Electron Acceleration Techniques?

AI Thread Summary
Electron acceleration can be achieved using techniques like the betatron, which utilizes a strong electric field in a vacuum tube to accelerate electrons to high voltages. The discussion raises the paradox of whether anything can exceed the speed of light (c), suggesting that forces applied in the direction of motion might be limited by light speed. It also questions the nature of anti-matter, pondering if it could be considered matter traveling faster than light for practical purposes. The conversation touches on the implications of collisions potentially producing faster-than-light phenomena and the characteristics that define anti-matter. Ultimately, the complexities of these concepts highlight the challenges in understanding the limits of acceleration and the nature of matter and anti-matter.
dewaite
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How is an electron accelerated? Is EM waves used to do this? IFF this is the case, can c then be considered a limit of technique NOT actual velocity. For instance, if I were to use sound waves to accelerate an object, no matter how intense the sound wave was, would i be able to surpass the speed of sound? I don't think so.

This is the greatest paradox. Wouldn't you have to use something that moved faster than light to accelerate something FTL given the force is applied in the direction of motion? On the other hand if a collision we used couldn't FTS speeds be produced using sound waves only. Likewise, can a collision produce FTL phenomena, perhaps reversing qualities - turning matter into anti-matter? What makes matter anti-matter? Does it have a negative mass or reversed qualities?

The ultimate question: Can anti-matter be considered matter traveling FTL for pratical purposes? Would this create a BALANCE around c...
 
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One way to accelerate electrons is the betatron. The betatron is a big transformer that creates a strong electric field inside an azimuthal toroidal vacuum tube surrounding a large laminated magnetic iron core that induces an electric field inside the vacuum tube. Free electrons inside the vacuum tube are accelerated to voltages exceeding 300 million volts. See page 4 in
https://teachers.web.cern.ch/teache...hers notes/Teachers Notes on Accelerators.doc
The electric field varies exactly like the 50 or 60 Hz electricity in common usage everywhere. The electrons injected into the betatron vacuum chamber quickly achieve velocities nearly the speed of light.

Take a standard electric transformer apart sometime and look at all the copper windings.

Bob S
 
Not so fast! the force required to accelerate something up to the speed of light would go to infinity as the speed of the object approached the speed of light! however your posed question is true, I guess, although trivially so in this case.

As far as the anti-matter part of your question, I am not sure exactly why you would think what you're saying, give me some reasons why you are thinking that about dark matter.

I hope this helps.
 
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