Canon

Antimatter: Difference between revisions

From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
No edit summary
Tags: Mobile edit Advanced mobile edit
 
(62 intermediate revisions by 29 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Era|H1|H2}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{SeeWikipedia|Antimatter}}
{{Wikipedia|Antimatter}}
{{Ratings}}
'''Antimatter''' is the physical counterpart to matter. Antimatter consists of antiparticles which have the same mass as their matter counterparts but with a reversed charge. Antimatter annihilates upon contact with matter.
{{Era|TF|H1|H2}}
{{Weapon
| image=
| name=Antimatter
| manufacturer=[[Covenant]]
| model=
| type=Explosive, Possible Energy Source
| cost=
| size=
| damage per hit=
| magazine=
| maxammo=
| fire=
| ammotype=
| operation=
| rate of fire=
| accuracy=
| range=
| era=Human-Covenant War
| counterpart=[[Nuclear Bomb]]
| counterwep=None
| affiliation=[[Covenant]], Possibly [[UNSC]]
}}


In particle physics and quantum chemistry antimatter is the extension of the concept of the antiparticle to matter, where antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is composed of particles. For example an antielectron (a positron, an electron with a positive charge) and an antiproton (a proton with a negative charge) could form an antihydrogen atom in the same way that an electron and a proton form a normal matter hydrogen atom. Furthermore, mixing of matter and antimatter would lead to the annihilation of both in the same way that mixing of antiparticles and particles does, thus giving rise to high-energy photons (gamma rays) or other particle–antiparticle pairs. The particles resulting from matter-antimatter annihilation are endowed with energy equal to the difference between the rest mass of the products of the annihilation and the rest mass of the original matter-antimatter pair, which is often quite large.
The [[Covenant]] use antimatter as a reactant in ordnance, namely [[antimatter charge]]s. These charges were used in the [[Battle over Installation 04]]{{Ref/Level|[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]|[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]}} and to destroy ''[[Athens Station]]'', ''[[Malta Station]]'', and nearly ''[[Cairo Station (station)|Cairo Station]]'' in the [[Battle for Earth]].{{Ref/Level|Halo 2|[[Cairo Station]]}}


There is considerable speculation in science as to why the observable universe is apparently almost entirely matter, whether other places are almost entirely antimatter instead and what might be possible if antimatter could be harnessed, but at this time the apparent asymmetry of matter and antimatter in the visible universe is one of the greatest unsolved problems in physics. The process developing particles and antiparticles is called baryogenesis.
Certain [[Forerunner]] weapons use antimatter as well; the [[Z-390 incineration cannon]], for example, fires antimatter embedded within streams of energized particles.{{Ref/Book|[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]|Page=101}} [[Converging beam cannon]]s of the {{Class|Sojourner|dreadnought}} created paths for antimatter to pursue enemy starships.{{Ref/Book|Halo : Warfleet|Page=80-81}}


Antimatter is used by the Covenant in highly potent destructive devices, which causes a massive emission of energy when the antimatter comes into contact with matter, releasing gamma rays. Smaller devices create points in which the Covenant can gain access to UNSC warships, for boarding actions.<ref>''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', [[Pillar of Autumn (Level)]]</ref> Larger devices are capable of destroying even large [[Cairo Station|Orbital Defence Platforms]], or [[Regret's Carrier|Covenant Assault Carriers]].<ref>''[[Halo 2]]'', [[Cairo (Level)]]</ref>
The UNSC is known to have established an antimatter production facility on [[Mercury]] alongside solar research facilities,{{Ref/Book|HM|Section=The Interplanetary War|Page=51}} however even the UNSC's most advanced laboratories produce less than a gram of antimatter a year.{{Ref/Book|HEnc11|Page=333}}


== Uses ==
==Sources==
*[[Antimatter Charge]]
{{Ref/Sources}}
*[[Covenant Bomb]]


== Trivia ==
*Antimatter is a [[Wikipedia:Antimatter|real substance]].
*Several other Science Fiction sagas and stories, besides Halo, use antimatter as a weapon or in subsided, indirect context. For example it was used in the book "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown.
*A positron is the antimatter equivalent to an electron and an anti-proton is the antimatter equivalent to a proton. Every element has an antimatter equivalent.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antimatter]
*It is theorized that antimatter is created at the very center and crux of the [[Milky Way Galaxy]], and is perhaps the source of the Covenants antimatter itself, not deriving from a Forerunner technology basis.<ref>[http://cass.ucsd.edu/public/tutorial/MW.html]</ref>
*The world's largest scientific research facility--Switzerland's Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire (CERN)-- recently succeeded in producing the first particles of antimatter. Its the most powerful energy source known to man. It releases energy with 100 percent efficiency (nuclear fission is 1.5 percent efficient). Antimatter creates no pollution or radiation, and a droplet could power New York City for a full day. However, antimatter is highly unstable. It ignites when it comes in contact with absolutely anything, even air. A single gram of antimatter contains the energy of a 20-kiloton nuclear bomb--the size of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima- the whole size, only a percentage of the Hiroshima bomb went off<ref>[Brown, Dan. Angels and Demons. Pocket Books. 2000.</ref>.
== Sources ==
<references/>
[[Category:The Covenant]]
[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:Bombs]]
[[Category:Covenant Weapons]]
[[Category:Physics]]
[[Category:Physics]]

Latest revision as of 09:57, January 10, 2024

Wikipedia.png
 There is more information available on this subject at Antimatter on the English Wikipedia.

Antimatter is the physical counterpart to matter. Antimatter consists of antiparticles which have the same mass as their matter counterparts but with a reversed charge. Antimatter annihilates upon contact with matter.

The Covenant use antimatter as a reactant in ordnance, namely antimatter charges. These charges were used in the Battle over Installation 04[1] and to destroy Athens Station, Malta Station, and nearly Cairo Station in the Battle for Earth.[2]

Certain Forerunner weapons use antimatter as well; the Z-390 incineration cannon, for example, fires antimatter embedded within streams of energized particles.[3] Converging beam cannons of the Sojourner-class dreadnought created paths for antimatter to pursue enemy starships.[4]

The UNSC is known to have established an antimatter production facility on Mercury alongside solar research facilities,[5] however even the UNSC's most advanced laboratories produce less than a gram of antimatter a year.[6]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ Halo: Combat Evolved, campaign level The Pillar of Autumn
  2. ^ Halo 2, campaign level Cairo Station
  3. ^ Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide, page 101
  4. ^ Halo : Warfleet, page 80-81
  5. ^ Halo Mythos - The Interplanetary War, page 51
  6. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2011 edition), page 333
Retrieved from "https://www.halopedia.org/index.php?title=Antimatter&oldid=1609169"