Electron Beam in a Vacuum
Most recent answer: 10/22/2007
- Allan (age 29)
Hong Kong
Yup, you sure can transmit energy in this manner. We always complain about the classification of energy as "electric" or some other kind.
Electron accelerators give a large amount of kinetic energy to the electrons they accelerate. I think the standard line about the linear collider idea is that each bunch of electrons that goes down the accelerator has the same energy content as a cup of yogurt (chemical energy in the yogurt, not rest mass! And the energy of the electron beam is almost entirely kinetic).
A practical worry -- you usually have to get the electrons back to the source to complete a circuit. This step could be lossy. If there’s an electric field pointing in one direction you have to find some way of overcoming it.
Tom
p.s.- This is not superconductivity. It’s not a way to make a circuit in which current flows almost indefinitely. If the electrons have to bounce off of something to make the return trip, they will lose some energy in the bounce.
mike w.
(published on 10/22/2007)
Follow-Up #1: synchrotron losses
- Valentin (age 36)
Mountain View, CA, USA
Yes, this sounds just like a common accelerator. Those radiative losses will keep the current from going forever. Also, the repulsion between the electrons will spread the beam out.
Mike W.
(published on 03/21/2015)