Stored antiprotons circulate in a magnetic storage ring, then are fed into a converter core where annihilation heat drives a turbine-generator — the same thermal cycle as a fission plant, but with the world's most energy-dense fuel.
E = m·c² (per kg antimatter, ~9×10¹⁶ J)
P_out = η · Ṁ_fuel · c² · (containment fraction)
- Fuel feed rate — how much antimatter mass per second is released from the ring into the converter.
- Containment field — magnetic field quality; weaker fields lose antiprotons to the walls before controlled conversion (wasted, no power).
- Grid demand — how much of the generated power is actually drawn, changing turbine load and speed.
- Fuel stock — total antimatter reserve; scarce stock depletes fast at high feed rates.
Real-world use: this remains a speculative concept — producing and storing even micrograms of antimatter today is extraordinarily costly — but it illustrates the theoretical energy density motivating antimatter-propulsion and power research.