DIRD_08-DIRD_Positron_Aerospace_Propulsion.pdf

UNCLASSIFIED / s:2#@eOehbGite Ghai Defense Intelligence Reference Document HS Acquisition Threat Support 2 March 2010 ICOD: 1 December 2009 DIA-08 -1003-002 Positron Aerospace Propulsion UNCLASSIFIED / s6@PeObhGhieESE OMe

UNCLASSIFIED / #2@R-@FEIGHHEUSEOREY Positron Aerospace Propulsion Prepared by: (b)(3):10 USC 424 Defense Intelligence Agency Author: (b)(6) Administrative Note COPYRIGHT WARNING: Further dissemination of the photographs in this publication is not authorized. This product is one in a series of advanced technology reports produced in FY 2009 under the Defense Intelligence Agency, }(b)(3):10 USC 424 Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. Comments or questions pertaining to this document should be addressed to AAWSA Program Manager, Defense Intelligence Agency, ATTN: |(6)(9…

UNCLASSIFIED / $6@-R-@5EEGidn GEO hie Contents Tn trGuction .. cc cece cencesnenesensesnneenenenendnenenenenenaneuenanecaeausceuausuauazausuenenauanensaauasecemeneneuans v ANTIMACCO ce esereseceseveveveceveverererurevssevesesucucucesusucususesecurses vevevesecers pa vavevecucusevers verseeres L Positron Air-Breathing Propulsion ......cccccccscessssecsscnessnanecenecsneneusneuanansesuanananananenausnas 2 PTRE Applications ......ccceccssevevevereveresevencvevevevevuseserepssuvereveveraussevesava revere cuvenesevaverererer 5 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)........... wvennenas suenassnannenes a uen…

UNCLASSIFIED / G&QR.OSELG Darel SE lem Figure 8. BOMARC and Talos Ramjet-Assisted Missiles.......csccscreserseusenceuccrencsenensaes 8 Figure 9. Positron SSRV Flight Profile ...cccccsccnscssccanccenenananananenencnancuenaneneunnanananananes 10 Figure 10. Artist’s Rendition of a Four-Engine Positron SSRYV.......cccscsuserererescesserer ii Figure 11. Solid-Core Positron Rocket Engine With a Hot-Bleed Configuration..... 12 Figure 12. Fluid Systems. ....... suecenauenaananananane wenenenacenanananaucuauauananen sneusnsneneuenenenaeeuer 15 Figure 13. Modified Sanger Photon Rocket Concept w.rcccsasc…

UNCLASSIFIED / /EQ2.OERIGH=USE-ONEY Positron Aerospace Propulsion Introduction Antimatter is considered an extremely attractive fuel for aerospace propulsion because of its enormous advantage in energy density over all other known sources of energy. However, because antimatter does not occur naturally and is unstable in the presence of matter, no vehicles have ever flown using it. After a short overview of the various aerospace applications of antimatter, this paper provides a detailed analysis of air-breathing turbojets and turbo-ramjet missiles, as well as rockets for manned interplanetary m…

UNCLASSIFIED / #POR=-@FEEGHAnW SEB ala Antimatter Antimatter appears in the form of fundamental particles that have their sign of electric charge reversed from their matter counterpart. For example, the positron, e*, is the antiparticle to the electron, e. According to the CPT theorem,* properties of matter and their counterpart antimatter particles are identical. This has been tested in the laboratory to an accuracy of roughly 1 part in 10 million. Antimatter is appealing for aerospace uses because its specific energy by annihilation is 180 MJ/ug, or 10 orders of magnitude larger than chemica…

UNCLASSIFIED / 45@-R-OFFEGE-UOE-ONET Second, low-energy gamma rays from positron annihilation cannot make residual radioactivity in surrounding air and containment vessels. In contrast, antiprotons annihilate into a host of high-energy particles, including z-mesons and gamma rays that can induce residual radioactivity in nearby materials. Finally, low-energy gamma rays from positron annihilation can be readily converted into useful forms of energy, including heat and electricity required for propulsion systems. This contrasts with large, complex systems required for conversion of antiproton an…

UNCLASSIFIED / /#@feOPPICERE USE OnNntr Figure 2. Tory-IIC Ready for Testing (courtesy LLNL} In a positron turbojet/ramjet engine (PTRE),® tungsten shells are heated by gamma rays, with heat transferred to air by convection.% 19 tungsten shells turbojet turbine used for heating positron trap “A aoe EM) i - oo oe i > — — — — or L peath al het ay . eee a ———— wea turbojel compressor nozzle turboyet heating chamber Hors dees Fadteoped iether fa gengi rt Ee sfestae starts feud t fort reader cal sgrertendars Figure 3. PTRE Turbojet (green) and Turbo-Ramjet (red) Modes (courtesy Positrenics Research…