Muon catalyzed DT (deuterium-tritium) fusion at low temperature

Conference · Mon Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1987

OSTI ID:6083812

Crowe, K M

Several experimental programs are currently under way to study muon catalyzed fusion (MCF). The largest efforts were made at Los Alamos, New Mexico, and at the Swiss Institute for Nuclear Research (SIN). First results indeed confirm the existence of a very rapid DT cycle producing multiple fusions of the type d..mu..t ..-->.. ..cap alpha.. + n + ..mu.. + 17.6 MeV. This paper presents a systematic experimental investigation of MCF at low temperatures (12 to 35K) in gas, liquid and solid of various densities and tritium concentrations. Our improved analysis allows a clear separation of intrinsic dt sticking from kinetic effects. Strongly density-dependent cycle rates with values up to 1.93 x 10/sup 8/ s/sup -1/, yields of 124 fusions per muon, and sticking lower than theoretically predicted, but with no strong dependence on either tritium concentration or density are reported. 8 refs., 4 figs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6083812
• Report Number(s): LBL-23816; CONF-8706161-2; ON: DE88000619
• Resource Relation: Conference: 2. international conference on muon and pion interactions in matter, Dubna, USSR, 30 Jun 1987; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
DEUTERIUM
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
MUONS
TRITIUM
DENSITY
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
QUANTITY RATIO
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
DATA
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FERMIONS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
INFORMATION
ISOTOPES
LEPTONS
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
NUMERICAL DATA
ODD-EVEN NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIOISOTOPES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SYNTHESIS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
651220* - Nuclear Properties & Reactions
A=1-5
Experimental
700000 - Fusion Energy