Chapter 505 Anti-electrons, anti-protons and anti-hydrogen atoms
Aurora, City No. 1, Academy of Sciences Headquarters.
In the First Laboratory of the Human Union.
Similar to the past, most of the senior members of the Academy of Sciences gathered in the First Laboratory.
The huge holographic projection in front of the laboratory shows the various parameters of the satellite-ring particle accelerator.
Unlike other starships or large experimental devices.
[Light Satellite Planetary Fortress] is unmanned.
Each of its parts is remotely controlled by Zero through a long-distance communication device.
On the one hand, this can save a lot of space.
Whether it is a starship or other large facilities, human survival supplies often take up a lot of space.
As a "fixed turret" face to face with Aurora, Lv Yongchang simply designed it into a "remote control" mode.
On the other hand.
The energy gathered in the satellite-ring particle accelerator is too terrifying, and it is specially used to study antimatter.
If there is an operational error, the collected antimatter comes into contact with matter and the two are annihilated. The energy released is no joke.
After all, once positive and antimatter begin to come into contact and annihilate, all the mass of both will be converted into energy.
E=mc²
This energy will be far greater than nuclear fusion.
Therefore, for safety reasons, as the carrier of the satellite particle accelerator, [Light Satellite Planetary Fortress] will not arrange personnel inside.
"Prepare to start the first experiment." Lv Yongchang's voice came from the central area of the laboratory.
"Now start preparing anti-electrons."
In the holographic projection, on Light Satellite 1, thousands of miles away, one instrument after another began to operate under the control of Zero.
Anti-electrons, as the basis of antimatter, are actually very common substances in the universe.
A very small amount of anti-electrons will continuously land on the surface of the planet in the form of cosmic rays and high-energy particles.
Even in the Earth era, there is a small amount of antimatter around humans.
For example, bananas release an anti-electron every 75 minutes.
The potassium-40 contained in it will produce anti-electrons during the decay process.
So, in a sense, bananas are the "antimatter weapons" mastered by humans.
Of course, the human body containing potassium-40 will actually produce anti-electrons.
As for the preparation method of anti-electrons...
It is not complicated either.
By irradiating a pinhead-sized, millimeter-thick gold with a short pulse laser, a large number of anti-electrons can be obtained.
The principle is also very simple.
With the help of a short pulse laser, electrons are ionized and accelerated to pass through a millimeter-thick metal gold. In this process, the electrons interact with the gold nuclei.
The electrons lose energy.
This energy will be converted into matter and antimatter.
Thus, a large number of anti-electrons appear.
In a sense, this is the simplest way for energy and matter to achieve mutual conversion.
In the holographic image, in a high-purity vacuum environment, short pulse lasers continuously irradiate the experimental samples.
"Ding!"
"Anti-electrons detected!"
Zero's electronic synthesized sound came from the speaker.
The next moment, the magnetic field generation device waiting on the side immediately started working, capturing all the escaping anti-electrons in the ethereal cage!
"Anti-electron capture is successful."
"Magnetic field confinement is complete."
Lv Yongchang breathed a sigh of relief.
Preparing anti-electrons is the simplest step in the entire experiment.
"Next... start preparing anti-protons."
Unlike anti-electrons, the manufacture of anti-protons is relatively cumbersome.
To make it, we have to use the recently completed large-scale particle accelerator on the satellite ring.
…
Light Satellite 1.
The long-distance communication device received the order from the Dawn Star.
With a buzzing sound, one fusion reactor after another began to work.
The extremely huge energy was infused into the particle accelerator located at the equator through thick pipes.
Under Zero's control, the particle accelerator started.
A large number of protons were accelerated to near the speed of light by the energy provided by the magnetic field.
Under the control of the particle accelerator, these protons collided.
The large amount of kinetic energy carried by the protons was converted into matter.
Antiprotons appeared.
…
"The satellite ring particle accelerator is operating successfully!"
"Antiprotons have been detected!"
"Antiprotons have been successfully separated."
The unchanging electronic synthesized sound sounded in the quiet laboratory, stirring up layers of ripples in everyone's hearts!
With a gleam in Lu Yongchang's eyes, he calmly issued the second order.
"Start decelerating."
At present, the high-energy antiprotons in the particle accelerator are running at a speed close to the speed of light under the action of the magnetic field.
To capture it, it must be decelerated first.
This requires a special device-the antiproton decelerator.
With the help of this deceleration device, the speed of the antiproton will be greatly reduced and it will be trapped by the magnetic field.
Lv Yongchang silently watched the data flashing across the screen in the holographic projection.
Suddenly, his eyes moved, and the solemn expression on his face also relaxed a little.
Fang Xu, who was standing next to him, saw the change in the expression on Lv Yongchang's face, and subconsciously asked: "Successful?"
Before the voice fell, the electronic synthesized voice sounded again.
"Successful deceleration."
"Capture program is being executed..."
"Capture successful!"
……
Compared with the Earth era, the current particle accelerator is more efficient - it produces antiprotons at a much higher speed.
But even so.
It was not until a week later that the Academy of Sciences obtained enough anti-electrons and anti-protons for an experiment.
Their mass can even only be described in micrograms.
But this is much better than the Earth era.
Lv Yongchang stared blankly at the two "empty" holographic images in front of him.
They were two magnetic bottles composed of magnetic fields invisible to the naked eye.
Inside the seemingly empty magnetic bottles, a large number of anti-electrons and anti-protons were bound respectively.
They are the raw materials for making anti-hydrogen atoms.
Like hydrogen atoms, an anti-hydrogen atom is composed of an anti-electron and an anti-proton.
He calmed down and said in a deep voice: "Get ready to start the second acceleration."
The large particle accelerator started running again.
This time, in the particle accelerator, the first "anti-hydrogen cloud" in human history will appear!
…
Time passed by minute by minute.
The atmosphere in the laboratory became more and more solemn.
Unlike the previous preparation steps, the production of a large number of antihydrogen atoms contains a little risk.
Once the [particle trap] fails to play a restraining role, these antihydrogen atoms will contact the container wall.
The consequence of contact is naturally annihilation!
Even if there is only one microgram of antimatter, the energy released is extremely huge!
Even Lu Yongchang, who was confident, seemed extremely nervous at this moment.
He took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and stared at the holographic projection in front of him, not daring to relax at all.
