Direct production of thermal antineutrons and antiprotons

Abstract

A method for obtaining free thermal antineutrons within the cage-like structure of a fullerene molecule comprising irradiating the fullerene molecule with free neutrons causing free neutrons to be trapped within the fullerene molecule wherein the trapped neutron oscillates between the neutron and antineutron states. A method for producing antiprotons comprising irradiating a fullerene molecule with free neutrons and trapping the neutrons within the fullerene molecule such that the neutrons oscillate between neutron and antineutron states and in the antineutron state decay and produce antiprotons.

1 . A method for obtaining free thermal antineutrons within the cage-like structure of a fullerene molecule comprising irradiating the fullerene molecule with free neutrons causing free neutrons to be trapped within the fullerene molecule wherein the trapped neutron oscillates between the neutron and antineutron states.  
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said fullerene molecule is a C 60  or C 70  fullerene molecule.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein said fullerene molecule is a C 70  fullerene molecule.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said method further comprises determining the presence of said trapped thermal antineutrons in the cage-like structure of said fullerene molecule by subjecting the fullerene to the steps of: 
 (1) irradiating a sample of fullerene molecules with a neutron flux;    (2) measuring the 511 KeV Ann. γ background event rate with a high-resolution gamma spectroscope during step (1) to obtain a “hot background” radiation rate for subsequent data reduction calculations;    (3) withdrawing the fullerene molecules from the flux and performing a gamma spectrographic analysis on said fullerene sample using the same high-resolution gamma spectroscope as step (2), within about 11.25 minutes after the sample is withdrawn from the thermal neutron flux;    (4) measuring the cumulative 511 KeV Ann. γ events in said fullerene sample beginning at least 11.25 minutes after step (3);    (5) measuring the 511 KeV Ann. γ event rate data;    (6) measuring the background 511 KeV Ann. γ event rate after the removal of the fullerenes from the high-resolution gamma spectroscope at the end of the experiment to obtain a “cold background” radiation rate;    (7) determining the contribution of each identified contaminant to the cumulative 511 KeV Ann. γ event activity measured during the first hour time history; and    (8) subtracting the calculated activity of each contaminant from the cumulative, observed, 511 KeV Ann. γ event data recorded in Step (4).    
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said fullerene is a C 60  or C 70  fullerene.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein said fullerene is a C 70  fullerene.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein said trapped thermal antineutron has thermal energy of about 0.025 electron volts.  
     
     
         8 . A fullerene molecule containing a free thermal antineutron trapped within the cage-like structure of said fullerene molecule.  
     
     
         9 . The fullerene molecule of  claim 8  wherein said fullerene molecule is a C 60  or C 70  fullerene.  
     
     
         10 . The fullerene molecule of  claim 9  wherein said fullerene molecule is a C 70  fullerene.  
     
     
         11 . The fullerene molecule of claims  8  wherein said trapped antineutron decays to a positron, and an antiproton.  
     
     
         12 . The fullerene molecule of  claim 8  where the fullerene molecule also contains trapped free neutrons.  
     
     
         13 . The fullerene molecule of  claim 8  where the fullerene molecule is useful as a source of positrons, neutrons, antineutrons, or antiprotons.  
     
     
         14 . A method for producing antiprotons comprising irradiating a fullerene molecule with free neutrons and trapping the neutrons within the fullerene molecule such that the neutrons oscillate between neutron and antineutron states and in the antineutron state decay and produce antiprotons.