Re:What happens if you stick your head in a particle acceler...
by Retric on Monday August 09, 2021 @10:04PM
(#28124488)
I doubt you’ll get an answer from a particle physicist.
The most important factors are energy per particle, number of particles, width of beam, and is it matter or antimatter. The most general case is it’s going to bore right through you, so cancer and heating is a lesser concern than the gaping hole.
A microwave beam is a different story, but again the specifics make a huge difference. A microwave oven isn’t going to do much though heating the eyeballs can cause issues. Cancer isn’t a serious concern, but boost the power enough and you can get serious and eventually fatal burns.
The most important factors are energy per particle, number of particles, width of beam, and is it matter or antimatter. The most general case is it’s going to bore right through you, so cancer and heating is a lesser concern than the gaping hole.
A microwave beam is a different story, but again the specifics make a huge difference. A microwave oven isn’t going to do much though heating the eyeballs can cause issues. Cancer isn’t a serious concern, but boost the power enough and you can get serious and eventually fatal burns.