energy digest of ???

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1 total messages Started by utzoodecvaxharponpoivnpoisucbvax... Tue, 13 Jul 1982 22:32

#11

Author: utzoodecvaxharponpoivnpoisucbvax...
Date: Tue, 13 Jul 1982 22:32

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>From OAF@MIT-MC Tue Jul 13 22:29:26 1982
                        muon catalyzed fusion
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Date: 29 Apr 1982 1409-PDT
From: Paul Dietz <DIETZ at USC-ECL>
Subject: Muon Catalysed Fusion
To: energy at MIT-MC

I read an interesting bit about muon catalysed fusion the other day.
It is well known that muons can catalyse fusion reactions at room
temperature: the muon displaces an electron in a DT molecule, drawing
the nuclei close together so they fuse (in about 1.0E-12 seconds).
The muon has a half life of 2.2E-6 seconds, so it can conceivably
catalyse many reactions.  Calculations had shown that you couldn't get
a net energy gain (creating the muons would take more energy than you
got out).  In 1977 someone found a new state of the DTu- molecule that
would allow the muon to participate in many more fusion reactions than
had benn thought possible.  A reactor would have a muon source inject
the muons into a tank of DT a room temperature and 1000 atmospheres
pressure.  Neutrons get caught in uranium or thorium breeding
blankets.  Even if this thing doesn't produce much electricity it will
be able to breed much more fuel than a breeder reactor, as fusion is
neutron rich.
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END OF ENERGY DIGEST
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