There we were, Michael, Azrael, and I, dancing on the head of this very cool gold pin we found. Then, this beam of light hits the pin beneath us, and streamers come shooting out. Two of the streamers of energy cross next to Azrael, and POOF, hes gone, man! Michael draws his flaming sword, fight fire with fire, you know, but no use. He swings at this wierd thing, size of an electron, but positive, man! and POOF, hes vaporized! I barely got out of there with my wings, man!
On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 5:10 PM, Harry Veeder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > or... > > > Tonight's C.S.I. episode: > > Angel decimated. Pin head suspected. > > Harry > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Terry Blanton <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Friday, November 21, 2008 4:00 pm > Subject: Re: [Vo]:making antimatter > >> Kewl, now we can realize "Angels and Demons" (coming to a theatre >> near you). >> >> Terry >> >> On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 3:53 PM, Harry Veeder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> > >> > >> > >> >> News >> >> Laser creates billions of antimatter particles >> >> Wednesday, 19 November 2008 >> >> Cosmos Online >> >> >> >> >> >> Positron factory: Physicist Hui Chen sets up targets for the >> anti- >> >> matter experiment at the LLNL laser facility. >> >> >> >> Credit: LLNL >> >> >> >> SYDNEY: By shooting a laser through a gold disc no bigger than the >> >> head of a drawing pin, physicists have created more than 100 >> >> billion particles of antimatter. >> >> The ability to create vast numbers of positrons in the laboratory >> >> opens the door to new avenues of research, they say. These include >> >> an understanding of the physics behind black holes, gamma ray >> >> bursts and why more matter than antimatter survived the Big Bang. >> >> >> >> Super-sized portion of positrons >> >> >> >> "We've detected far more antimatter than anyone else has ever >> >> measured in a laser experiment," said Hui Chen, a physicist at the >> >> Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California, U.S., >> >> who led the experiment. "We've demonstrated the creation of a >> >> significant number of positrons using a short-pulse laser." >> >> >> >> Previous experiments made smaller quantities of positrons using >> >> lasers and paper-thin targets - but new simulations showed that >> >> millimetre-thick gold could be a far more effective source, said >> >> the researchers, who report their finding this week at the American >> >> Physical Society's Division of Plasma Physics Meeting in Dallas, >> >> South Carolina. >> >> >> >> Chen and her team used a short, ultra-intense laser to irradiate a >> >> millimetre-thick gold target. >> >> >> >> In the experimental set-up, the laser ionises and accelerates >> >> electrons, which are driven right through the gold target. On their >> >> way, the electrons interact with the gold nuclei, which serve as a >> >> catalyst to create positrons. >> >> >> >> Electron's opposite number >> >> >> >> The electrons give off packets of pure energy, which decay into >> >> matter and antimatter, following the predictions of Einstein's >> >> famous equation that relates matter and energy. By concentrating >> >> the energy in space and time, the laser produces positrons more >> >> rapidly and in greater density than ever before in the laboratory. >> >> >> >> Positrons are the antimatter equivalent to the electron, and behave >> >> in a similar way, though they have the opposite charge (see, New >> >> twist to matter-antimatter mystery, Cosmos Online). >> >> >> >> The researchers took advantage of this property to detect them, by >> >> using a typical device to detect electrons (a spectrometer) and >> >> equipping it to detect particles with opposite polarity as well. >> >> >> >> "By creating this much antimatter, we can study in more detail >> >> whether antimatter really is just like matter, and perhaps gain >> >> more clues as to why the universe we see has more matter than >> >> antimatter," said LLNL team member Peter Beiersdorfer. >> >> >> >> >> >> "We've entered a new era," Beiersdorfer added. "Now, that we've >> >> looked for it, it's almost like it hit us right on the head. We >> >> envision a centre for antimatter research, using lasers as cheaper >> >> antimatter factories." >> >> >> >> Particles of antimatter are almost immediately annihilated by >> >> contact with normal matter, and converted to pure energy in the >> >> form of gamma rays. >> >> >> >> There is considerable speculation as to why the observable universe >> >> appears to be almost entirely matter, whether other universes could >> >> be almost entirely antimatter, and what might be possible if >> >> antimatter could be harnessed. >> >> >> >> Product of energetic celestial events >> >> >> >> Normal matter and antimatter are thought to have been in balance in >> >> the very early universe, but, due to a mysterious 'asymmetry', the >> >> antimatter decayed or was annihilated, and today very little >> remains.>> >> >> Over the years, physicists had theorised about antimatter, but it >> >> wasn't confirmed to exist experimentally until 1932. >> >> >> >> High-energy cosmic rays impacting Earth's atmosphere produce minute >> >> quantities of antimatter in the resulting jets, and physicists have >> >> learned to produce modest amounts of anti-matter using traditional >> >> particle accelerators and smaller laser set-ups in the lab. >> >> >> >> Antimatter may also be churned our in regions like the centre of >> >> the Milky Way and other galaxies, where very energetic celestial >> >> events occur. The presence of the resulting antimatter is >> >> detectable by the gamma rays produced when positrons are destroyed >> >> when they come into contact with nearby matter. >> >> >> >> ### >> >> With the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. >> >> >> >> >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> > >> > >> >> > >
