The Potential of Antimatter Fusion: Answers from Experts"

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    Antimatter Fusion
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the potential of antimatter fusion, specifically the possibility of antihydrogen fusing to create antihelium, the energy output of such reactions, and whether any experiments have been conducted in this area.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether antihydrogen can fuse to form antihelium through an antiproton-antiproton chain, similar to proton fusion in the Sun.
  • Another participant suggests that, like matter fusion, the reaction involving antimatter would also release energy.
  • Some participants assert that antimatter fusion operates similarly to normal fusion, although they note that such experiments have not been conducted in laboratories.
  • One participant discusses the theoretical implications of antimatter fusion, mentioning the concept of CP symmetry and its subtle differences between matter and antimatter worlds.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying degrees of certainty about the mechanisms of antimatter fusion and its energy production, but there is no consensus on whether experiments have been conducted or the specifics of the fusion process.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations regarding the assumptions about the feasibility of creating and sustaining antimatter, as well as the lack of experimental evidence to support the claims made.

zephramcochran
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Hi,

Three questions to forum about something I have been wondering about on antimatter:

Can antihydrogen fuse to make antihelium through an antiproton-antiproton chain similar to how protons fuse to make helium in the Sun?

If so, like nuclear fusion with matter, does nuclear fusion with antiprotons produce net energy?

Finally, has any lab or individual done this experiment?

Thanks
 
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Dunno if it has been measured, but the reaction would give off energy just like matter fusion.
 
Yes, antimatter fusion works just like normal fusion.
To my knowledge this has not been done in a laboratory before.
 
Yes, antimatter would fuse just like matter. You could have whole antimatter galaxies if could only get enough antimatter to build one. To be clear, the symmetry between matter and antimatter (called CP symmetry) is not exact. So there would be subtle differences between an antimatter world and the matter world we actually have. But those differences would be very small.
 
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