Advanced Rocket Propulsion

Antimatter Propulsion G.Dinesh Kumar

1, S.Gnanasekar

2

Department of Aeronautical Engineering

Hindustan University 1dnshkmr8@gmail.com

Abstract

In our day to day life cost of fuel (aviation) is

being increased. For launching satellite, we need to spend more money to avoid that we planned to introduce advanced antimatter propulsion. In this

paper we are going to deal about propulsion power which ions created using collision between electron and

positron. This is one of type of ion propulsion. Power

produced by this type of propulsion is very higher than the any other type of propulsion. Types and latest

innovations of antimatter propulsion rockets are reviewed. Advantages and the disadvantages of the

antimatter propulsion are discussed.

INTRODUCTION

Antimatter is the extension of the concept

of the antiparticle to matter, where antimatter is

composed of antiparticles in the same way that

normal matter is composed of particles.

Furthermore, mixing matter and antimatter can lead

to the annihilation of both in the same way that

mixing antiparticles and particles does, thus giving rise to high-energy photons (gamma rays) or other

particle–antiparticle pairs.

ORIGIN OF ANTIMATTER

There is considerable speculation as to

why the observable universe is apparently almost

entirely matter, whether there exist other places

that are almost entirely antimatter instead, and what

might be possible if antimatter could be harnessed,

but at this time the apparent asymmetry of matter and antimatter in the visible universe is one of the

greatest unsolved problems in physics. The process

by which this asymmetry between particles and

antiparticles developed is called baryogenesis.

Origin of Antimatter was discovered by the

following scientists:

o In 1930 Paul Dirac discovered that the

antimatter should exist

o In 1932 Carl Anderson discovered Positron

o In 1950 physicist at the Lawrence Radiation

laboratory used the Beaverton accelerator to produce antimatter

PRINCIPLE

Annihilation is the principle behind

Antimatter Propulsion. The colliding particles

matter and antimatter is converted into radiant

energy in the form of gamma rays. The collision

between an electron and a anti-electron have a

combined rest mass of 1.02 MeV

SEARCH FOR ANTIMATTER

Search for antimatter in space is been

conducted by High energy particle detectors used

in satellites. One of the detectors is called Alpha

Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) installed in Space

Station. It found a cloud of antimatter in galactic

center. The search was based on the detection of

Gamma Rays from annihilation process.

ALPHA MAGNETIC SPECTROMETER

This High energy particle detector was

first used in discovery shuttle. It consists of Consist

of a 6-layer 'silicon micro strip track detector'

surrounded by permanent magnet. It has a precision

of a few hundredth of a millimetre. It detects the

presence of antimatter when an atom deflected by

field and mass is measured for analyzing nuclei.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ANTIMATTER

ENGINE

The following are some engines that are

propelled by Antimatter:

o Matter-Antimatter Engine.

o Positron Based Engine

o Solid Core Antimatter Rocket

o Plasma Core Antimatter Rocket

o Beam Core Antimatter Rocket

o Gas Core Antimatter Rocket

ANTIMATTER ROCKET PROPULSION

SYSTEM

There are different types of antimatter

rocket propulsion system

o Solid Core Antimatter Rocket

o Plasma Core Antimatter Rocket

o Beam Core Antimatter Rocket

o Gas Core Antimatter Rocket

LATEST INNOVATIONS

The latest innovations are

o I.C.A.N. MICRO FUSION/FISSION

PROPULSION

o AIMSTAR ANTIMATTER

ROCKET

I.C.A.N (Micro Fusion/Fission Propulsion)

ICAN stands for Ion Compressed

Antimatter Nuclear.ICAN scheme uses pellets that

contain uranium fission. The fusion fuel mixture is

roughly 1:9 in ratio.The engine consists of pellet

which is bombarded by compressing ion beams.

AIMSTAR Antimatter Rocket

AIMSTAR stands for Antimatter Initiated

Micro fusion. It makes use of existing or near-term antimatter technology.AIM Star engine would

require about 28 micrograms of antimatter. It has

an upper specific impulse of about 61,000 seconds.

ADVANTAGES

o Very high specific impulse

o large amount of energy from a small

amount of fuel

o can able to achieve long flight in a

short period

o Higher energy density and specific

impulse

DISADVANTAGES

o Very high risk of gamma radiation

o very difficult to produce antimatter

o complicated engine designs

o Difficult to store

o Gamma ray penetration is difficult

o Low thrust.

CONCLUSION

Due to the highest specific impulse of this

propulsion, we can achieve up to 40% of light

speed, we need a reliable method of producing

large amount of antimatter. The need for an

advanced method of storing the antimatter for a

few more nanoseconds. Positron engine perform

better by additional heating