Accelerated deuterons in cluster-fusion experiments

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Physical Review A. General Physics; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.44.7428· OSTI ID:5393742

Hautala, M; Pan, Z; Sigmund, P ^[1]

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1. Physics Department, Odense University, DK-5230 Odense M (Denmark)

The collisional interaction of heavy-water clusters with TiD has been studied theoretically via three independent methods with the aim of estimating cluster-fusion yields. Particular attention was paid to multiple wide-angle-scattering processes between deuterons and heavy beam or target atoms. In order to achieve adequate statistics in molecular-dynamics simulations, the elastic-scattering cross section was enhanced by, roughly, increasing the deuteron charge at constant mass. Deuteron spectra were then determined by extrapolation to {ital Z}=1. The validity of the procedure was confirmed by comparison with simulations using unscaled interaction potentials. Monte Carlo simulations were also performed, using a code that incorporates target motion and allows for larger cluster and target size. Cross sections for double wide-angle-scattering events (Fermi shuttles) were computed directly. By all three methods we find clear evidence that deuterons are accelerated far beyond the limits imposed by single-scattering kinematics. We find exponential tails with slopes approximately inversely proportional to the incident energy per cluster atom. Estimated fusion yields increase very strongly with the energy per beam atom and lie 8 to 18 orders of magnitude below those reported experimentally.

• OSTI ID: 5393742
• Journal Information: Physical Review A. General Physics; (United States), Journal Name: Physical Review A. General Physics; (United States) Vol. 44:11; ISSN 1050-2947; ISSN PLRAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

665300 -- Interactions Between Beams & Condensed Matter-- (1992-)
70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700400* -- Fusion Technology-- (1992-)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
COLLISIONS
CROSS SECTIONS
DATA
DATA ANALYSIS
DEUTERIDES
DEUTERIUM COMPOUNDS
ENERGY DEPOSITION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
FUELS
FUSION YIELD
HEAVY WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
MOLECULE COLLISIONS
MOLECULE-MOLECULE COLLISIONS
NUCLEAR REACTION YIELD
NUMERICAL DATA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
THERMONUCLEAR FUELS
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
WATER
YIELDS