Virtual-state internal nuclear fusion in metal lattices

Journal Article · Fri Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989 · Fusion Technology; (USA)

OSTI ID:5072296

Bussard, R W ^[1]

---

1. Pacific-Sierra Research Corp., Arlington, VA (US)

A model of deuterium-deuterium (D-D) fusion in metal lattices is presented based on two phenomena: reactions between virtual-state pairs of deuterons bound by electrons of high effective mass m and deuterium energy upscattering by fast ions from fusion or tritium reactions with virtual-state nuclear structure groups in palladium nuclei. Since m is a decreasing function of deuterium ion bulk density n/sub 0/ the exponential barrier tunneling factor decreases rapidly with m. As a result, the fusion rate reaches a maximum at a loading density above zero but less than saturation. This can explain observations of transient neutron output from the (/sup 3/He,n) branch, of D-D fusion.

• OSTI ID: 5072296
• Journal Information: Fusion Technology; (USA), Journal Name: Fusion Technology; (USA) Vol. 16:2; ISSN 0748-1896; ISSN FUSTE
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700205* -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Fuel
Heating
& Injection Systems
700208 -- Fusion Power Plant Technology-- Inertial Confinement Technology
BARYONS
CHARGED-PARTICLE REACTIONS
COLLISIONS
DEUTERIUM TARGET
DEUTERON REACTIONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
ENERGY LEVELS
EPITHERMAL REACTORS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
EXCITED STATES
FAST REACTORS
FERMIONS
HADRONS
HELIUM 3
HELIUM ISOTOPES
ION COLLISIONS
IRRADIATION REACTORS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NEUTRONS
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEONS
PALLADIUM ISOTOPES
REACTORS
STABLE ISOTOPES
TARGETS
TRITIUM PRODUCTION REACTORS