Positron Generators and Heat Energy

859 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Alternative source of energy

Ever since the Industrial Revolution, we have been burning fossil fuels to create energy (History, n.d.). Traditionally, coal is burned and heat is created, that heat then causes water in pipes to turn into steam. The steam is kept under high pressure, the pressure then drives the steam over the blades of a steam turbine, causing it to spin. This converts the heat energy into mechanical energy which is then converted into electrical energy using a generator (Union of Concerned Scientists, n.d.). The problem with using coal and other fossil fuels is the fact that they are non-renewable and can take over five-million years to form. Due to this, it is estimated that we will exhaust our supply of non-renewable resources in the next 50 – 100 years (Ecotricity, n.d.). By using matter/antimatter reactors, also called positron reactors, to create energy, the problem will be solved as there is an abundant supply of antimatter in the universe (Fool Moon, n.d.).
Antimatter is a material composed of antiparticles, which have the same mass as particles of “ordinary” matter, but have opposite charges and other properties such as spin and lepton number. An example of this can be seen when examining the charge of the particles. An electron has a charge of negative one; a positron (antielectron) has a charge of positive one. The same can be seen when comparing the charge of a proton and an antiproton (CERN, n.d.). An encounter between particles and antiparticles leads to the annihilation of both particles, creating a huge release of heat in the form of gamma rays, which can then be converted into energy. This is due to the fact that the spin of particles and antiparticles is opposite, so when the two meet, they create a spin of zero. The only thi...

... middle of paper ...

...Page891.htm
Smidgen of Antimatter Surrounds Earth. (n.d.). DNews. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://news.discovery.com/space/pamela-spots-a-smidgen-of-antimatter-110811.htm
So You Want to Become a Physicist?. (n.d.). Explorations in Science Official Website of Dr Michio Kaku RSS. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://mkaku.org/home/?page_id=256
The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel: Sci, Space, Tech. (n.d.). 'The Daily Galaxy --Great Discoveries Channel: Sci, Space, Tech'. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2007/10/the-positron-pr.html
The End Of Fossil Fuels. (n.d.). - Our Green Energy. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from https://www.ecotricity.co.uk/our-green-energy/energy-independence/the-end-of-fossil-fuels
Wikia. (n.d.). Memory Alpha. Retrieved February 21, 2014, from http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Warp_drive

Show More
Related

  • What Are the Positive and Negative Effects of the Manhattan Project?

    679 Words  | 2 Pages

    5th Feb, 2014. Wolf, Johnathan. " The Spotlights." Wolf, Johnathan. AP Physics B. Barron’s:

    Read More

  • How Can the United States Lessen its Dependence on Fossil Fuels?

    1536 Words  | 4 Pages

    Semantically fossil fuels are a renewable source of energy, however given that it takes millions of years for the organic materials to be broken down and converted, it is wholly unrealistic to consider them as renewable. As the demand for fossil fuels increases and source diminish faster than they are replentished, the United States must work towards a renewable energy independent state using truly renable sources, both technically and in practice. With changes in the home, as consumers in buying goods and with alternative fuel sources backed by public trust and governmental involvement, the United States could drastically lessen its dependence on fossil fuels, foreign and domestic.

    Read More

  • Superman: The Physics Screw-up Superhero

    1986 Words  | 4 Pages

    "The Discovery of X-Rays." The Discovery of X-Rays. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2014. .

    Read More

  • Sunspots

    1093 Words  | 3 Pages

    Nehru, K.V.K. Glimpses Into the Structure of the Sun—Part 1 The Nature of Stellar Matter. March 22, 2001. .

    Read More

  • The Lady of Luminosity: Henrietta Swan Leavitt

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Dyson, Marianne J. Space and Astronomy: Decade by Decade. New York: Facts on File, 2007. 14+. Print.

    Read More

  • Physics Graduate School Application Letter

    580 Words  | 2 Pages

    From a very young age, I have enjoyed reading a wide spectrum of topics. However, during high school, I had become preoccupied with physics during my studies and readings, and so I began to focus my attention upon the materials that further shed light on the science. The more I read, the more I became intrigued with the interrelations between matter, energy, and time and space motion illustrated through the science. Therefore, motivated to become one of Saudi Arabia’ few female physicists, upon graduating from high school I opted to major in the science that captivated me like no other....

    Read More

  • Cosmic Life and Death of a Star

    1612 Words  | 4 Pages

    Tyler, Pat. Supernova. NASA’s Heasarc: Education and Public Information. 26 Jan. 2003. 22 Nov. 2004

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Coal Pollution

    951 Words  | 2 Pages

    We depend on energy; nothing in our daily lives could be possible without it. Electricity primarily comes from burning fossil fuels or using nuclear reactors. But the plain truth is, we are running out of fossil fuels. Our known oil deposits will run out in approximately 35 years, and if we increase the use of natural gas and coal to make up for the energy loss, our natural gas will last for 45 years and coal deposits will deplete in 75 years.

    Read More

  • Particle accelerators

    533 Words  | 2 Pages

    A particle accelerator is a machine that accelerates particles, such as a proton or electron, to extremely high energies. These particles are accelerated to about the speed of light and the only difference between a weak particle accelerator and a strong one is that the stronger particle accelerator’s particles will have more kinetic energy. All particle accelerators have the same 3 basic parts, a source of ions, a tube pumped to a vacuum where the particles can travel, and a way of speeding up the particles. The use of particle accelerators are good and can help scientist better understand the universe and subatomic particle relations.

    Read More

  • Graduate Studies in Atmospheric Science

    739 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...nd physics, as well as improving my analytical and programming skills before engaging in research will make this a more worthwhile experience.

    Read More

  • Nuclear Fusion

    826 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Industrial Revolution sparked a need for large sources of energy. Human and animal labor could not provide the power necessary to power industrial machinery, railroads, and ships. The steam engine and later the internal combustion engine provided the bulk of the energy required by the industrial age. Today most nations are still heavily reliant on energy that comes from combustion. Usually coal, petrolium, and natural gas are used. Some hydroelectric, wind power, and nuclear fission sources are used, but in the US they accounted for less than 20% of the total energy consumption in 1997 (1). Many experts are worried that natural resources such as coal and petrolium are being depleted faster than they are being replenished, which could result in an energy crisis. Nuclear fission produces highly radioactive waste that is expensive to dispose of properly. Nuclear fusion reactors would produce much less radioactive waste and would be more efficient than nuclear fission, but to date there have been no nuclear fusion reactors that have generated usable energy output. Why is fusion power, which could be very beneficial, so hard to come by?

    Read More

  • The Benefits of Space Exploration

    721 Words  | 2 Pages

    Space has always been a pivotal and utmost important subject for many years. In the past, scientists have made monumental advances in this field such as sending people into orbit and landing a man on the moon. Of course, this has only barely been explored and we still have a lot more to see of the ever-vast outer space. One of the most significant topics of all of science has only been touched and there’s still more to come.

    Read More

  • Higgs Boson Particle Essay

    1095 Words  | 3 Pages

    The understanding that matter was composed of atoms was changed with the discovery of smaller particles than the atoms, which are protons, neutrons, and electrons. But during the 1960’s, the multitude of particles being discovered was making the understanding that matter is composed of protons, neutrons, and electrons, insufficient. Murray Ge...

    Read More

  • Nuclear Reaction Essay

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    The use of nuclear processes (decay, fusion and fission) to generate energy in the form of useful heat and electricity. Fission reactions are currently further developed than other methods of producing nuclear energy; however it is believed that once nuclear fusion reactors are successfully developed to the extent to which they can function and produce substantial energy, they can be the leading form of energy production as they are substantially safer, more convenient and more efficient.

    Read More

  • Advantages and Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    As one of the greatest alternatives to fossil fuels, an important advantage of nuclear energy is the significantly lower emission rate of CO2 in comparison to plants which use coal and natural gas.2 Nuclear power is not reliant on fossil fuels and therefore producing energy by this method reduces pollution and the contribution to climate change. However, whilst the actual process of generating energy releases few emissions, uranium must be mined and purified and in the past this has not always been an environmentally clean process.2 Ultimately, uranium will one day run out, but nuclear reactors are versatile and may also run on Thorium. Despite being finite, this would allow nuclear power stations to function for a longer period of time.

    Read More

More about Positron Generators and Heat Energy

Open Document