CERN w/ new Ḣ trap

NUKE ROCKY44 · Senior Member

CERN w/ new Ḣ trap

John · Senior Member

This trap is based on using lasers to confine anti-hydrogen atoms. This doesn't seem to be an efficient means of confinement for the quantities required for space applications such as antimatter initiated fusion for example.

By the way I have just posted a little piece on the Space Show comment blog addressing the trajectory of basic phyisics research in relation to space propulsion. I didn't address anti-matter directly since it is more of an energy storage and reaction trigger than a fundamental energy source.

http://thespaceshow.wordpress.com/2010/11/15/dr-mike-gruntman-sunday-11-14-10/#comments

NUKE ROCKY44 · Senior Member

Had suspicion it was only a lab trap. But of course this is still energy derived from mass which has its limitations scattered and wasteful. I'd rather deal as close to energy as possible even if its quantitative negative energy in scope.
My take is that we are still not very close to looking @ the necessary metrics to begin research maybe CERN HADRON could provide a clue. It is still contingent on humans to provide interpretation in effect it's still a question of the individual(s) providing the necessary hypothesis to sell and grow into a completely new branch of physics.
This basic model has worked in the past and no doubt will work in the future. What has changed is past luminaries worked uninhibited and in isolation in most cases. In today's world with all its interconnections, communication networks that's not possible. Most are influenced by prevailing ideas, conventions much more acute than in previous periods of discovery.
I still have my suspicion the, "Authority of ideology has been displacing the authority of the discoverable natural laws." for decades a generation has been brought up under this condition I happen to think it's another layer of complexity and noise that would need to be over come.

John · Senior Member

I assume that your second paragraph is a response/comment on my posting on the Space Show blog. I agree that established science can be very doctrinaire. That can be a very limiting factor on progress. There is always the possibility that some new paradigm will unleash another wave of progress.

On the other hand it is also true that as I pointed out the both the relativity and quantum revolutions introduced what are consider fundamental changes they dont change the picture very much from Newtonian view when it comes to space propulsion. For one thing the Einstein speed of light limit which as put up as such a major problem but consider where wed be if Newtons theory was true. Sure there would be no speed limit but how do you get enough energy to take advantage of the unlimited speed potential. Consider that for the energy that it take would give an object a speed of 258,000 km/sec in relativity would only give a speed of 424,000 km/sec in Newtonian world. That is only 64% more. Note that I picked the speed at which in relativity theory the kinetic energy equals the rest energy.

At least Einstein clued us in to look for nuclear energy sources which Newton didnt. Frankly with fusion mastered getting up to say 10% of the speed of light would be challenging and relativity is negligible at those speeds.

-- Edited by John on Wednesday 24th of November 2010 04:13:13 AM

NUKE ROCKY44 · Senior Member

Did read your blog post on the Space Show Blog.
I'm not too keen on the Space Show I think it's more a form of personalties pushing pet space projects in my opinion not very pro-space expansionist unlike most members of nuclearspace.com who discuss issues you raise. Years ago the mere mention of nuclear space at a generalized space conference brought off color looks and furrowed eyebrows. Space propulsion thinking has changed but still we live under radical ideological bents in many fields of study like climate and nuclear science Radiation Hormesis -vs- Linear Non Threshold (LNT). And the political backdrop this accentuates does make advancement toward breakthrough physics more difficult.