Anti-matter propulsion: feasibility, status, and possible enhancement
The possible use of advanced propulsion techniques must be considered if the currently envisioned launch date of the Manned Mars Mission were to be delayed until 2020 or later. Within the next 30 years, technological advances may allow such methods as beaming power to the ship, inertial-confinement fusion, or mass-conversion of anti-protons to become feasible. Of the possible methods, the anti-proton (anti p), reaction offers the highest potential, the greastest problems, and the most fascination. An Isp of 5000 s would allow the currently envisioned ship to fly to Mars in 3 months and would require about one million pounds to be assembled in Earth orbit. Anti-protons are currently being produced in the world in amounts of about 10/sup 14/ particles per year. With sufficient effort, almost a mg/yr (6 x 10/sup 20/) could be produced by the early 2000s. Current experiments plan to decelerate and capture about 10/sup 10/ or greater anti-protons in an electrostatic Penning trap. Such traps may provide a source of low energy anti p's for development of better storage mechanisms suitable for propulsion. Recently, proposals have been investigated which would amplify the average energy released per anti p used. The proposals entail using the anti p's to produce inertial confinement fusion of a capsule or to produce negative muons which can catalyze fusion. By increasing the energy released per anti p, the effective specific cost, $/joule, can be reduced to attractive levels. These two proposals and other areas of research can be investigated now and will help in assessing the feasibility of an anti p engine.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 5372568
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-85-2443; CONF-8506149-3; ON: DE85015716
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Manned mars mission workshop, Huntsville, AL, USA, 10 Jun 1985; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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