While researchers ponder on the question of how to store anti-matter,they need to redirect their attention to the production of it. A large amount of
anti-matter is actually produced only to be destroyed shortly afterwards when it comes in contact with ordinary matter. Only a fraction is harvested
and research conducted on. When I said redirect their attention to the production of it, I meant it should be used as soon as it is produced
eliminating the need to design a facility to store it. Upon being produced, the anti-particles and ordinary particles would readily attract, so the
problem there would be to contol the flow as to where an over abundance of materials is not introduced where the results be catastrophic. Another
problem would be the extemely high operating temperatures. Materials Engineers would have to develope a material that could withstand millions of
degrees Fahrenheit (highly unlikely) for prolonged periods of time on a very small scale, because engines the size of lets say, an ordinary Pringles
can could put a fully-loaded space shuttle into LEO on less than a gram of this stuff. And then on top of this, build particle accelerators small and
efficient enough to carry its weight, a containment field generator, a power supply for accelerator start-up and a way to sheild all the lethal
radiation away from human operators of this craft, if any. This is highly volatile substance, in any form (i.e. positrons, anti-neutrons,anti-protons,
anti-muons etc...), so the devices that produce would have to highly regulated to keep it out the hands of those who would want to make it into a
weopon. For right now, it does make good science-fiction, don't you think?
[edit on 18/8/04 by Intelearthling]
