Positron Source for Enhanced Endurance Platforms

Antimatter offers the highest energy density of any known material; its energy density is more than ten orders of magnitude greater than conventional fuels and about 1000 times greater than possible with fusion energy. Thus, if the feasibility of a practical antimatter power source can be demonstrated, it will have a fundamental impact on the capabilities of enhanced duration airborne weapons platforms as well as many other applications. The key elements of an antimatter power system are: (1) the antimatter source; (2) antimatter storage; and (3) antimatter energy conversion. In the near term, a positron-based antimatter system is most practical based on the large amount of positron research that has been done. First Point Scientific, Inc. together with the University of California Riverside, both leaders in positron technology development, propose to provide an initial demonstration of the feasibility of a positron-based power system by developing a High Flux Positron Source (HFPS). The Phase I project will evaluate the feasibility of the technologies necessary to accomplish this, and will result in the preliminary design for an HFPS of highly advanced and scalable capabilities that will be constructed and demonstrated in Phase II.