Federation Commander

[gurps_gm]

In the SFU is antimatter produced in some sort of factory, or is it mined from a source? Like a neutron star or even an antimatter planet.

Thanks in advance,
Tom

[djdood]

I don't think it's been specifically defined how anti-matter is sourced in the SFU, but I seriously doubt there is any "mining" type processes.

I would imagine big, factory-sized, particle accelerator facilities, with massive magnetic-bottle storage farms adjacent. Probably located on asteroids or some other remote location, in case of a catastrophic accident.
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[gurps_gm]

I agree that that a secure factory makes the most sense.

On the other hand, the discovery of a natural source might make an interesting game...

[Sgt_G]

In Trek, the Bussard Collector can gather up enough anti-matter to run the engines. I beleive the same is true in SFU, but only up to a point after which the engines are "burning" more than the collectors can take in.
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Garth L. Getgen

Master Sgt, US Air Force, Retired -- 1981-2007 -- 1W091A

[gurps_gm]

I think that's hydrogen. The collectors were named after a scientist who theorized that free floating hydrogen in deep space can be harvested for fuel for nuclear-powered rocket.

[djdood]

Correct; hydrogen-only, not antimatter.

Some of Dr. Bussard's work was on using massive magnetic fields to act as a "ramscoop" to collect the thinly-distributed hydrogen atoms in interstellar space. This hydrogen would be concentrated, with the goal of collecting enough to continuously power a fusion power plant.

The "Bussard collectors" on the front of many Trek and SFU engine nacelles are based on his work, intended to attempt continuously "top off" the slush deuterium fuel tanks of the ship (not really keeping up with demand, but contributing to efficiency, for free). This deuterium is used as fuel for the fusion auxilliary reactors, fusion impulse engines, and as one-half the reactant in the matter/anti-matter reactor powering the warp engines.

Due to its reactive nature, antimatter is too rare to "collect". It has to be generated, stored (very carefully!), and distributed to ships and other users.

TNG Trek added some ideas about ships having a minimal capacity to generate antimatter on-board, but only in tiny quantities and only as an emergency-measure.

Bussard was also an innovator on fusion reactor design (personally, I think his reactor designs will be the ones to work and take us into mankind's next major "age").
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[CarlZog]

[djdood]

[Carthaginian]

In a some of the Trek Novels (which are 'unofficial' for canon purposes), I remember seeing something about an anti-matter production facility on the Moon. Also, this is the tack that Masao Okazaki uses in his 'Starfleet Museum' timeline (my second-favorite Trek timeline).

This would probably be the safest place to put something like a giant bomb.

[djdood]

That didn't work out so well for Moonbase Alpha. Those poor people...
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[Scoutdad]

[archon96]

dont forget that the photon torps in stng use antimatter core for detonation. so a ship would need to be able to produce the warheads while a field. I dont think you'd want all of those torps to be preloaded and sitting around in storage.

[gurps_gm]

Space 1999's rationale for the Moon being blasted out of orbit had some "mysterious magnetic radiation." I remember older guys in one of my classes laughing about it.

[djdood]

[Scoutdad]

Good thing is careened out of orbit, instead of pulling a Praxis on us...
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Commander, Battlegroup Murfreesboro
Department Head, ACTASF