Even though there is way too much bad news fouling the air these days - let me
revert to science, and throw this out concept for comment:
What is wrong with the following suggestion for a linear accelerator of
nanoparticles (as opposed to ions) ?
To be more specific, let's say we have a fairly uniform supply of nanoparticles
(the fuel) consisting of small spheres of about 1000 atoms each. The fuel can
be magnetized as a PM.
In one case, these particles could be manufactured starting with a standard
core of C-60 ("buckyball" carbon) onto which is coated an iron alloy in the
thickness of a few atoms and then magnetized. In another case, there could be a
third layer which is more reactive (in any sense).
At any rate, the most general idea is that the fuel nanoparticles, are fed in a
continuous stream (and with an atomic mass of about 50,000 each) into an
modified kind of linear accelerator, and then brought up to a comparatively low
exit speed (as accelerators go = a tiny fraction of c.) but with a rather
substantial energy in each particle, due to the large mass.
The design of the accelerator itself will be most important, since particles as
massive as this would not couple well to photons (or would they?). BUT since
the particles can be magnetized, some kind of magnetic wave could be used to
create an acceleration gradient.
Possibly the simplest kind of accelerator imagineable for this particular
concept might be a capillary tube made of a dielectric with magnetic properties
(to 'center' the fuel particle in the tube) onto which is wound three-phase
conductors - such that a travelling wavefront down the tube is expressed when
the conductors are energized accordingly.
Any thoughts on this?
Jones
BTW there are some patents for "nanoparticle accelerators" but most involve an
expanding gas as the medium for acceleration, and none that I have discovered
yet which operate this way (which seems fairly obvious, unless I am missing
something).
