Post by flippmoke on Oct 21, 2009 11:05:55 GMT -5
(THIS ARTICLE ASSUMES YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT FUSION IS! If you don't understand what fusion is, the wiki article is a good start:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion)
One of the most important part of the physics of Gundam is the M - Particle, more specifically, the Minovsky particle.
So basically, the M particle is a catalyst that allows a fusion reaction at a relatively low initial energy state, aka, "Cold Fusion." So lets first enter into best theory on what the M particle is:
Theory One: M-Particles are Muons.
(Wiki on Muons: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muon)
Muons are a more massive version of the electron (nearly 200x the mass), that carry a negative charge. Muons are the basic idea on how cold fusion would work currently and here is the wiki explanation of what they would be: (I can't do any better)
However, the Muon fails in many ways to be the M Particle. First it is not produced by Nuclear Fusion itself and therefore it can not make a sustained reaction. It does however, offer the possibility that it can be both a positive and negative charge through its antiparticle. But the production of both would result in the destruction of the mouns instantly creating gamma ray photons, nothing like the I Field suggested. Though carrying an electric charge that could cause disruption of waves such as the bending of light etc, there is no information on this for me currently found. I also know that pumping Muons out into space would not be effective as the decay of a Muon happen in 2.19703(4)×10−6 seconds.
Therefore, simply put: The Muon is out.
Theory Two: The New Lepton
Pointing to the near massless nature of the M-Particle perhaps there is a lighter then electron Lepton. This could explain the M-Particle?
Though if one such particle did exist we would have likely seen it already. Especially one with the qualities described in the section above. It would like be created by Pair Production from a Boson force that we currently can not currently create. However, it would probably have many of the same problems associated with Muons.
(Wiki on Pair Production: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pair_production)
The fact that there would have to exist many other particles we don't know I am actually more of a fan of this thought for a M-Particle, but I still would highly doubt its existence. It would be even more exciting if this lepton wouldn't provide Bremsstrahlung radiation if it was accelerated. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremsstrahlung)
I am all for this thought.
Theory Three: The Good Ol' Electron.
The electron in high enough densities would do the things an M-Particle suggests, but... the amount of electrons required to distrupt things like they suggest would be... very bad. Like Melting your face bad.
So they are out.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fusion)
One of the most important part of the physics of Gundam is the M - Particle, more specifically, the Minovsky particle.
According to the official guide of Mobile Suit Gundam, Gundam Century and Gundam Officials, the Minovsky Physics Society, while working on the reactor, encountered a strange electromagnetic wave effect in U.C.0065 within the Minovsky-Ionesco reactor that could not be explained by conventional physics. Within the next few years, they identified the cause: a new elementary particle generated by the helium-3 reaction on the inner wall of the reactor, which was named the Minovsky particle or "M" particle. The Minovsky particle has near-zero rest mass - though, like any particle, its mass increases to reflect its potential or kinetic energy - and can carry either a positive or negative electrical charge. When scattered in open space or in the air, the repulsive forces between charged Minovsky particles cause them to spontaneously align into a regular cubic lattice structure called an I-field. An I-field lattice will slowly expand and scatter into space, however, after dense interference it will take approximately 29 days before the region can support normal electromagnetic communication again.
The main use of the Minovsky particle was in combat and communication. When the Minovsky particle is spread in large numbers in the open air or in open space, the particles disrupt low-frequency electromagnetic radiation, such as microwaves and radio waves. The Minovsky particle also interferes with the operations of electronic circuitry and destroys unprotected circuits due to the particles' high electrical charge which act like a continuous electromagnetic pulse on metal objects. Because of the way Minovsky particles react with other types of radiation, radar systems and long-range wireless communication systems become useless, infra-red signals are defracted and their accuracy decreases, and visible light is fogged. This became known as the "Minovsky Effect".
The disruption of electromagnetic radiation is due to the small lattice of the I-field creating fringes that long wavelengths cannot penetrate, and that diffract wavelengths that have similar distance with the fringes. This diffraction and polarization process disrupts the electromagnetic waves.
The only counter measure to the "M" particle in the series was to install bulky and expensive shielding on all electronic equipment, but only to counteract the effect it had on electronic circuitry. While this could be done for space ships and naval ships, this ruled out the use of precision guided weapons, such as guided missiles. Due to this, the military use of Minovsky particles ushered in a new era of close-range combat. This is the primary reason for the birth of the Zeon close-combat weapon: the mobile suit.
The main use of the Minovsky particle was in combat and communication. When the Minovsky particle is spread in large numbers in the open air or in open space, the particles disrupt low-frequency electromagnetic radiation, such as microwaves and radio waves. The Minovsky particle also interferes with the operations of electronic circuitry and destroys unprotected circuits due to the particles' high electrical charge which act like a continuous electromagnetic pulse on metal objects. Because of the way Minovsky particles react with other types of radiation, radar systems and long-range wireless communication systems become useless, infra-red signals are defracted and their accuracy decreases, and visible light is fogged. This became known as the "Minovsky Effect".
The disruption of electromagnetic radiation is due to the small lattice of the I-field creating fringes that long wavelengths cannot penetrate, and that diffract wavelengths that have similar distance with the fringes. This diffraction and polarization process disrupts the electromagnetic waves.
The only counter measure to the "M" particle in the series was to install bulky and expensive shielding on all electronic equipment, but only to counteract the effect it had on electronic circuitry. While this could be done for space ships and naval ships, this ruled out the use of precision guided weapons, such as guided missiles. Due to this, the military use of Minovsky particles ushered in a new era of close-range combat. This is the primary reason for the birth of the Zeon close-combat weapon: the mobile suit.
So basically, the M particle is a catalyst that allows a fusion reaction at a relatively low initial energy state, aka, "Cold Fusion." So lets first enter into best theory on what the M particle is:
Theory One: M-Particles are Muons.
(Wiki on Muons: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muon)
Muons are a more massive version of the electron (nearly 200x the mass), that carry a negative charge. Muons are the basic idea on how cold fusion would work currently and here is the wiki explanation of what they would be: (I can't do any better)
To create this effect, a stream of negative muons, most often created by decaying pions, is sent to a block that may be made up of all three hydrogen isotopes (protium, deuterium, and/or tritium), where the block is usually frozen, and the block may be at temperatures of about 3 Kelvin (−270 degrees Celsius) or so. As said previously, the muon may bump the electron from one of the hydrogen isotopes. The muon, 207 times more massive than the electron, effectively shields and reduces the electromagnetic resistance between two nuclei and draws them much closer into a covalent bond than an electron can. Because the nuclei are so close, the strong nuclear force is able to kick in and bind both nuclei together. They fuse, release the catalytic muon (most of the time), and part of the original mass of both nuclei is released as energetic particles, as with any other type of nuclear fusion (see nuclear fusion to understand how this energy is released). The release of the catalytic muon is critical to continue the reactions. The majority of the muons continue to bond with other hydrogen isotopes and continue fusing nuclei together. However, there is a major drawback with muon-catalyzed fusion: not all of the muons are recycled, and too many bond with other debris emitted following the fusion of the nuclei (such as alpha particles and helions), removing the muons from the catalytic process. This gradually and ultimately chokes off the reactions, as there are fewer and fewer muons with which the nuclei may bond. The highest success rate achieved in the lab has been on the order of about 100 reactions or so per muon.
However, the Muon fails in many ways to be the M Particle. First it is not produced by Nuclear Fusion itself and therefore it can not make a sustained reaction. It does however, offer the possibility that it can be both a positive and negative charge through its antiparticle. But the production of both would result in the destruction of the mouns instantly creating gamma ray photons, nothing like the I Field suggested. Though carrying an electric charge that could cause disruption of waves such as the bending of light etc, there is no information on this for me currently found. I also know that pumping Muons out into space would not be effective as the decay of a Muon happen in 2.19703(4)×10−6 seconds.
Therefore, simply put: The Muon is out.
Theory Two: The New Lepton
Pointing to the near massless nature of the M-Particle perhaps there is a lighter then electron Lepton. This could explain the M-Particle?
Though if one such particle did exist we would have likely seen it already. Especially one with the qualities described in the section above. It would like be created by Pair Production from a Boson force that we currently can not currently create. However, it would probably have many of the same problems associated with Muons.
(Wiki on Pair Production: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pair_production)
The fact that there would have to exist many other particles we don't know I am actually more of a fan of this thought for a M-Particle, but I still would highly doubt its existence. It would be even more exciting if this lepton wouldn't provide Bremsstrahlung radiation if it was accelerated. (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremsstrahlung)
I am all for this thought.
Theory Three: The Good Ol' Electron.
The electron in high enough densities would do the things an M-Particle suggests, but... the amount of electrons required to distrupt things like they suggest would be... very bad. Like Melting your face bad.
So they are out.
