Build a Particle Accelerator in Your Garage?

[Max Born]

I wonder if a simple particle accelerator that can be homemade. Well, I'm asking that because I recently read a book by Prof. Dr. Michio Kaku, "Physics of the Impossible" and he said in his book that he built a particle accelerator in his garage when he was in high school.

I don't understand why Prof. Kaku would lie about such thing, so I thought it would be worthy seeking this simple model that he talk about in his book.

 

[ZapperZ]

An evacuated tube such as a CRT that was commonly used in old TV sets and oscilloscopes is an example of a simple electron accelerator. There's nothing highly unusual here.

In fact, in many college physics labs, an experiment using a Bainbridge tube to perform a e/m experiment is also an example of an accelerator.

Zz.

 

[Max Born]

My goal isn't simply trying to accelerate simple electrons but stronger and higher frequencies such as gamma rays. My hope is that I can generate a beam of gamma rays powerful enough to create anti matter.

 

[Morgoth]

then go look for Na-22...

 

[ZapperZ]

My goal isn't simply trying to accelerate simple electrons but stronger and higher frequencies such as gamma rays. My hope is that I can generate a beam of gamma rays powerful enough to create anti matter.

Then you won't live very long... not that you'll have the capability to build such a thing in the first place.

Zz.

 

[truesearch]

Gamma rays travel at the speed of light. This is the fastest they can go. The job is done for you.

 

[Drakkith]

My goal isn't simply trying to accelerate simple electrons but stronger and higher frequencies such as gamma rays. My hope is that I can generate a beam of gamma rays powerful enough to create anti matter.

A particle accelerator more powerful than a CRT is EXTREMELY dangerous. I highly recommend not attempting such a project, as it is possible to harm not just yourself, but your friends and neighbors as well. (Radiation is not something to be toyed with)

 

[Bobbywhy]

My goal isn't simply trying to accelerate simple electrons but stronger and higher frequencies such as gamma rays. My hope is that I can generate a beam of gamma rays powerful enough to create anti matter.

Max Born, Welcome here to Physics Forums! You have given the title of your post as "Particle Accelerator" and now you say you want to generate a beam of gamma rays. You must be careful with your terms in the sciences, or you may get dismissed for being ignorant, and there is no good reason why you should let that to happen to you. Please pay careful attention exactly to what you write: Gamma rays are not particles, they are electromagnetic radiation.

Here is an excerpt from the Wiki page on anti-matter: “…mixing matter and antimatter can lead to the annihilation of both, in the same way that mixing antiparticles and particles does, thus giving rise to high-energy photons (gamma rays) or other particle–antiparticle pairs.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimatter

Cheers,
Bobbywhy