Could anitmatter be a potentially limitless source of energy?

Question

From what I understand of it, antimatter is like the negative integer of matter. I understand that when matter comes in contact with antimatter, they anihalate (cancel out) each other. Could you create a power plant that harvests the energy realeased from this? Besides accidental explosions, what risks could there be?

Answer 1

Antimatter could potentially be a limitless source of energy.  However, there is no feasible way at this point for us to collect, harvest, or contain it to be useful for energy generation.  We can create anti-particles, but the energy required to do this is several orders of magnitude greater than the harvested energy.

Matter/antimatter reactions don't really result in a "canceling out."  Instead the reaction results in extremely high energy particles such as gamma or cosmic rays (beyond X-rays).  This type of high-energy has yet to be productive in energy production.  Most nuclear power generation relies on what gamma radiation does to other nuclei (splitting) or the heat generated by alpha/beta particle emission and reaction with coolant.  

While there are places in the universe that have been identified as being composed primarily of antimatter, it is not very common in our neck of the universe.  Antimatter IS created in limited amounts near earth though.  Scientists have observed the brief creation of antimatter as high-energy gamma rays pass by large atomic nuclei.  This typically manifests as the brief creation of an electron and anit-electron (positron), which are quickly recombined due opposite charge/attraction and annihilated back to a gamma/cosmic ray.

Our best option for long term energy generation is fusion (making helium).

Answer 2

No, if you want a potentially limitless source how about nuclear power plants?

Answer 3

Give me some, and I'll check it out.

Answer 4

If you could find a safe source or way to make it and figure out how to use it effectively, it would be a great source of power.