Experimental confirmation of cluster-impact fusion

Journal Article · Tue Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1991 · Physical Review A. General Physics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.44.R4091· OSTI ID:5253711

Bae, Y K; Lorents, D C; Young, S E ^[1]

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1. Molecular Physics Laboratory, SRI International, Menlo Park, California (USA)

We have investigated deuteron-deuteron fusion induced by impact of (D{sub 2}O){sub {ital n}}{sup +} and (H{sub 2}O){sub {ital n}}{sup +} clusters with {ital n}=1--150 on deuterated polyethylene targets at energies of 135--225 keV. Both the energy dependence and magnitude of the fusion yield measured with (D{sub 2}O){sub 115}{sup +} clusters confirm the results of Beuhler {ital et} {ital al}. (J. Phys. Chem. 94, 7665 (1990)). Furthermore, we have observed that the size dependence of the (D{sub 2}O){sub {ital n}}{sup +} fusion yields measured at the impact energy of 225 keV for small ({ital n}{lt}10) clusters follow the thermonuclear'' model proposed by Carraro {ital et} {ital al}. (Phys. Rev. A 42, 1379 (1990)) rather than the thick-target model. For H{sub 2}O{sup +} and (H{sub 2}O){sub 2}{sup +} at 225 keV, the yields roughly agree with the knock-on'' model by Carraro {ital et} {ital al}. No fusion event was observed for (H{sub 2}O){sub {ital n}}{sup +} clusters with {ital n}=4--50; however, {ital n}=115 clusters produced an observable fusion rate. The ratio between fusion rates of (H{sub 2}O){sub 115}{sup +} and (D{sub 2}O){sub 115}{sup +} is 5%{plus minus}2%, in close agreement with the result, {similar to}5%, measured by Beuhler {ital et} {ital al}. at 300 keV.

• OSTI ID: 5253711
• Journal Information: Physical Review A. General Physics; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review A. General Physics; (United States) Vol. 44:7; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640303* -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Positronium
Muonium
& Muonic & Mesic Atoms & Molecules
640304 -- Atomic
Molecular & Chemical Physics-- Collision Phenomena
74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS
BEAMS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CLUSTER BEAMS
COLLISIONS
DEUTERIUM
ENERGY RANGE
FUSION YIELD
HEAVY WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
HYDROGEN ISOTOPES
IONS
ISOTOPES
KEV RANGE
KEV RANGE 100-1000
LIGHT NUCLEI
MOLECULAR IONS
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
MOLECULE-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
NUCLEAR REACTION YIELD
NUCLEAR REACTIONS
NUCLEI
NUCLEOSYNTHESIS
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SIZE
STABLE ISOTOPES
SYNTHESIS
THERMONUCLEAR REACTIONS
WATER
YIELDS