Scientists Create Di-positronium Molecules

doxology writes "The BBC reports that scientists have been able to create di-positronium molecules. A di-positronium molecule consists of two positronium atoms, exotic atoms which are made from an electron and a positron (the anti-particle of the electron). A potential use of these molecules is to make extremely powerful gamma-ray lasers, possibly on sharks."

non-shark-related

[sexybomber]

I read the article and I still don't get it. How can these positronium atoms possibly be stable? TFA says that they've "merged an electron and a positron", which is impossible, because when the electron and the positron touch, there's a relatively large explosion.

So ... one of the particles has to be orbiting the other, like a regular atom. But wouldn't it blow up just the same if, say, a stray cosmic ray or a neutrino or something were to smack the nucleus? IIRC, photons are more like normal matter than antimatter.

Any particle physicists in the house who want to enlighten us?

Re:The "optics" of a gamma laser

[marcosdumay]

"Putting one on a satellite and blasting ICBMs in orbit, however, could be a very different story"

I doubt it. If you can't focus the bean, you don't have much chance of using it at distance.

Why is this an "atom?"

[FiveLights]

"These short-lived, hydrogen-like atoms consist of an electron and a positron, a positively charged antiparticle." I would think that an anti-proton and a positron (anti-electron) would be a "hydrogen-like atom." Why is the mating of an electron and an anti-electron considered an "atom?" And what force is keeping them from just annihilating each other? Why do they hook up and hang out, even for a brief time? I read about this on fark and got confused but came here to ask. So please, smart people of Slashdot, explain this to me.

Re:non-shark-related

[Anonymous Coward]

IANAPP, but TFA specifically refers to positronium atoms as "short-lived", and notes that the molecules survived for "just a quarter of a nanosecond".

Re:The "optics" of a gamma laser

[Overzeetop]

If it's a laser, you don't need to focus it.

Re:The "optics" of a gamma laser

[HaveNoMouth]

...but the problem that jumps out at me is that you really can't refract high-energy photons

Of course you can. All you need is a small black hole.

Re:On the good side

[ducomputergeek]

It will probably be military funding that carries out the research. After all, we've mastered creating an uncontrolled, none contained fusion reaction: please see Hydrogen Bombs, Thermonuclear Weapons, fission-fusion weapons, etc.. The holy grail in Weapons research is the true 4th Generation Thermonuclear bomb that uses some method to trigger the reaction other than a fission weapon. (Personally I like to call them Fusion bombs because most people don't know the difference between a nuclear and thermonuclear reaction...all they hear is "nuclear")

And if you can use this technology to jump start a sustainable fusion reaction for power, you can use it as a trigger in a Thermonuclear weapon. And why would the military like such a weapon? Because it gives you all the power of an Atomic weapon without all the nasty radioactive side effects. A pure Fusion bomb releases a burst of X-ray's and Gamma Rays at the initial detonation, but those don't cause fall out. It is possible the Neutron Flux might cause some elements to turn into radio active isotopes, but this is going to be limited. However you still get all the bang from the resulting over pressure wave followed by the Thermo Radiation (Also known as Heat).

Now you actually have a nuclear weapon that could be deployed tactically, i.e. on the battlefield, without all the baggage of current fission-fusion weapons due to the lack of fallout. Also it would create a bunker buster the ability to destroy bio-chem weapons caches if needed as well. (Not many organisms and chemicals are going to survive that inferno). Again all the bang, none of the radio active fall out problems. So you also then have fusion weapons that will likely be used in combat operations. They would have been useful in places like Tora Bora. (Although the real reason Bin Laden is still alive....the price on his head is what? USD 24M. What is a poor member of the Bin Laden clan worth? $500M? Gee you kill Osama, whether a merc/traitor/or POTUS, you really think there is a place on this planet you can hide from that kind of wealth and power?)

I hereby await the gasps from the slashdot crowd followed by where I got the physics wrong (Sorry the last Physics class I had was AP over a decade ago, so this is to the best of my remembering/understanding)...