Theoretical survey of muon catalyzed fusion

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:7124916

Leon, M

The main steps in the muon-catalyzed d-t fusion cycle are given in this report. Most of the stages are very fast, and therefore do not contribute significantly to the cycling time. Thus at liquid H/sub 2/ densities (/phi/ = 1 in the standard convention) the time for stopping the negative muon, its subsequent capture and deexcitation to the ground state is estimated to be /approximately/ 10/sup/minus/11/ sec./sup 1/ The muon spends essentially all of its time in either the (d..mu..) ground state, waiting for transfer to a (t..mu..) ground state to occur, or in the (t..mu..) ground state, writing for molecular formation to occur. Following the formation of this ''mesomolecule'' (actually a muonic molecular ion), deexcitation and fusion are again fast. Then the muon is (usually) liberated to go around again. We will discuss these steps in some detail. 5 refs., 3 figs.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 7124916
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-88-1802; CONF-8805170-2; ON: DE88014463; TRN: 88-031097
• Resource Relation: Conference: Muon catalyzed fusion workshop, Sanibel Island, FL, USA, 2 May 1988; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
MUON-CATALYZED FUSION
CROSS SECTIONS
ELASTIC SCATTERING
HYPERFINE STRUCTURE
MUONIC MOLECULES
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE
MESIC MOLECULES
MOLECULES
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
SCATTERING
SYNTHESIS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
640303* - Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics- Positronium
Muonium
& Muonic & Mesic Atoms & Molecules
653003 - Nuclear Theory- Nuclear Reactions & Scattering