Concepts, Problems, & Opportunities for use of Annihilation Energy:

An Annotated Briefing on Near-Term RDT&E to Assess Feasibility

RAND Note N-2302-AF/RC

B. W. Augenstein

• Ground production, handling, interim storage of antimatter
  • Production is accelerator based (current technique)
  • Production level: milligrams per year interesting
  • Production scaling considerations roughly understood
  • Engineering scale-up difficult and complex
• Compact, transportable antimatter storage
  • Difficult; but many options to explore
  • Current research techniques applicable
  • Most of critical RDT&E can be done with normal matter
  • Success uncertain; but paths to resolve uncertainties definable

From currently known work on antiproton production and collectionat the three major nuclear physics centers, we have some conception asto what would be involved in scaling up production related facilities.On a continuous basis, the rate (antimatter/unit time) scaleup objectivemight be a factor of ~10⁵ - 10⁶. Part of this scaleup would come fromdedicated, more efficient production/collection, part from investingmuch more energy in the process. The required scaleup would be amassive and difficult engineering task.

Today at least two basic methods for storing antimatter have beendemonstrated, at widely different levels. A number of otherpossibilities (with probably more eventual applications interest) appearpromising in principle. Experiments seem required to resolve the keyissues (that is, in cases where analytical proofs or disproofs ofstorage implementation are not practical, and where the environmentaland interactive features of the physical situation are too complex to beamenable to confident analysis).

We repeatedly emphasize these two basic facts:

• There are no seemingly easy paths to use of annihilation energies, and many uncertainties of a basic and practical nature currently impede such use.
• Large scaleup factors/performance improvements are needed to make use practical, even if basic uncertainties are removable.

Why then consider use of annihilation energies at all? First,utility and payoffs could be singularly high. Second, effective removalof basic uncertainties (go, no go) is almost certainly possible in thenear term--i.e., within 5-7 years. Third, arriving at a go or no goconclusion is an effort intrinsically interesting, productive, andattractive, likely to induce a resurgence in a great many physics andengineering disciplines.

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