Antimatter

Antimatter is the opposite to normal matter. It works very similarily, in that a particle of anti-iron is going to have the same amount of antiprotons as an iron particle has protons, and same with positrons (antielectrons) and antineutrons. It's just that the magnetic charges of the particles are reversed. An electron is negative, but a positron is going to be, per the name, positive. Same goes for the protons, and while neutrons are neutral, they too are reversed, as their quarks have charge. But that's going a bit too deep. Antimatter interacting with antimatter follows the laws of physics all the same as matter does interacting with matter.
Not to be confused with negative matter, as antimatter has positive mass, and, unlike negative matter, has been proven to exist IRL.
Antimatter is a useful substance. That's due to its reversed properties. When antimatter comes into contact with matter, it annihilates with it, releasing both their masses worth of high-energy gamma radiation, according to the famous formula, E = mc². That's a lot of energy. Par for the course with a factor of the speed of light, squared. This radiation can be used to heat stuff up, used in reactors, or just propelled away through a nozzle, making a thruster. It can also be allowed to spread freely, making a big explosion.
This article is concerned with antiHydrogen in particular.Even more specifically, antihydrogen+1 cations. Well, technically it's -1, since antiprotons are negatively charged and... it's weird. A hydrogen cation is just a proton, so this would be an antiproton.

Properties

Material Characteristics

Basically hydrogen ions, but antimatter. Meaning, it has a opposite charge and destroys itself and the matter it comes into contact with, releasing a lot of energy.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Gaseous, almost imperceptible. Well, would be, were it regular hydrogen. Magnetically negative.

Origin & Source

Fundamentally born from high-energy reactions and beta decay, as well as cosmic rays.

History & Usage

History

Originally discovered in the very late 20th century, manufacturing antimatter only became viable by the mid 2200s. From there, antimatter engines and thrusters for interstellar ships were developed. Later still, in the mid 25th century, antimatter reactors were developed.

Everyday use

In everyday life, most people will not interact directly with antimatter. Sometimes barely even indirectly. In civilian use, large city-scale power plants and large transport ships are the only things to use antimatter reactors, as fusion reactors are well enough for most ships. Another, very significant use is military use. Notably, explosives. Because of the massive energy potential, only a few milligrams are enough for an earthshattering explosion.

Industrial Use

Because of it's sheer destructive potential, antimatter is often used for excavations and the like, as well as other demolitions. It's also sometimes used to heat up forges and such.

Antimatter Reactor Module by MadToxin

Refinement

Refined in large and somewhat rare factories, antimatter from natural processes is not usable. Most factories utilise antiproton decelerators. This leaves us with a negatively charged antihydrogen cation (funny how that works), which can be confined within a penning trap and used later on.

Manufacturing & Products

Massive scale thrusters and reactors, as well as explosives.

Hazards

Were a penning trap, or other such containement measure to fail, even a gram of antimatter annihilating with a gram of matter would make an explosion tens of times more energetic than the nukes dropped on japan in WW2.

Distribution

Trade & Market

The further you go from the Core Worlds and the like, the less prevalent this stuff gets, to the point where places like Desterat, Ochtotne Prime or Afkaschein have no use for it. That is mainly because antimatter is only used for really big stuff, like powering very big cities or spaceship propulsion. There are of course exceptions, for example Ak'Thakra, which, before its annihilation, was the only producer of antimatter within 42 lightyears.

Storage

Requires specific penning traps. Large scale facilities exist to contain antimatter, and most of them contain no more that a few kilograms at a time.

Law & Regulation

Extremely regulated. Due to the potential danger, the only parties with access to antimatter are really big companies, like some transport corporations, or states. States are also not too often found with any real amount of antimatter technology, the most being some really big powerplants for cities or thrusters for spaceships. It's only when you go close to the Core Worlds that antimatter becomes commonplace, and even then it isn't that common. Militaries have somewhat less limitation, as something like antimatter missiles are not rare.

^-1( H )

1.008

Type

Elemental / Molecular

Value

Valuable, but not priceless.

Rarity

Used a lot, but manufacturing-capable facilities are rare.

Odor

None

Taste

None

Color

None

Boiling / Condensation Point

−252.879

Melting / Freezing Point

−259.16 °C

Density

0.09 g/L

Common State

Gas