Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!LBL.GOV!nagy%warner.hepnet
From: nagy%warner.hepnet@LBL.GOV (Frank J. Nagy, VAX Wizard & Guru)
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: space news from Jan 30 AW&ST
Message-ID: <890405051930.22c0181d@LBL.Gov>
Date: 5 Apr 89 12:19:30 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 26

> Subject: space news from Jan 30 AW&ST
> US antimatter research (notably for space propulsion) is being affected
> by a shortage of antiprotons.  CERN, the only major source at present,
> dedicates its supply to basic research [and also has political reservations
> about involvement in anything that hints of military applications, even
> fairly innocuous ones like space propulsion].  DoD considers it urgent
> to develop a domestic antiproton source; modification of the SSC is being
> looked at.
     
This is a great example of how confused our government is.  Fermilab
makes antiprotons, stores antiprotons and uses antiprotons.  I know that
for a while we surpassed CERN in antiproton production, though this might
no longer be true (CERN was planning/installing an upgrade to improve
the rate of antiproton production and collection the last I heard).

This is all rather moot however, since the antiproton beams being stored
at either CERN or Fermilab qualify as high-grade vacuums at best.  Also,
the Robert Forward "wallplug" efficiency of antiproton production at
either lab is laughably small.


= Dr. Frank J. Nagy   "VAX Guru & Wizard"
= Fermilab Research Division/Electrical and Electronics Dept/Controls Group
= HEPNET: WARNER::NAGY (43198::NAGY) or FNAL::NAGY (43009::NAGY)
= BitNet: NAGY@FNAL
= USnail: Fermilab POB 500 MS/220 Batavia, IL 60510