Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Requirements
and
Energy
Costs
for
Near-term
Propulsion
Applications
G.R.
NASA
Schmidt*,
Marshall
H.P. Gerrish**
Space
Flight
Center,
Huntsville,
Alabama
35812
and
G.A. Smith'}- and K.J. Meyertt
Pennsylvania
State
University,
University
Park,
Pennsylvania
16802
Abstract
The
ultimate
superior
source
of present-day
consider
for
energy
for propulsion.
antiproton
production
antimatter
requirements
antiprotons
are used
against
the
capabilities
the
capacity
that
could
of propulsive
energy,
do fall within
projected
million
near-term
but
the
to consider
current
and omniplanetary
and very
systems
issue
part
based
of next
technology
could
antimatter
tt
Manager,
Propulsion
Research
Center.
Engineer,
Propulsion
Research
Center.
Research
Engineer,
Propulsion
Research
Center.
Director
& Professor,
Graduate
Student,
Laboratory
Dept
for Elementary
of Aerospace
Engineering.
Member
Results
show
AIAA.
Particle
Science.
Member
designed
costs
ranging
AIAA.
sole source
fission/fusion
support
AIAA.
Member
in which
and
feasibly
Nomenclature
the
infrastructure
as the
facility
to
requirements
on antimatter-assisted
Research
two
century.
a new
costly
assessing
These
per mission.
Deputy
by
production
In fact,
with
too
including
fission/fusion.
to as the
low efficiency
be
capabilities.
spaceflight
this
antimatter
pointed
may
concepts,
the early
on existing
capacity
address
combined
for propulsion
based
been
antimatter
of propulsion
from
production
that
We
exist within
the requirements
production
missions
release
of both
it may be impractical
suggest
types
has often
the limited
applications.
energy
that although
precursor
However,
annihilation
methods
propulsion
are compared
for antiproton
of antimatter
of energy
near-term
improved
density
solely
interstellar
up
to
$6.4
speed
of light
Effusion
energy
contribution
Ein
energy
into antiproton
E o,a
antimatter
E_p
energy
Isp
specific
total energy
k gri d
power
mass
rest mass
contribution
production
energy
process
out of production
from antimatter
process
annihilation
cost
utility
of antiprotons
v_'hicle
Mp
propellant
M pay
payload
spacecraft
r e
rocket
exhaust
fusion
energy
Lorentz-Fitzgerald
AV
mission
velocity
-_-
energy
conversion
dry mass
(structure
+ payload)
mass
mass
wall-plug
r]grid
fusion
impulse
m o
COlq;'
from
wet mass
to dry mass
ratio
velocity
to annihilation
factor,
energy
ratio
1
y -
requirement
efficiency
efficiency
Fltot
total production
r_e
propulsion
A.
vehicle
efficiency
energy
structure
utilization
to propellant
efficiency
mass
ratio
Introduction
The annihilation
energy
per
antiproton
combustion
antihydrogen
unit
mass
annihilation
and
at least
(i.e.,
of subatomic
of any
particles
reaction
known
with their
in physics.
"mirror"
more
hydrogen
energetic
atom
antimatter
The
is 10 l times
than
composed
fission
counterparts
energy'
greater
or fusion.
of an antiproton
has the
released
than
That
and
from
highest
proton-
oxygen-hydrogen
is, one
positron)
grmn
of
reacted
there
antimatter,
-10
are several
while
still
antiproton-driven
coming
well within
upgrades
the range
that
the
production
prospects
and compared
numbers
hybrid
required
of any
fission/fusion
to the performance
the quantities
of existing
10 7 sec)
propellant-based
concepts
of conventional
that
propulsion
require
antimatter
these
facilities
at FNAL
and CERN,
of exploiting
antimatter
for space
once
far less
rockets
concepts
several
(Isp
may' be
promising
are incorporated.
It appears
in which
close
to
these
be quite
the antimatter
values
as a reference,
against
we examined
favorable.
quantities
the production
We have
confirmed
required
to accomplish
costs
of the current
the incorporation
of upgrades
propulsion
this by
a broad
conducting
range
infrastructure.
and
are not
improvements
so
a study
of missions,
Using
these
that
could
Fundamental
energy
Energy
Cost
Constraints
The creation
of antimatter
be converted
inefficient
and potentially
is an inherently
quite expensive.
energy-intensive
process.
The energy
Not
of this energy
only
must
is ordinarily
expressed
as:
X = kgr;aegr,a,
where
the commercial
The
overall
(1)
power
consumed
at the
wall-plug
(i.e., off
grid).
wall-plug
efficiency
and
energy
of converting
Egri d is related
wall-plug
to the antimatter
power
rest
into antimatter
mass
collected
M a and
r/tot by:
(2)
= Mac2/r/,o,
The efficiency
?]tot
where
JTcom, is defined
the electrical
formation
counterpart.
perfectly
r/convr/grid
efficiency
of
an
Thus,
efficient
the
that is:
(3)
solely
by
of the
accelerator
is
features
of the production
system.
always
antiproton
conversion
antiparticle
the
process.
cost is obtained
Conservation
accompanied
can at most
and collection
by
of baryon
creation
be 1/2 of the
total
limit on
of
rest
process,
and
number
requires
its
standard
mass
l_grid
is
that
particle
produced
rlcom, of 1/2. II
in a
'
(4)
r/corn' r/grid
Equation
costs.
(4) clearly
Unfortunately,
r/co,,.,
protons,
which
spray
low.
beams
are typically
products,
only
while
a small
enough
at- the
per
collection
ratio
Furthermore,
pairs
are relatively
rare
1.5 seconds
to Eq. (3),
based
optimizing
proton
methods.
is excessively
on
13 It is also reasonable
production
facility
accelerator
systems,
antiproton
could
of magnitude
which
is roughly
to assume
yielding
more
duty
that
efficient,
rlg,.icl -10%.
times
over
the cost
to deliver
equates
current
targets.
and
the energy
at least
momentum
and
and
(120
yields
and
GeV/proton)
r/co,,,
by
= 7.8 x 10 s.
antiprotons
that
improved
the
of
or greater)
efficiency
of
substantially
improved
utilization
of a dedicated
to a level
comparable
assuming
kg,.id
of antiprotons.
(i.e., gram-scale
shown
according
an assumed
per gram
be
yields
small
about
= 5 x 10 3, and
incorporating
For example,
efficiency
Furthermore,
c 2 yields
of antimatter
factor,
copious
mass
low
values
can
most
5 x 1012 120-GeV
have
yield
trillion
studies
The
storage.
to r/grid
these
by means
volts),
are the
large
energy
energy
collisions
improvement
10,000
However,
pions
requirement
mass
quantities
and
material
is quite
cost of $6,410
material
energy
be made
14 thus
per 20 collisions
order
high!
proton/high-Z
acceleration
rest
Substituting
large
(high-Z)
proper
acceleration
target. 12 This
an energy
at the
process
an energy
antiprotons
and
energy
particularly
creates
for subsequent
14 MW of power
facilities
production
consume
Obviously,
collection
Multiplying
and cooled
yields
facilities,
due to their
the target
facilities
translates
per kW-hr
current
overall
in dictating
(10 s proton/antiproton)
FNAL
number
Electrons,
collisions.
Dividing
which
site.
focused
factors
production
of this is FNAL,
leave
major
are
present-day
to energies
antiprotons
of the
l0 s proton
with
of the
performance
antiproton
$0.10
collision
r/grid
with high-atomic
accelerated
every
protons
and
with
example
proton_ntiproton
portion
rico,,,
associated
A good
of relativistic
of particles
that
the values
are extremely
of colliding
shows
collection
antiproton
to other
a collection
ratio
an r/to t of 3.9 x 10 5.
capability
yields
a cost
of $64
of an equivalent
energy
load of Shuttle
by
billion
ET
new
of 1
This
per
5-
gr,'Ull,
propellants.
for a dedicated
It appears
production
that
facility.
extent
efficiency
to which
remotely
practical
interstellar
missions
using
below
power
on a conceivably
The
however,
of
current
prospects
antimatter
"free"
more
quantities
the energy
from only
costs
regardless
production
(roT)
costs
to
of the
to become
even
envisioned
for
quantities
utility
of $0.01
will
have
to occur
until
to
drop
abundant
available.
small
amounts
near-term
diagnostic
of antimatter
technologies
being
tomography
for these
levels
will be high,
This is unlikely
becomes
Several
ton
power
<< $0.1/kW-hr).
medicines,
ranging
rockets),
involving
near current
for large-scale
(kg) to metric
resource
promising.
radioisotope
infrastructure,
(kg,,j
remain
of antimatter
In order
antimatter
for applications
look much
commercial
levels
rates
large quantities
at the kilogram
"pure"
dramatically
based
power
can be improved.
(especially
FY87
__
as long as commercial
10 billion
applications
and
pursued
cancer
(ng). 16 With
lie within
the
(M a -
range
1 I-tg),
in the areas
therapy
today's
require
production
of $640
thousand
to
as propulsion,
is
$640 million.
What
the
significant
several
within
important,
reduction
upgrades
to 3-order
into FNAL
interstellar
thousand
Also,
facility,
precursor
for high-energy
energy
reduction
especially
in antimatter
of magnitude
antiproton
and
is more
missions
Propulsion
Approximately
in energy
based
could
be achieved
As the following
appears
existing
quantities
feasible
required
by
incorporating
discussion
and
technologies
on antimatter-assisted
could
into
shows,
be implemented
design
of a dedicated
for omniplanetary
fission/fusion
a 2-
spaceflight
would
cost
$64
Concepts
2/3 of the total rest mass
production
of charged
these
as possible
after the
which
costs
1- to 100-lag
directly
facilities.
by incorporating
the
that
such
to $6.4 million.
Antimatter
into
costs
applications
as soon
gamma
through
heats
rays
particle/fluid
a propellant,
and
unusable
collisions,
energy
of an annihilating
particles.
It is important
annihilation
neutrinos.
This
(2) absorbing
or (3) directing
to utilize
event,
before
they
entails
either
(1)
particle
the highly-energetic
proton-antiproton
energy
the energy
successively
heating
pions
or
of
decay'
a propellant
in an intermediate
charged
pair
muons
material
out
point
more
solid
and performance
absorption
operate
confinement
- 2 x 103 sec).
lower
conventional
at
even
energy
chamber
annihilation
velocities
light.
are directly
of these
Although
are typically
The
antiprotons
plasma
altogether.
very
the
vehicle
along
high (Isp
loss
efficiencies
gas is allowed
is suppressed
and
utilization
avoids
of the
high ( Isp
the problems
proton-antiproton
an axial magnetic
field.
The
approaching
magnetic
3"6:, which
107 sec),
to ionize
by
is extremely
products
temperatures
for thermalization
the
performance
charged
low-
the
the
flowrate
exhaust
speed
of
and thrusts
low.
hybrid
antimatter/fusion
are used
reactions.
of the
are exceptionally
energy" utilization
Heat
is the beamed-core
Here,
the
6:7 where
Although
substitutes
operating
free path
concept
out
efficiencies
temperatures.
higher
mean
plasma-core,
path results
expelled
products
or condensed
fusion
fluid
conversion
permitting
the longer
and nozzle.
conventional
a secondary
gas, thus
is the
effective
is the gaseous
However,
concept
higher
in the reaction
of heating
concept
a high temperature
in much
The third
and
with
( Isp
results
mphisticated
- 85%).
as a driver
material
concepts
to initiate
target.
Consequently,
from
a combined
Practically
antimatter
differ
the
conventional
fission/fusion
all of the
requirements
process
propulsive
are much
energy
lower
systems
in that
in a compressed
is derived
from
systems.
The
Here,
a pellet
first
of such
of D-T
processes
and U-238
is Antimatter-Catalyzed
is compressed
with
particle
Micro-Fission/Fusion
beams
and
irradiated
(ACMF).
with
a low-
intensity
beam
of antiprotons.
hyper-neutronic
and lesion
lower
fission
products
effective
an ablating
energy
performance
sec).
utilization
et al. 7 have
extremely
Assuming
over current
concept
within
a special
plasma
magnetic
fields.
heating
the
liquid
microns
(gin)
is about
to fusion
ignition.
The
and energy
Isp
D-He3
and
antiproton
2.2
fusion
power
propulsion.
to energy
for this
net energy
For such
This
D-T. 8
it should
applications,
conventional
fusion-based
Antimatter
Requirements
is enough
to antimatter
rest
results
in a
beam
mass
from
pellet,
(lsp
expansion
the
13,500
and
target
energy
fl of
process
of producing
concept
not
( r/e
antiprotons
the mass
and portability
than
which
antiproton
electric
ionize
and
field lines
ACMF
of
main
mechanism
have
a range
(Isp
heat
into
the
offers
the D-T
fuel atoms
,_ 67,000
see and
magnitude
are 10 _ for
improvement
of net energy
of the source
of 45
thrust.
The gains/3
power
for
to produce
sources
of terrestrial
designed
are equally
a distinct
in
flow.
in the development
in-space
and
of a metal,
fragments
in terms
fission/fusion
concepts.
The
by the fission
consideration
antiproton-assisted
propulsion
fragments
for
an
a 3-order
case
Here,
combined
assuming
be the
via
out magnetic
are higher
sec and
gains
(AIM).
to completely
are directed
Again
these
released
gain is a fundamental
is where
rockets
fission
is obtained
antiproton
fission
density
_ 61,000
efficiency,
systems,
gain.
power
efficiency
production
Although
The
products
x 104 for
heated
compressed
mixed
injected
is antimatter-induced
Isp
The
thrust
core
the
Microfusion
are synchronously
and
additional
beamed
and initiate
of the flow
in the efficiency
D-T or D-He3
heated
isotropy
between
is repetitively
and
U-238
core.
improvement
trap
containing
in the droplet.
D-T
radiation
energy
is also lower
by the
gain is 640.
Penning
droplet
or D-He3
interaction
a ratio of fusion
utilization
the
Although
is Antimatter-Initiated
or U-238,
ignites
the plasma
the
of magnitude
Droplets
such as Pb-208
that
Another
and
absorbed
and electromagnetic
than
yielding
a 3-order
heats
thrust,
neutrons
shown
energy
values,
rapidly
is lower
high-gain
are readily
that absorbs
that
to produce
of this concept
Gaidos
exhibits
process
expand
surface
The antiprotons
for
important
advantage
over
We
consider
exploration
of
heliopause,
missions
solar
system,
precursor
to our closest
of propulsion
are shown
Our
concepts
reference
and missions
evaluation
AV's
the
six
options
in Table
We begin
by
expression
taking
for
interstellar
stellar
ambitious
study
neighbors.
for interstellar
the
of mission
the
These
missions.
antimatter
of
reflect
_ The
fr6m the
quantities
requirements,
definition
for propellant-to-dry-mass
MP
reflect
robotic
and
phenomena
outside
the data
missions
manned
and
the
used
in a recent
their
associated
1.
goal is to calculate
as a function
which
of mass
relativistic
more
ratio,
rocket
for each
specifically
R=(Mp
equation.
of the
A V and payload
+ M,)/M,,
18 This
previously
yields
and
the
described
mass
equating
following
Mpa v .
it to the
relationship
ratio:
--
Mo
- R - 1 ,
(5)
where:
C'
R =
Note
structure,
(6)
--
that
Mp
systems
requirement
jet energy
includes
and
both
payload.
is determined
antimatter
The
by equating
of the exhaust,
fraction
the
actual
and
propellant,
of antimatter
energy
and
making
introduced
M o accounts
up
the
for
total
vehicle
propellant
with
the
that is:
(7)
The
applied
to the exhaust,
The right-hand
mass
left-hand
side
and accounts
and fusion
combined
of the annihilation
the
energy
kinetic
energy
is subtracted
annihilation
efficiency
of the exhaust
and
fusion
of the nuclear
products,
products.
where
mass.
energy
the rest
E-_:, is the
rest mass energy of the annihilation reaction and accountsfor both proton and antiproton
reactants. E_t,
= 2m.fc'-.
The
fusion
energy
is expressed
in terms
of annihilation
energy
with
E ti,.,i,,, = flE_F, .
Substituting
the definitions
of Epp
and
an expression
(5)
an
to
yield
requirements,
expression
propulsion
M,-20+
Inert
to propellant
for
in terms
where
Substituting
AIM,
plasma
the Isp's
marginally
values
of ,_ were
synthesized
of 0.3 was
assumed
beamed
expression
because
calculations,
core,
of
mission
efficiency:
for structure
for M a in terms
for both
containment
core
and
AIM
the solid-
(i.e.,
were
gas-core
confinement
lower
10
(2
mass
of Mpay
on payload
core concepts.
are lower
than either
less than
from estimates
and
core,
of antimatter
For these
plasma
function
are only
reaction
l+:t-R J
requirements
and
mass
the following
structure
as
by Eq.
Msm,c , = M o - Mpay"
concepts,
2-value
can be multiplied
parameters:
and gas-core
yields
(9)
Ma-2(I+P)
solid-
ratio
of payload
1 XR)M, .
velocity
in turn
temas
(8)
mo
mission
This
rearranging
(R-0
_ = Msm,c t/Mprop,
and propulsion/performance
ratio.
fusion
antimatter-to-inert-mass
performance,
r-f
Effusion
by various
concepts
chamber).
= 0.2 ) because
that
of the
Plots
for the
of the
hybrid
of the plasma
sources.
to account
The
and
core.
4-10,16
for tankage,
)t-values
improved
for the
reaction
concepts
planetary,
are
early
clearly
interstellar
superior
precursor
The reference
ton (mT)
as though
unmanned,
in terms
payload
simple
minimizing
could
missions.
human
an antimatter
drop
antimatter
omniplanetary
case of a 1-year
requires
this requirement
planetary
and
of
However,
round-trip
mission
was
and
For
ACMF
exhibits
to Jupiter
with
of 1 to 10 micrograms
1 to 10 ng range
ACMF
ACMF
requirements.
applications,
quantity
into the
the
(lag).
for payloads
originally
a
It
consistent
conceived
for
crewed
-%
omniplanetary
driver
flight
system.
AV's
Therefore,
ACMF
not scaleable
is restricted
to smaller
to missions
mass
which
1 to 10 lag and
would
require
of its ion
accomplish
However,
AIM
concept,
more
ambitious
the antimatter
point
The
consistent
attractive
either
antimatter
tremendous
requirement
The structural
ratio and
missions
one
permits
missions
notes
ACMF
or
the
AIM
requirement
is about
amounts
of antimatter,
within
for unmanned
trip
Isp
that
is the
core concepts
antimatter
mT,
depending
a "reasonable"
beamed
AV
For
to
greater
concept
mission.
that
Isp,
Oort
than
can
cloud.
ACMF.
payloads.
The
a 100 kg payload.
low,
above
2 x
Although
Even
within
the
103 km/sec
a structural
higher
exhaust
approaching
At
first
is many" orders
on the
the
smaller
the much
a payload
a higher
10
to 103 km/sec.
core.
in 10 years. I
time (i.e.,
11
with
to velocities
requirement
case.
with
velocities
accelerations
trips
is still relatively
is assumed,
Centauri
reference
40
cloud
from
of magnitude
missions
to the Oort
can
vehicle
benefits
precursor
to Alpha
that
and
1 to 2 orders
solar influence
and plasma
products
"fast"
the
concept
well beyond
until
suited
a 50-year
a driver
as interstellar
is roughly
is better
antimatter
need
such
usage,
only
enable
not
rate of antiproton
of the annihilation
would
does
missions,
in Fig. 1 represents
accomplish
which
this concept
than
and is probably
of
this
The
can travel
10 to 100 years).
ratio
velocity
0.4 c, which
appears
quite
of magnitude
1 metric
beamed
and
ton
greater
(naT),
core
the
requires
to the nearest
stars
performance
the entire
solar
Antimatter
19 Protons
protons
other fundamental
Antiproton
the storage
ring.
energies
FNAL
program
Ring
produced
would
have
ACMF
and
sole
AIM
and support
the
appear
human
to have
exploration
low enough
of
added
experiments.
funds
were
was
around
of magnitude
late-70's
done
equates
less than
in
held within
beams
high energies.
into
of
accumulated
For
a new
back
future
ring
(not
increase
the
late-90's
to
period
between
1997
of a very
day,
1011 antiprotons/hour,
This
and
to the
per
Main
in traps.
in the midst
24 hours
in the
as intense
be loaded
a year-long
to run
is 3 to 4 orders
the
During
This
sufficient
rates
from
for producing
and temporarily
at very
collection
or FNAL.
and a plethora
magnets
are re-injected
could
to allow
at FNAL
to 120 GeV
with
with protons
CERN
antiprotons
cooled
antiprotons
antiprotons
used
produces
are sign-selected
these
at either
accelerated
are stochastically
8-GeV
was
currently
which
out collisions
1 ng of antiprotons.
365
days
yield
required
1998,
experimental
per
so a full year
to an annual
the quantities
large
and
year.
The
of operation
of approximately
for
missions
using
AIM.
It is important
for the
to carry
collision
produced
and
is produced
are sequentially
Here they
experiments
capability
accumulation
system
with a target,
to an energy
instantaneous
ACMF
probes
in the world
The antiprotons
applications,
of particle
source
then collide
in order
unique
antimatter
an H
Source.
and decelerated
that
from
For physics
propulsion
This
precursor
of the accelerator
particles.
the 8-GeV
However,
Capability
a schematic
These
shown)
interstellar
2 shows
Injector.
to propel
Production
antiprotons.
space
of only
system.
Almost
Figure
AV's
purpose
to remember
that neither
of producing
antiprotons.
facilities
collision
experiments.
(i.e., antiprotons
The collection
collected)
ratio of 10 .5 is very
for some
per proton
low, there
of the facilities
This
at FNAL
capability,
to generate
ratio, which
can be viewed
on target,
was
enough
as the effective
it can be increased.
12
which
or CERN
concern.
was
added
designed
after
antiprotons
antiproton
Although
the
for
yield
the current
We consider the case of FNAL, which is the largest, most convenient source of
antiprotons in the U.S.
commissioningof a new Main Injector. We expectthat when the new injector comeson-line in
1999,productionyields will increaseby anotherorderof magnitude.This will eventually boost
the productionrate to about10_2antiprotons/hour.Wethereforeexpectthat by the early part of
next decade,the total annualproduction capacity should approach15 rig. At the sametime,
FNAL could start incorporatingevenbetter collectiondevicesandtechniques. Developmentof
moreefficientcollectionequipment,suchasimproved
receivers,
has been
reasonable
culminate
perhaps
an additional
50-fold
a 500-fold
The impact
3-order
significant
fusion
13 and could
to expect
thus yielding
nearly
considered,
of magnitude
propulsion
devices
production
portable
antiproton
devices,
beyond
those
In the
current
planned
They
To
Penning
an additional
433 MeV
10 years.
The
degrading
portable
PS200
spectrometer
This
which
approach
with
the
It is quite
these
upgrades,
The
final result
microgram-range.
use
is a
This
is
of antimatter-catalyzed
able to confine
Work
is adequate
users,
of scientific
for replenishment
would
antiprotons
Injector
require
which
between
traps
10
over
to much
would
of
an additional
has progressed
antiprotons
for
13
some
antiproton
with transfer
well
decelerate
important
as a
from
device. 2
over
the
last
This
to a remote
is
site
of a magnetic
antiprotons
commercial
such
of hours.
for development
of
for collision
energies
and storage
extremely
proton
energy
device,
for periods
underway
inexpensively
energies
portable
Injector
original
low kinetic
higher
reduce
the Main
the
at a relatively
up to 1012 antiprotons
and
from
a small-volume,
is currently
will simply
support
activities.
process,
trapped
at expanding
commercial
into
Penning
"_1
22
into
and accelerated
antiprotons
ofantiproton
months.
large-aperture
gains.
in Fig. 3.
to consider
high-energy
extracted
experiment-
in efficiency
aimed
in the Main
deceleration
of soon being
of several
traps.
process,
these
begin
and
development
seen as a means
for periods
transfer
to no more
The
capacity
scientific
temporarily
experiments.
trap,
to support
are subsequently
multiple
production
is shown
as NASA
production
433 MeV.
improvements
are obviously
customers
such
increase
and
applications.
enhancements
However,
in substantial
of production
for space
horns
capability.
at FNAL.
collision
such
increase
research
feature
over current
of incorporating
because
These
improvement
focusing
into
applications
such
and
would
probably
the
be achieved
annual
and development
addressed
high repetition-rate
collector
with
facility
linacs),
with
be very
high-Z
efficient
similar
capacities
infrastructure
within
stored
the
quantities
of several
costing
and
per year
3 to 10 billion
FY87
beams
(including
beams,
dollars.
was
rapid
of
1 gram
13 Two
types
in Fig. 4) both
A comprehensive
considered.
cycling
plasma
facility'
development
as illustrated
systems
intense,
commercial
to possibly
to gram range.
such
the
studied
milligrams
milligram
of particle
and
production-oriented
Corporation
colliding
in the
NASA
new
the RAND
to implement
cooling
issues
a multi-billion
major
of known
to the current
method
would
1 gram,
solar
Among
synchotrons
collection
is necessary'.
science
lenses,
of creating
antiprotons
such
efficiency
and
trips
and
and
large
methods
basic
from
a capability
design
of such
production
collisions
accelerated
is
a
process
of protons
particles
and
more
considerably.
support
into
and the
the
as higher-Z
would
in such
projects,
In fact,
enhance
Several
investment
technology.
which
system
dollar
national
improvements,
devices,
the
a highly-evolved
interstellar
look promising,
space,
transportation
a completely
new
early
maturity.
are how to store
on this
scale.
to that delivered
is required,
that
realm
above
of technological
equivalent
required
previous
However,
technology
energy
yields
of some
targets.
Other
antiproton
to note
that
For
stages
target
accelerator-types
collection/focusing
production
1980's,
that a capacity
targeting,
community,
in a completely'
(i.e., fixed
in
rings.
would
scientific
investment
program
were
It is important
consistent
the
and
to construct.
considered
of producing
aperture
from
then
and concluded
were
topics
$10 million
be ,_karranted. 23 In the
research
demand
to grow,
such a capability'
capable
cost about
anticipated
sector
of facilities
would
CERN),
Again,
groups
the
by 23 Shuttle
of antiprotons
energy
stored
ET's.
of this scale
within
A systematic
14
energetic
1 gram
approach
and
containment
of antimatter
is roughly
to safe storage
and reactive
materials.
of the
of such
Studies
of high-density
storage
of antimatter
are underway
step
along
this
critical
pathway.
Antimatter
Production
Costs
facilities
do
not
yet
recognize
the
Although
less experienced
interest
developed
provide
existence
in "going
of an
our
previ0_/as
present
ACMF
or AIM
missions
(-
by at least 2 orders
This
is too
quantities
expensive
the
range
of only
previous
levels,
pg)
costs
the
of magnitude
support
cost
FNAL
high-energy
has
Brookhaven's
since
is beginning
physics
Laboratory
even
of producing
the antimatter
cost
low
to
community.
recently
facilities
expressed
are much
$640
The situation
production
occasional
However,
this
cost
fusion/fission
1 p.g of antimatter
needed
to support
billion,
production
to $64 million
especially
would
initial
from before,
regular
rate
much
less
would
capacity.
per/.tg
high
require
ambitious
for
missions,
and
certainly"
permits
until
we account
for
would
go
is certainly
prohibitive
ground-based
technology,
practical
an unreasonably
or $6.4 billion
propulsion
is $6.4
highly
too
looks discouraging
have
cost
would
be much
antimatter
based
becomes
on some
on the
a capability
greater.
come
to the outer
For antimatter
to be based
for such
excursions
facility.
infrastructure
however,
would
of years.
in a new, dedicated
grid costs
values,
the
National
current
to the current
missions,
efficiencies
such
the
extremely
of 100's
to
Production
thousand
outside
service.
characterized,
which
for
testing
would
and
require
1 pg or less.
above,
section,
as an actual
business";
100
10 pg level.
for investment
and
Brookhaven
of antimatter-assisted
For actual
need
FNAL,
the
improvements
down
demonstration
demand
analysis,
In addition,
above
incipient
production
anything
function
on demand
at FNAL.
Assuming
the anticipated
this
than
billion.
considerations.
of antimatter
than those
From
batches
estimated
Assuming
down
by nearly
enough
form of antimatter-assisted
15
there
to
3 more
of a new
milli_am
facility.
In
to be $3 to $10
orders
mission
would
support
fission/fusion.
will be a
in the -1
aflbrdable
requirements
capabilities
was
solar system,
be $6.4
space
billion.
the
of magnitude
the
13
power
to -$64
million.
transportation
At
Conclusions
We have completed
propulsion
concepts
requirements
against
compared
these
(4) estimated
again
a study
that:
over
a range
the
capabilities
assuming
antimatter
of missions
the improved
that
that is systems
which
rely on antimatter
considered
system
magnitude
for anything
and
greater
the antimatter
Antimatter-assisted
applications.
provide
The
excellent
current
equates
upgrades
2 orders
of magnitude
of these
technologies,
production
thousand
feasibility,
applying
and
would
per
that
for space
compared
these
several
and improved
conventional
to nearby
various
infrastructure,
of propulsive
within
and
infrastructure.
energy,
production
(3)
years,
antimatter
stars.
justify
mission.
rockets,
are too
high to
Even
missions
rates
6 to 9 orders
cost
of $6.4
could
for trips
system
and
billion
in the near-term,
would
investment
antimatter-assisted
solar
promise
This
These
considerable
not be used
the
scale
per p.g.
a facility
holds
could
be incorporated
could
Such
production
with
require
however,
to an antiproton
which
million
antimatter
space
of propulsion
to $64 million
suggest
missions
are on the
that could
technology.
to $6.4
than
for missions
for antimatter
infrastructure
with several
expected
(2)
for
within
of
infrastructure.
this form
performance
requirements
capability
associated
requirements
requirements,
fission/fusion,
Although
velocity
int__near-interstellar
antimatter
antimatter
costs
other
the
existing
costs in S/microgram
show
the solar
and
of the
Results
be seriously
(1) evaluated
mission
are certainly
fission/fusion
propulsion.
16
near-interstellar
mission,
billion.
development
the
by at least
and demonstration
based
requirements
may
with
However,
drop
facility
the
it does
space.
which
to $640
within
near-term
to the stars,
in a dedicated
support
costs
enable
for
on
at a cost
range
be a viable
existing
of
$64
of economic
"first
step"
in
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1999.
"Concepts
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18
and
Storage
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AIAA
Table 1: Reference
Mission
Planetary
Descri
Deep
space
throughout
Omniplanetary
1O0 - 1000
solar
throughout
solar
Interstellar
precursor
Gravity
Slow
AU
Interstellar
Typical
missions
AV (km/s
10
system
human
Heliopause
10,000
_tion
robotic
Ambitious
AU
Missions
30 - 200
exploration
system
missions
100
to
(100 AU)
Lens
focus
Interstellar
precursor
Oort Cloud
(10,000
4.5 light-years
(550 AU)
mission
to
1,000
AU)
30,000
in 40 years
(=0.1 c)
Fast Interstellar
4.5 light-years
light-years
in 10 years
in 100 years
19
or 40
120,000
(= o.4 c)
OmnlJ planetary
Planetary
Heliopause
Grav
lO,I
Lens
I
(IOO
(550
AU)
AU)
Ort
Cloud
(103
AU)
Interstellar
Slow(.1
I I
c)
Fast
(.4 c)
metric
,/I
Beamed
Core
I
10 3
gl
'Plasma
Core
ton
(mT)
-kilogram
gram
z..
AIM
II
milligram
10 .3
_Z
I
)Oorl Cloud
'load)
10 "s
round trip Jupiter
(10 - 1 O0 mT payload)
11ACMF
10
10 2
I
I
II
10 3
microgram
10 4
10 5
nanogram
10 6
V (km/sec)
Figure
l : Antimatter
requirements
for different
2O
propulsion
concepts
Target
p --.t_
_..__
_8
8 - 120 GeV
_l
GeV_
Antiproton
Main Ring
or
Main Injector
750 keV
H- Source
0.4 - 8
Booster
H- _
Figure
2: Antiproton
production
21
facilities
pping Foil
at FNAL
[Ref.
19]
10"6.
10 -7
n
10.8
10-9
1998
1999-2000
Current
Capability
Main injector
comes on-line
> 2000
Improve
production &
collection
efficiency
Figure
3" Impact
of near-term
22
improvements
at FNAL
Fixed
target,
enveloping
plasma
collector
Proton beam
Colliding
beams,
Mirror
machine
plasma
collector;
enveloping
plasma
collector
e.g., Mirror
machine
Proton beam
Heavy
proton
Figure
4: Concepts
for milligrams
23
ion or
beam
facility
[Ref.
13]