From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!npoiv!npois!ucbvax!C70:energy Newsgroups: fa.energy Title: energy digest of ??? Article-I.D.: ucb.1504 Posted: Tue Jul 13 22:32:45 1982 Received: Wed Jul 14 05:50:43 1982 >From OAF@MIT-MC Tue Jul 13 22:29:26 1982 muon catalyzed fusion ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 29 Apr 1982 1409-PDT From: Paul DietzSubject: 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. ------- ------------------------------ END OF ENERGY DIGEST ********************