: Paul Dirac

• 1928: Formulated mathematical equation describing the behaviour of an electron

• Combined Einstein’s theory of relativity and Heisenberg’s quantum theory.

• Equation proved the existence of both a negatively charged and positively charged electron: predicting the existence of the antielectron, and other antiparticles.

• Won a Nobel Prize in 1933• At his Nobel Lecture, he predicted a whole different universe

composed entirely of antimatter

Image Courtesy of http://encyclopedia.laborlawtalk.com/wiki/images/math/

Discovery of the Positron

• Discovered by Carl D. Anderson while observing Cosmic Rays• (high energy particles from space

that enter Earth’s atmosphere in showers)

• Observed tracks in cosmic rays passing through cloud chambers.

• Tracks were left by something that behaved like electrons, had the same mass of elctrons, but had positive charge

• After a year of observation, Anderson proved Dirac’s equation and concluded these objects to be positrons(antielectrons)

• Won Nobel Prize for his discovery in 1936

Image Courtesy of http://www.roanestate.edu/obs/

Creating the Antiproton and Antineutron

• In 1954, Ernest Lawrence built the Bevatron• could collide two protons at the

energy of 6.2 electron-volts, which was thought to create antiprotons

• Team of physicists built an antiproton detector to see the antiprotons being created.

• Just a year later, a different team using the bevatron created the first antineutron

Image Courtesy of http://hif.lbl.gov/experiments/early_expts.html

The Antideuteron

• Deuteron: a particle created by the fusion of a neutron and a proton

• The first “antideuteron” was created in 1965 by two teams led by Antonino Zechichi and Leon Lederman• fused an antineutron with an

antiproton• This was the first “antinucleus”

created and could possibly be used as a nucleus for an antiatom someday.

• Antideuterium: a fused antiproton,antineutron with a positron orbiting it (yet to be created)

Image Courtesy of http://www.ipj.gov.pl/common/images/dszd/glossary/en/nucleus.gif

Antihydrogen: the First Antiatom

• Special machine called a Low Energy Antiproton Ring (LEAR) used by German and Italian physicists in 1995 to slow down an antiproton• in order to stick a positron to

the antiproton in an orbit• This experiment was a success

and the first anti-atom was born• This simple anti-atom is

antihydrogen• No fusion of all three antiparticles

has taken place (antineutrons, antiprotons and positrons)

Image Courtesy of http://hussle.harvard.edu/~atrap/antihydrogen.gif

Properties of AntimatterIt matters...get it?

What makes antimatter, antimatter?

• How did it get here

• What happens if I poke it?

• What does it look like and how does it

behave?

What makes Antimatter Antimatter?

• Particles with opposite charge• Make that, particles of the same mass

with opposite charge

• Really, there's not much more to it• I'm not joking, it's really that simple!• Don't believe me?

Look it up yourself!

• Why are you still reading this?

+ -VS

Electron & Positron

Proton & Antiproton

Neutron & Antineutron

Anti-atoms:they're what's for dinner

• Composed of ANTI-particles as opposed to normal particles• -Eg. Hydrogen = 1 proton + 1 electron

Anti-Hydrogen = 1 anti-proton + 1 positron

• Have actually been synthesized (in small quantities) in particle accelerators such as the one at CERN

• You could theoretically synthesize heavier elements, however it has not yet been

doneHe

Anti-He

Where did it come from?

• RULE: Antimatter is always created with and when matter is

• The first antiparticles to be observed were created in Cosmic Rays.• High energy particle (Cosmic Ray) smashes into Particle in

atmosphere• Some of the resulting energy recombines to form

antimatter and matter in equal amounts

• Most antimatter these days is produced in produced in Particle Accelerators• High energy particle (accelerated via accelerator : P)

smashes into a target (big hunk of metal).• Enormous amount of energy is released, some of which

recombines into matter and antimatter pairs.

What happens when I poke it?• A wonderful question indeed. In all likelihood, if

you managed to stick your hand in a containment field and actually touch it, upon meeting the particles in your hand, the antiparticles and particles would ANNHILIATE each other, releasing the rest energy of all the particles in your hand. Unless you had a very small hand, this would likely vaporize everything within the radius of the resulting explosion.

• Needless to say, you probably wouldn't want to do that

Containment Field

Anti-Blob

Ouchies...but why?!

• Another wonderful question!

• Antiparticles and their corresponding particles eliminate each other upon their meeting (each release all of rest energy)

So...• When the particles in your hand meet the

particles in the antimatter blob...

BOOM!!!!+ -+ =

What does it look like?How does it behave?• Yet another wonderful question! You see, we haven't

really observed enough antimatter to make a definite conclusion.

• However, by our current hypotheses from symmetry principles, we've concluded that antimatter behaves exactly as its matter counterpart in all aspects, except the parity and magnetic fields are reversed.

• Current experimentation at CERN wishes to answer this question

• So perhaps a sock puppet created out of antimatter would like like and behave like (in this case, behave poorly) just as it's matter counter-puppet would

APPLICATIONS?

• Femtogram:• Low velocity nuclear physics• Experimental analysis of solids• Vacuum measurement

• Picogram:• Local 3D density imaging in solids• Gravitational mass experiments• High-density quark-gluon physics• Trace 3D passageways in solid crystals• Treat inoperable tumors/cauterize lesions• Anneal faults in solids

• Nanogram• Long-range interior imaging and analysis• Small thruster experiments

• Microgram• Medium thruster experiments (100lbs)• Small item industrial welding

• Milligram• Large engine experiments (100,000lbs)• Small probe propulsion (100lbs)

• Gram• Space transporting• Supporting Phranque’s antimatter needs for a year or so

Fields for Applications

• Medical• Industrial• Military• Educational• Transportation• Rocketry• Phun?

ANTIMATTER?

Medical

• Imaging the human body• similar in theory to CAT and MRI scans• Called Antiprotonic Radiography (APR)

• Antiproton is shot into body at high rate of speed• Annihilation releases rays/particles that can be

detected (repeat many x for high res)• Computer compiles data into virtual map

• Treatment• Stronger Antiproton beam• Annihilation releases enough energy to destroy

a tumor or cauterize a lesion• Accurate to 2mm

Industrial

• Imaging solids• Same type of machine, but antiprotons at higher

speeds are used (to penetrate higher densities)• Easy scanners for faults in structure?

• Repair/Shape• Stronger beams can anneal a fault in a solid metal• Magnetic and electric fields can shape a beam to carve

out microscopic tunnels in a material• Much more accurate and available on a smaller scale

than milling, molding, or laser shaping• Supercomputer the size of a sugar cube?

Military

• Bomb?• NO!• Energy released is not

explosive in nature• Costs more to make than

potential targets it can destroy

• Beam (again!)• Long range scanner• Disable

electronics/mechanisms• Highly accurate

Angels and Demons is wrong

Educational

• Explore subatomic world• Several new

subatomic/elementary particles have been discovered as a result of antimatter

• Explain electromagnetic, gravitational, strong and weak nuclear forces

Transportation

• Cars?• Way too complex to harness• Too expensive• A little dangerous

• Submarine!• Smaller, more effective than nuclear reactors of

today• Quieter military spy subs? Explore deep trenches?

Water Polo? Whatever sinks your submersible!

Rocketry

• Great idea, but how?• Parts:

• Trap to store antimatter (Penning/Paul)• Reaction mass• Nozzle to control annihilation and exhaust

direction• Makes impossible missions possible!

• Max mass ratio of 5:1• Speeds approaching that of light are

achievable• Rendezvous with Alpha Centauri (4.3

LY):• 770lbs Antimatter• 20 tons reaction mass• 0.2c• Possible within Human Lifetime

Sponsors

• This project was brought to you in part by:• MERC pharmaceutical• NASA• Microsoft• The Rand Group• Viewers like YOU!