Antimatter Driven Sail for Deep Space Missions

Abstract

The concept of the Antimatter Driven Sail (ADS) has been examined in three major areas: Mission Architecture, Subsystem Technologies, and a Technology Roadmap. The Mission Architecture effort has focused on developing an integrated systems model to evaluate the performance of the entire spacecraft for a mission. The Subsystem Technologies investigation examined 1) the fundamental reactions between the antiprotons and the sail material and the subsequent momentum transfer, 2) a concept for storing antihydrogen at high densities, and 3) an entirely new concept for electrical power production. The new electrical-power concept may have applicability to nearer-term space missions as a power supply if the availability of antiprotons becomes common. In developing the Technology Roadmap, we examined the potential 1) for using recent developments in antiproton storage and antihydrogen formation to create a path to ultra-high density antihydrogen storage, and 2) for increasing production of antiprotons by modifying the existing Fermilab facility. Our system analysis indicates that a 10 kg instrument payload could be sent to 250 AU in 10 years using 30 milligrams of antihydrogen. This amount of antimatter is clearly within the production potential of the US within the next 40 years using currently accepted accelerator technologies. Major aspects of the architecture remain to be investigated but the first-cut assessment of the mission profile, the subsystem technologies, and the technology development path have all been identified. The antimatter driven sail may in-fact allow humanity to consider sending probes to the stars.

Deceleration of Antiprotons in Support of Antiproton Storage/Utilization Research

“…al., 1998). It is only in the last few years that specific theoretical studies coupled to detailed experimental validation has occurred (Jackson and Howe, 2003;Howe and Jackson, 2005).…”

“…First, an experimental validation of antiproton-induced fission on an uranium sail (Jackson and Howe, 2003;Howe and Jackson, 2005) was funded by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (www.niac.usra.edu) under a Phase II contract award. Second, experimental demonstration of the transfer, storage, and transportation of antiprotons in a electromagnetic Penning trap was funded by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center.…”

“…Hbar Technologies has hypothesized that by varying the energy of the antiprotons incident on the uranium sail, the depth at which annihilations take place is controlled and potentially the number of neutron uranium atoms per fission. This may create the ability to tune the specific impulse of the propulsion system to an optimum value (Howe and Jackson, 2005). A picture of the torsion balance vacuum chamber with the balance arm superimposed can be found in Fig.…”