Atom Smashers

[the GardenGnome]

Does anyone know anything about particle accerlerators(I can't spell) and how to build them?

[JaKiri]

You spin something around very fast and hit it into something else.

 

That's the basic element of them.

 

(You spin them around very fast by having them in a magnetic field of the correct size that the radial acceleration moves them round in a circle)

[the GardenGnome]

Originally posted by MrL_JaKiri

You spin something around very fast and hit it into something else.

 

That's the basic element of them.

 

(You spin them around very fast by having them in a magnetic field of the correct size that the radial acceleration moves them round in a circle)

 

Do you know anything on how to build them?

[Sayonara]

That will depend on how much spare cash you have flying about.

[superchump]

Originally posted by the GardenGnome

Does anyone know anything about particle accerlerators(I can't spell) and how to build them?

 

Well the CTR of a monitor or tv is a particle accelerator, so there's a rather cheap example. Why do you want to build on might I ask? For a serious accelerator you'd need vacuum equipment, magnets and some sort of equipment for analysis.

 

Ill provide you with some links to different types of accelerators. You can to your own research.

 

Synchrotrons:

http://public.web.cern.ch/public/

http://www-bdnew.fnal.gov/tevatron/

 

Cyclotrons:

http://www.nscl.msu.edu (this one i work at)

 

Linear accelerator:

http://www.slac.stanford.edu/

 

Read up.

[blike]

Can I ask what exactly you do superchump?

[superchump]

Originally posted by blike

Can I ask what exactly you do superchump?

 

I'm no physicist, I'll say that right now. But I am a computer administrator there. I just make sure the systems stay up and people are happy. It's a good college job IMO. Sure beats waiting tables.

[the GardenGnome]

Originally posted by superchump

Why do you want to build on might I ask?

 

Because I feel like building one.

[superchump]

Originally posted by the GardenGnome

Because I feel like building one.

 

Good enough for me. Good luck. What do you plan to do with your accelerator?

[Ryoken]

Smash some atoms; I assume.

[atinymonkey]

He does live far, far away from me, dosen't he?

[superchump]

Originally posted by Ryoken

Smash some atoms; I assume.

 

Into rich creamy nugat?

[the GardenGnome]

Originally posted by superchump

Good enough for me. Good luck. What do you plan to do with your accelerator?

 

Accelerate/smash atoms.

 

And what is the minimum size of an atom smasher?

[superchump]

Originally posted by the GardenGnome

Accelerate/smash atoms.

 

And what is the minimum size of an atom smasher?

 

To "smash" atoms? Or to just bouce them off things" And what do you want to smash together? How are you going to prepare a particle source? Is it going to accelerate ions or a certain particle? If you want to do it like the big boys, you have to make them their size. Atoms don't want to fragment that easily. You have to get them going fast...or give them a great deal of energy. You can probe samples at relatively low energies. Look up Rutherford scattering for that. For a fixed-target accelerator (probably the one you'd most likely try if you do), you must know the amount of energy available in the center of a mass system: Ecm = squ((mass1*c^2 + mass2*c^2)^2 + (2*mass2*c^2*Kinetic Energy)). This equation lets you find the threshold kinetic energy required to make the sample undergo a nuclear reaction(no...not a bomb). That's not even getting the beam up to relativistic speeds. You're looking at above 1Mev beam energy for any nuclear reaction. And that depends on what your beam is composed of and what the target is. So I'd say bench sized if you can get a powerful enough RF source and some good superconducting magnets. Good luck!

[JaKiri]

Originally posted by superchump

some good superconducting magnets. Good luck!

 

So, only costing millions rather than billions then.

[the GardenGnome]

Originally posted by superchump

So I'd say bench sized if you can get a powerful enough RF source and some good superconducting magnets. Good luck!

 

Why do you crush my dreams. Can't I at least think I can build one?

[superchump]

Originally posted by MrL_JaKiri

So, only costing millions rather than billions then.

 

 

Exactly. Unless you know how to wind magnets yourself

[superchump]

Originally posted by the GardenGnome

Why do you crush my dreams. Can't I at least think I can build one?

 

Sure..don't let ME stand in your way. All the math can be done on paper. All the testing in a computer. I think it's more cash flow and manpower that gets in your way.

[JaKiri]

Originally posted by superchump

Exactly. Unless you know how to wind magnets yourself

 

I'll get my supercooled helium out of the basement.

[MiguelBladesman]

Garden Gnome:

 

If I am reasonably clear here, what the accelerator is like, is a gun barrel, but the barrel consists of a magnetic field, which magnetically propels (accelerates) the "bullet" down a channel. The Magnetic Field is created by wire windings.

 

You must be aware of something starting out though; as you accelerate the particle faster, and as it approaches C (670 million mph), you will have massive drains on your electrical power source. Formerly, many of the accelerator labs operated late at night so as not to disturb the general population's power supply, and I suppose the same holds true.

[JaKiri]

Originally posted by MiguelBladesman

Garden Gnome:

 

If I am reasonably clear here, what the accelerator is like, is a gun barrel, but the barrel consists of a magnetic field, which magnetically propels (accelerates) the "bullet" down a channel. The Magnetic Field is created by wire windings.

 

You must be aware of something starting out though; as you accelerate the particle faster, and as it approaches C (670 million mph), you will have massive drains on your electrical power source. Formerly, many of the accelerator labs operated late at night so as not to disturb the general population's power supply, and I suppose the same holds true.

 

Stop using the same avatar, it's confusing

[the GardenGnome]

Originally posted by MrL_JaKiri

 

Stop using the same avatar, it's confusing

 

Done. (It's Eric Clapton)

[JaKiri]

Originally posted by the GardenGnome

 

Done. (It's Eric Clapton)

 

He looks surprisingly like, say, a spokesman for NASA.

[MiguelBladesman]

Mr. L. Jakiri:

 

But if I'm using the same avatar as someone else, it's the counterfeit that's causing the confusion.

 

Surely you're not suggesting that "I" am causing confusion, I, am a ....uhmmmm...[how do you spell, "weilder"?]....of the secret fire of Anor?....um....or was it Anor....oh heck...

 

Why is everyone so confused....Must have been the ride around the cyclotron!

[Kylonicus]

The Garden Gnome,

 

 

I would also like to build an atom smasher, and I have limited resources. I was thinking one could build one far cheaper, and perhaps even better than the large scale version using superconductive materials.

 

If you were to use superconductive materials, then you could send all the energy needed to cause whatever particles your accelerating accelerate at only one location, and in those very few materials, versus building tons of small electromagnets which accelerate the particle a little bit more and a little bit more.

 

Also, you might look into what I am trying to do, I would like to build an atom smasher in order to produce radioactive tritium, and energy. I was thinking that if I accelerated lead, then the lead would break into smaller atoms, and if I accelerated it fast enough into tritium, meanwhile it would release vast sums of energy. I believe if I were to have thermal engines available, I could produce the energy to power the device from the destroyed nuclei, and if not, I could use the tritium to produce the power necessary.