antimatter scram jet

[steve01]

Is it theoretically possible(or efficient) to create an engine designed to scoop up interstellar particles and collide them creating antimatter for fuel?<br />Do we have the tech presently to get a vehicle moving fast enuf to start the collisions?

 

[nacnud]

I think the antimatter idea is a bit spurious but scooping up interstellar particles as fuel was proposed, the most famous incarnation of which is the Bussard Ramjet. This used a magnetic scoop to collect interstellar hydrogen to be used as fuel in a fusion drive. Unfortunately it was found that the density of gas was too low to overcome the drag of a magnetic scoop.

 

[rogers_buck]

Is your name Duncan by chance?

 

[nacnud]

Yep, only the third person to work that one out <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[diogenes]

element 115<br /><br />is that the antigravity element

 

[nacnud]

Supposedly but now its been made we'll see for sure, I wonder what the outcome will be... <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />

 

[siarad]

That's Cavorite from The First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells<br />

 

[diogenes]

I remember that now. scientists at the university of fallujia discovered it while studying thiotimoline. <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" />

 

[mcbethcg]

No offense intended, but I dislike it immensely when people introduce science fiction as support for or against proposals.<br /><br />I love science fiction.<br /><br />But I would not quote a science fiction book or source as evidence that an idea would or would not work, as is repeatedly done with the Orions Arm website.<br /><br />Yes- it is valid to say that an idea was first proposed or was explored in science fiction. But to say "this idea does not work as well as that idea, because in Orions Arm, that's how it worked out" is .. well.. annoying.

 

[snakef18]

I think that the antimatter scram jet was an excellent plan, much like the Orion project that was closed so long ago, but the theory was that it would expell radiation to strike a plte that flew out behind it. I think that those "off the wall" things that we have had in our space programs through the years

 

[marcel_leonard]

Isn't all this a fancy way of saying "solar sailing"? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "A mind is a terrible thing to waste..." </div>