Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - [Spaceships] Anti-Lithium for Drives

ADAXL · 08-29-2017, 02:09 PM

I recently stumbled over this article:

http://hardmaths.blogspot.co.at/2017...n-options.html

Go to the bottom of the article to “Option: Anti-Lithium (TL11)”. This is an idea for a stronger version of antimatter drives such as the antimatter thermal rocket. An antimatter thermal rocket gets much better delta-V per tank (10.8 mps) with anti-lithium.

This kind of drive combines good acceleration with good delta-V. A spacecraft could lift off from a planet (especially if it is winged and has a drive with the air-ram option that gives some free delta-V) and fly right to another planet. The old science fiction staple, the interplanetary spaceship that can land on a planet, appears possible this way.

So I wonder how “hard” the science behind drives with anti-lithium is. Of course, the idea of using anti-lithium (or just a bigger load of anti-hydrogen) seems straightforward enough, but I wonder what stress this puts on the engine and how much radiation it produces.

Can anybody with a background in science say if this makes sense? Thanks in advance!

08-29-2017, 02:09 PM	#1
ADAXL Join Date: Mar 2006	[Spaceships] Anti-Lithium for Drives – Does this work? I recently stumbled over this article: http://hardmaths.blogspot.co.at/2017...n-options.html Go to the bottom of the article to “Option: Anti-Lithium (TL11)”. This is an idea for a stronger version of antimatter drives such as the antimatter thermal rocket. An antimatter thermal rocket gets much better delta-V per tank (10.8 mps) with anti-lithium. This kind of drive combines good acceleration with good delta-V. A spacecraft could lift off from a planet (especially if it is winged and has a drive with the air-ram option that gives some free delta-V) and fly right to another planet. The old science fiction staple, the interplanetary spaceship that can land on a planet, appears possible this way. So I wonder how “hard” the science behind drives with anti-lithium is. Of course, the idea of using anti-lithium (or just a bigger load of anti-hydrogen) seems straightforward enough, but I wonder what stress this puts on the engine and how much radiation it produces. Can anybody with a background in science say if this makes sense? Thanks in advance!