Thunderstorms found to create Antimatter!

[Bill, KD0HG]

OK, you junior astrophysicists...It has been recently been discovered by NASA that massive thunderstorms can generate beams of positrons (anti-electrons) which travel along the Earth's magnetic field until they mutually annihilate themselves and the electrons they come in contact with.

Fascinating story here:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/GLAST/news/fermi-thunderstorms.html

If you could contain the antimatter thunderstorms create, you'd have something to power your home or even a starship. E=M x C squared.

I haveta to wonder if this contributes to the E Layer skip on 10 and 6 meters. Seems to be related to T-Storm activity.

[k3zrf]

That is really cool. I always thought of anti matter as an outer space phenomena at a distance far far away.

Beam me up Scotty!

[W3SLK]

Bill, I read a similar article about the Anti-Matter Generator from T-storms. Although it wasn't stated, I wonder if that is what causes "sprites" to be generated in somewhat large systems?

[K9PNP]

I wonder how they do the intermix without the dilithium crystals???

[Steve - K4HX]

If we could contain any of the energy from lightning strikes, we'd be set for life. But, I don't think it would be good to take that energy out of the atmosphere. It's lack would cause other problems.

[John Holotko]

Thunderstorms in and of  themselves are great. The feeling of power and electrical energy along with the force of wind, rain, hail...is incredible. Now antimatter... this is quite awesome. And very interesting.

[Ed/KB1HYS]

Of course, the first thing we'd do with a big pile of antimatter would be to blow something up...

Actually physicists have been creating and containing small amounts of antimatter for sometime now. By small I mean a few million particles worth (positrons?).  The issue isn't holding it, it's making enough to be usable, and then being able to harness the energy.  Even todays nuke plants are steam boilers pushing turbines.  The electrical generation part of if would be identical to any other turbine plant of similar size. 

Now, come up with a means to collect the energy released directly, and you are on to something BIG.

[Bill, KD0HG]

Now, come up with a means to collect the energy released directly, and you are on to something BIG.

That's why I was fascinated by this. If you could collect and somehow utilize the positrons generated by thunderstorms, we might be onto a new energy source.

Ahh, the next hundred years are going to be interesting.

[Wavebourn]

If we could contain any of the energy from lightning strikes, we'd be set for life. But, I don't think it would be good to take that energy out of the atmosphere. It's lack would cause other problems.

Have you seen "Back to the Future"?

[Steve - K4HX]

LOL. Good one!

I watched all three in the last month. One of the cables channel had some sort of Back to the Future marathon. Cheesy and funny.

If we could contain any of the energy from lightning strikes, we'd be set for life. But, I don't think it would be good to take that energy out of the atmosphere. It's lack would cause other problems.

Have you seen "Back to the Future"?

[The Slab Bacon]

If we could contain any of the energy from lightning strikes, we'd be set for life. But, I don't think it would be good to take that energy out of the atmosphere. It's lack would cause other problems.

Global Warming      

If a bullfrog had wings, it would never bump it's a$$    

[Wavebourn]

Global Warming      

Certainly. 

At the end of December Moscow saw unseen before phenomenon: icy rain. Can you imagine icy ping-pong balls with water inside?
Cars, trees, etc... were damaged... People heart...
Nice Global Warming, huh?