SUMMARY

The main themes of this Note are recapitulated in the next two charts. While there are wide disparities of view on the probable timescale for developing antimatter technology, the case can be made thateven if the technology should not be forthcoming before the next 20-30years it is still prudent to carry out appropriately dedicated researchin this area.

Our position can perhaps be put in the general terms: We do notnow have a very confident time scale for the development of any level ofantimatter technology. However, a much better perception of what shapesthat time scale, and the steps which would be needed to realize acompressed time scale, can be obtained by carrying out a Phase A RDT&Eprogram as outlined. Especially important would be the first yeareffort discussed earlier. In this way, one would progressivelyformulate and define the consecutive steps needed or desirable for an"antimatter industry," i.e. the relatively massive scale reflected bythe culmination of Phase C. There are then a number of decision andcommitment steps preceded by relatively less costly efforts.

This recommendation is based on what occurs to us as the realpossibility that antimatter might well become a most important means fora portable energy store economically adapted to a broad range ofapplications--and at a time scale not wholly incommensurate with otherpast and current practical energy developments. Conduct of RDT&E inthis field may itself produce major advances in a great many relatedfields. While today no one (neither skeptics nor enthusiasts) canconfidently predict the outcome of Phases A, B, or C, enough appears tobe known to formulate programs improving our confidence of gettingactionable outcomes. The investments needed for these programs seemreasonable in light of the increasing levels of information gained, andthe understanding achievable on whether and how antimatter technologymight be developed.

The appropriate final message to be conveyed can be briefly stated: