Relativistic electron beams are streams of
electrons
The electron ( or ) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary electric charge. Electrons belong to the first generation of the lepton particle family,
and are generally thought to be elementary particles because they have no ...
moving at
relativistic speeds. They are the lasing medium in
free electron lasers to be used in atmospheric research conducted at entities such as the Pan-oceanic Environmental and Atmospheric Research Laboratory (PEARL) at the
University of Hawaii and
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.
NASA was established in 1958, succeeding t ...
.
It has been suggested that relativistic electron beams could be used to heat and accelerate the
reaction mass in electrical rocket engines that
Dr. Robert W. Bussard called quiet electric-discharge engines (QEDs).
References
External links
PEARL Lab @ UHawaiiApplying REBs for the development of high-powered microwaves (HPM)
Electron beam
Quantum mechanics
Special relativity
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