Propulsion for Miniature Munitions

There is currently an intensive effort to develop a new generation of miniature munitions that maximize flight endurance time and/or operate efficiently under a variety of flight conditions. A key munitions subsystem is the propulsion system where advances would be extremely valuable. First Point Scientific, Inc. will address this need by developing a highly advanced concept for storing energy in the form of antimatter. This concept is based on the containment of positrons in an advanced miniature Penning trap array. The objectives of the proposed Phase II project are to: (1) develop an advanced Penning trap experiment; (2) perform tests to optimize the number of positrons stored and the storage time in a single trap; (3) to develop a prototype trap array to substantially increase the number of stored positrons (this will include consideration of efficient positron extraction); and (4) perform experiments using the High Flux Positron Source to load the prototype trap array with the goal of demonstrating >10E12 stored positrons with storage times of >1 hour. The proposed effort will provide the foundation for future advanced propulsion systems, but it will also have immediate benefits by providing a key element for development of a gamma ray laser.