Investigation of the Muon Catalyzed Fusion in the Spin Polarized Condition

Abstract

The cross-sections of the muonic atom interactions in the muon catalyzed fusion (μCF) cycle are spin dependent. In this paper we answer an interesting question about the efficiency of μCF: "Dose the efficiency of μCF increase by spin polarization of the injected beam of muons in the spin polarized D/T mixture?" To answer this question we investigate the spin polarization effects on the kinetics of the μCF cycle by simulating the collisional processes of the μt atoms by the Monte–Carlo method. The themalization and spin-flip rates are determined and used to simulate the kinetics of μCF in the spin polarized condition. Then, the total number of fusions per muon in two cases, spin polarized and unpolarized conditions, are compared. We have shown the spin polarization condition is rapidly converted to the unpolarized case in μCF cycle and its effects can be ignored, especially if the concentration of tritium increases.