22 MAR 2012 by ideonexus
What are Dilithium Crystals
Finally, the Star Trek writers added one more crucial component to the matter-antimatter drive. I refer to the famous dilithium crystals (coincidentally invented by the Star Trek writers long before the Fer-milab engineers decided upon a lithium target in their Antiproton Source). ...What do these remarkable figments of the Star Trek writers' imaginations do? These crystals (known also by their longer formula 26 dilithium 21 diallosilicate 1:9:1 heptoferranide) can regulate the matter-antima...Folksonomies: science fiction space travel
Folksonomies: science fiction space travel
The molecular composition and purpose of the Star Trek invention in space travel.
22 MAR 2012 by ideonexus
Production Costs for Antimatter
Fermilab produces antiprotons in medium-energy collisions of protons with a lithium target. Every now and then these collisions will produce an antiproton, which is then directed into the storage ring beneath the buffalo. When operating at average efficiency, Fermilab can produce about 50 billion antiprotons an hour in this way. Assuming that the Antiproton Source is operating about 75 percent of the time throughout the year, this is about 6000 hours of operation per year, so Fermilab produce...Fermilab produces antiprotons in atomic collisions, here's how many and how much it costs to produce them.