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What does antimatter look
like ? Antimatter looks like normal matter but antimatter chemistry is opposite
of matter. Antimatter has a nucleus with neutral neutrons and negatively
charged antiprotons. The nucleus of antimatter is orbited by positively charged
positrons.
CERN antimatter collection
is so rare that it make antimatter cost extremely high. So the question arises
how to make antimatter ? Protons are accelerated
thus increasing it’s energy. Once the protons reach the speed near to the speed
of light, they are smashed through a wall of iridium or similar material. This produces
many different particles including antiprotons. Antiprotons are then passed
through vacuum guided by the magnetic fields and preserved in a vacuum trough
made of magnetic field. So why do we have to use vacuum trough made of magnetic
field ? What happens when matter and antimatter collide or what happens when
matter and antimatter touch ? Matter and antimatter when come in contact with
each other get mutually destroyed releasing energy in a process known as annihilation.
So vacuum ensures no matter is present and the magnetic field helps to
channelize the antimatter, avoiding contact with matter.
What is antimatter used for? Firstly, it is used in PET (positron emission tomography) scan. As positron get destroyed so nothing is left in the human body, of the particles used in the scan. Secondly, the cancer cells can specifically be targeted as antimatter will get destroyed on coming in contact with cancer cells, destroying cancer cells in the process. Thirdly, antimatter reactor can give us large amount of clean energy source with very little antimatter. So why is antimatter a clean energy source ? It is because when matter and antimatter collide, it gives out pure energy and no waste is left behind. Fourthly, antimatter propulsion could be a possible future application and give us the energy source required for interstellar travel.
WATCH THE FOLLOWING VIDEO TO KNOW ABOUT USE OF ANTIMATTER:
Antimatter has immense applications. But proper application of antimatter is only possible when we truly understand the nature of antimatter.
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