In message: [email removed] Dan Corrin writes:
>
>There has been a lot of discussion on Anti-matter recently on the list. One
>thing that people have not mentioned is that anti-matter is not an element
>in and of itself. You have anti-electrons (positrons), anti-hydrogen,
>anti-helium, anti-uranium, etc.
Um... Yes, but usually you deal with individual antiparticles. In
Traveller terms, there was an article in issue 20 of the Journal ("Spinal
Mounts Revisited," page 40) that talked about antiparticle accelerators
(oof; woudn't that just ruin your whole day?).
However, I can't see any reason against antiparticles associating
themselves into antiatoms. Hmm. If you used antihydrogen to form
antihelium would that be antifusion? But, I digress... ;-)
>Perhaps the more physics oriented on the list could clairify the next point:
>I have read (perhaps in Sci-Fi) that a matter-antimatter reaction only takes
>place between like elements. This becomes important with the higher tech
>missiles (anti-matter ones). If a chunk of anti-carbon is impacting on a
>hull (presumably some iron/titanium type metal), what happens?
Well, if the structure of contra-terrene atoms are analagous to
terrene, then there should be a cloud of positrons (antielectrons--
positively charged) surrounding the nuclei. Once the positron shells
come in contact with the electron shells of normal matter, then a
conversion reaction would take place. Also, since charged antiparticles
(that is, not antineutrons) have the opposite charge of their terrene
forms, they would be attracted to one another.
>Scenario 1) Every gram of the anti-carbon combies with the metal for a really
>big boom (this is what the rules imply). All the missile owners are happy.
>
>Scenario 2) On impact the atoms don't "fit" and only the surface electrons
>combine for a small explosion hurling the majority of the anti-carbon in the
>opposite direction. All the ship owners would be happy, as you would have to
>have a missile corresponding to the hull nearly exactly (Anti-titanium,
>covered by the same type of anti-paint etc.)
I think Scenario 1 is the one that'll fly. However, I'm not a
physicist, merely an interested amateur.
- --
Brent
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