anti-elements

[jackonaut]

What exactly are anti-elements, and do anti-elements have any specific properties that a regular element would not have?

[Connor]

I guess an anti-element would be composed of antiparticles (positrons etc.)

 

I assume they would have basically the same properties of their respective elements, but I don't know. They would not be very stable in an environment of elements, though.

[Xyph]

I would expect antimatter elements to behave almost indistinguishably from their matter counterparts, but I think I remember reading that it is strongly suspected that antimatter behaves at some level in a subtly different way from normal matter, which is why we've ended up with a universe of matter.

[[Tycho?]]

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

[ecoli]

same mass, opposite charge.

[ydoaPs]

same mass, opposite charge.

other addative quantum numbers, such as spin, are also opposite.

[Daecon]

Is antimatter subject to entropy?

[insane_alien]

Is antimatter subject to entropy?

 

Yes. basically it is unditinguishable from matter unless you can interact it with matter or a known magnetic field.

[swansont]

other addative quantum numbers, such as spin, are also opposite.

 

not quite; Spin description is a magnitude. The antiparticle of a spin 1/2 particle will still be spin 1/2. The antineutron has the opposite magnetic moment of a neutron, so in the same magnetic field the spin projections will be opposite, i.e one will be spin up and one will be spin down.

[YT2095]

I have to ask... but as a Non-Expert in this area, Most of the posts so far read very much like speculation.

Is the data presented in here actualy FACT or merely suposition/educated guesswork?

 

based on the idea that this IS actualy fact, what would occur in a chemical reaction say between Sodium and Anti-Chlorine for instance?

I expect it would considerably more complex than if both were either Matter or anti-Mater.

 

and no, Im not picking fault or even trying to Second-Guess any of you, I`m really curious to know what would happen, since a half-matter Common table salt seems proposterous

[insane_alien]

What would probably happen is that the electron and positron cloulds would partially annihilate leaveing the additional positrons in anti chlorine. then the nuclei would fall into each other and partially annihilate again antichlorine would leave some antiparticles after annihilating sodium. the remaining antiparticles (6 positrons, anti protons and however many antineustrons depending on the isotopes) will either congregate into anticarbon or fly off individually at high speed.

 

This is speculation but it seems pretty reasonable.

[YT2095]

that sounds reasonable according to my prediction/speculation also, I figure that the differences between matter chlorine and sodium will be the remainder of the "reaction" and thus anything Chemical in way of a reaction wouldn`t even get a chance to occur.

particle for anti-particle would anihilate leaving only the difference.

 

actualy, proton counting, carbon or Boron would be about the correct ball park element for a result according to off the top of my head calcs.

[aguy2]

What would probably happen is that the electron and positron cloulds would partially annihilate leaveing the additional positrons in anti chlorine. then the nuclei would fall into each other and partially annihilate again antichlorine would leave some antiparticles after annihilating sodium. the remaining antiparticles (6 positrons' date=' anti protons and however many antineustrons depending on the isotopes) will either congregate into anticarbon or fly off individually at high speed.

 

This is speculation but it seems pretty reasonable.[/quote']

 

If the reaction was between chlorine and anti-sodium could we expect carbon as a result?

 

aguy2

[YT2095]

doing it THAT Way around then Matter Carbon seems a reasonale guess, the Otherway around with anti-Chlorine and matter Sodium then Anti Carbon seems likely (at a guess).

 

edit: although I dare say that this may work fine on paper as a "gentle" reaction in theory, in Practice the violence of such a reaction may result in something Entirely Different! leaving bits of alsorts that put together may make carbon or boron Idealy.

as I stated before, I`m not even sure if Any of this is Speculation or Fact?

[insane_alien]

the energy released would probably leave you with 6 seperate protons, electrons and how ever many spare neutrons; assuming matter chlorine and antimatter sodium.

 

This is mostly speculation since we can barely manufacture antideuterium. although the speculation is based on interactions between more fundemental particles.

[abskebabs]

Forgive me if this sounds really stupid, I don't think it could actually work, but:

Could anti-elements make up a bit of the predicted dark matter in the universe, and interact so rarely with ordinary atoms and molecules rarely because of their overall neutrality[in terms of having no overall charge for example? The reason I thought of this is because I thought there may be a parralel relationship between the way positrons interact so rarely with matter; that particles like electrons would also interact very rarely with anti-elements[if they existed].

The other reason why I'm proposing this is that I thought that its no surprise we don't find many fundamental antimatter particles, as we don't find many lone neutrons, protons or electrons[apart from radiation where we also find antimatter particles like the positron in beta decay] existing on their own either as they exist predominantly in atoms and molecules.

P.S. could someone please have a look at my Quantum evolution post in the Physics section:embarass:

[jackonaut]

what would occur in a chemical reaction say between Sodium and Anti-Chlorine for instance?

 

^ This is the kind of thing I'm really interested about. I understand what anti-elements are, but are there any practical reasons for using anti-elements? Do they do anything unique as compared to regular elements?

[insane_alien]

Anti elements are visible and are very reactive with matter. if an electron wandered into an anti element it would annihilate violently.

 

positrons interact so rarely with matter

 

can i throw positrons at you to disprove that?

seriously if you got a kilogram of an anti element(doesn' matter what one) it would release more energy than if you detonated every single nuclear warhead, conventional bomb, various explosives, oil, bullet on earth at once.

 

we have found an antiparticle for every matter particle. although some are their own antiparticle eg the photon

[insane_alien]

^ This is the kind of thing I'm really interested about. I understand what anti-elements are, but are there any practical reasons for using anti-elements? Do they do anything unique as compared to regular elements?

 

On their own, anti elements are nothing special and interact exactly like "normal" elements in theory at least. put a bunch of anti atoms next to normal atoms and you'll be bathed in gamma radiation from annihilation.

[abskebabs]

Have experiments beeen carried out, investigating how antielements interact with elements?

[jackonaut]

Do you think it could be possible to use these anti-elements as an energy source?

[abskebabs]

sorry that was a stupid question[i mean mine] I've just looked at the article on Wikepedia about Anti-hydrogen. Seen as were discussing anti elements and antimatter, I'd just like to know what are tachyons[i'm not making this up I promise!], and why do they travel faster than the speed of light?

[insane_alien]

Have experiments beeen carried out, investigating how antielements interact with elements?

 

well they are made of antimatter and that has been extensively researched and when they produced antihydrogen in a collider we got the expected gamma bursts when the particles hit the walls of the chamber.

 

Do you think it could be possible to use these anti-elements as an energy source?

 

Not unless we find a natural source for them. but there are none on earth, in the solar system, galaxy, probably the universe. we would see them because of the intense gamma rays as they annihilate on the bounday with normal matter.

[jackonaut]

why does it have to be a natural source? If we can create them, would that not be enough to use them?

[YT2095]

tachyons are Hypothetical entities, whos existance has been postulated but not proven, there is no existing data on these "particles" outside of Sci-Fi Star-Trek type stuff.