Muon Catalyzed Fusion Research Articles

Negative muon beam generation with muon catalyzed fusion

A new scheme of low energy negative muon source with muon catalyzed fusion (MuCF) is described. In the MuCF reaction process, muonic helium ions (μHe+) are created. By re-accelerating and stripping μHe+ ions, a low emittance negative muon beam is generated.

A New Approach to Nuclear Fusion Based on Muon Catalysis by Means of High-Energy Ball Lightning and an Accelerative Mechanism

A new method of realizing nuclear fusion reactions based on muon catalysis and the accelerative mechanism is proposed. High-energy ball lightning is periodically generated in a reactor chamber filled with deuterium gas and directed into a container containing liquid tritium. The entry of ball lightning into the tritium is accompanied by the generation of muons and mesomolecules due to a cascade process. Following the ball lightning, a high-energy plasma jet moves under the influence of traveling transverse electromagnetic waves. Deuterium ions and electrons of the jet, accelerated by intense transverse electromagnetic waves, interact with the tritium. Nuclear fusion reactions occur with the participation of muonic molecules at very low temperature. The developed method resolves all physical and technical problems that are inherent in existing traditional methods.

A Safer, Smaller, Cleaner Subcritical Thorium Fission—Muonic Fusion Hybrid Reactor

Until the pure fusion ages come true, present nuclear power is a crucial option if humanity takes aim for a zero net carbon society by the 2050s. A thorium subcritical reactor activated and controlled by muon-catalyzed fusion (MuCF) is an alternative until the completion of the pure fusion reactors. This proposal consists of two main technologies: a steady-state MuCF and the thorium subcritical fission reactor with cascaded neutron multipliers. It will be an environmentally friendly quantum energy source built only by the present science and technologies in a few decades.

Role of resonance states of muonic molecule in muon catalyzed fusion

Role of resonance states of muonic molecule in muon catalyzed fusion

On the influence of Maxwell-Chern-Simons electrodynamics in nuclear fusion involving electronic and muonic molecules

New results recently obtained (Caruso F. et al., Ann. Phys. (N.Y.), 443 (2022) 168943). established some non-relativistic ground state solutions for three-body molecules interacting through a Chern-Simons model. Within this model, it was argued that the Chern-Simons potential should not help improve the fusion rates by replacing electrons with muons, in the case of particular muonic molecules. This achievement motivated us to investigate quantitatively whether or not the Maxwell-Chern-Simons electrodynamics could influence positively, for example, the probability of having a muon-catalyzed fusion; its contribution to electronic molecules is also considered in this letter. The principal factors related to the probability of elementary nuclear fusion are therefore numerically calculated and compared with their analogs admitting other forms of interaction like −1/ρ and ln(ρ). The analysis carried on here confirms that one should not expect a significant improvement in nuclear fusion rates in the case of muonic molecules, although, surprisingly, the same is not true for electronic molecules, compared with other theoretical predictions. Numerical predictions for the fusion rates for ppe, pp μ, dde and dd μ molecules are given as well as the predicted value for the tunneling rate for these molecules.

Nuclear fusion catalyzed by doubly charged scalars: Implications for energy production

A number of popular extensions of the Standard Model of particle physics predict the existence of doubly charged scalar particles $X^{\pm\pm}$. Such particles may be long-lived or even stable. If exist, $X^{--}$ could form atomic bound states with light nuclei and catalyze their fusion by essentially eliminating the Coulomb barrier between them. Such an $X$-catalyzed fusion ($X$CF) process does not require high temperatures or pressure and may have important applications for energy production. A similar process of muon-catalyzed fusion ($\mu$CF) has been shown not to be a viable source of energy because of the sticking of negative muons to helium nuclei produced in the fusion of hydrogen isotopes, which stops the catalytic process. We analyze $X$CF in deuterium environments and show that the $X$-particles can only stick to $^6$Li nuclei, which are produced in the third-stage reactions downstream in the catalytic cycle. The corresponding sticking probability is very low, and, before getting bound to $^6$Li, each $X$-particle can catalyze $\sim 3.5\cdot 10^{9}$ fusion cycles, producing $\sim 7\cdot 10^{4}$ TeV of energy. We also discuss the ways of reactivating the $X$-particles from the Coulomb-bound (${\rm ^6Li}X$) states, which would allow re-using them in $X$CF reactions.

Enforced stripping of negative muons from μHe+ ions to stimulate muon-catalyzed fusion by cyclotron resonance acceleration

Enforced stripping of negative muons from μHe+ ions to stimulate muon-catalyzed fusion by cyclotron resonance acceleration

Controlling the process of muon formation for muon-catalyzed fusion: method of non-destructive average muon sign detection

The recent development of intense muon sources (Holmlid, Swedish Patent SE 539,684 C 2 (2017)) is crucial for the use of muon-catalyzed fusion reactors (L. Holmlid, Fusion Science and Technology 75, 208 (2019)) which are likely to be the first generation of practical fusion reactors. For this purpose, only negative muons are useful. For existing sources where negative muons can be ejected (if not formed) preferentially, it is necessary to know the amount of negative muons to determine and optimize the fusion reactor efficiency on-line. Here, a method is developed to measure the absolute muon flux and its average sign without collecting or deflecting the muons. The muons from the patented muon generator have an energy of 100 MeV and above and an intensity of 1013 muons per laser pulse. Here, the detection of the relativistic laser-induced muons from H(0) is reported with a standard particle beam method, using a wire coil on a ferrite toroid as detector for the relativistic particles. The coil detection method shows that these relativistic particles are charged, thus not photons, neutrinos or neutral kaons. This makes the coil method superior to scintillator methods and it is the only possible method due to the large muon intensity. If an equal number of positive and negative mouns passed the coil, no signal would be observed. The signal at the coil in the case shown here is due to relativistic positive muons as concluded from a signal charge sign verification in the coil.

J. David Jackson (January 19, 1925–May 20, 2016): A Biographical Memoir

John David (“Dave”) Jackson, a Canadian-born theoretical physicist, contributed significantly to particle, nuclear, and atomic physics. He is best known, however, for his text Classical Electrodynamics, which has been a fixture in physics graduate education around the world for more than 50 years. It is generally referred to simply as “Jackson.” This textbook, which has inspired fear and wonder alike in generations of students, clearly reflects the author's fascination with physical phenomena, his renowned mathematical dexterity, and his appreciation of the elegance of physical laws. Jackson's major contributions to research included the theory of muon-catalyzed fusion; the analysis, with Kurt Gottfried, of angular distributions in quasi-two-body elementary particle collisions; and the elucidation of charmonium-state decays. Jackson influenced the development of physics research throughout the United States as well as internationally—particularly through his work on the nascent Superconducting Super Collider. An active promoter of civil liberties and human rights, he was one of the leaders of the efforts to free Andrei Sakharov, Yuri Orlov, and Anatoly Shcharansky from Soviet imprisonment.

Enforced stripping of negative muons from $\mu$He+ ions to stimulate muon-catalyzed fusion by cyclotron resonance acceleration

Abstract The addition (sticking) of a negative muon to an $\alpha$ particle to form a $\mu$He$^+$ ion limits the number of chain reactions in muon-catalyzed fusion (MuCF), making scientific break-even in MuCF difficult. The reduction in the sticking probability by boosting the negative muon stripping using resonance radio-frequency (RF) acceleration of $\mu$He$^+$ ions has been examined with multi-particle tracking simulations. It was found that the stripping efficiency was largely depressed by ion–electron capture processes that have not been considered so far. Improvement of the fusion chain cycles is rather difficult with an RF electric field strength of 50 MV m$^{-1}$ even at a small deuterium/tritium (D/T) gas pressure of approximately 5 atm. However, in the scheme of using spatially localized D/T mixture gas streams, the sticking probability could be reduced almost tenfold even at a large gas density of 100 atm with a modest RF field strength of less than 50 MV m$^{-1}$.

Design for detecting recycling muon after muon-catalyzed fusion reaction in solid hydrogen isotope target

Muon-catalyzed fusion (μCF) is a cyclic reaction where a negatively charged muon acts as a catalyst for nuclear fusion between hydrogen isotopes. The muon exists in the molecular orbital of the unifying nuclei during the nuclear fusion. The muon with the kinetic energy of the orbital is expected to leave after the nuclear fusion. This muon is called “recycling muon” because it finds the other fusion target nearby and starts the subsequent fusion reaction until the ends of its intrinsic lifetime. The recycling muon has valuable information about the nuclear reaction. In this study, we designed a setup to observe the recycling muons released from a solid hydrogen target using a newly developed charged particle transport method.

Transmutation of LLFP by Irradiation of Neutrons on Muon Catalyzed Fusion (MCF) Reactor

Transmutation of LLFP by Irradiation of Neutrons on Muon Catalyzed Fusion (MCF) Reactor

An investigation of efficient muon production for use in muon catalyzed fusion

We model the energy cost of producing muons for use in muon catalyzed fusion and show that by careful design the cost can be reduced by a factor of 2.5 below current values. This is done by recapturing the kinetic energy of waste particles and generating heat through tritium breeding. When put together with the modeling of muon catalyzed fusion we estimate that electrical output/electrical input of 14% can be achieved currently.

Time evolution calculation of muon catalysed fusion: Emission of recycling muons from a two-layer hydrogen film

Recycling muon having approximately 10 keV kinetic energy produced in a muon catalysed fusion (μCF) cycle is expected to be a source of negative muon beam with high-spatial/time coherence. We report a time evolution calculation of μCF cycle with a particular focus on the emission of recycling muons from a hydrogen film target. Rate equations for the μCF reactions are solved using the 4th-order Runge-Kutta method. Considering a two-layer solid hydrogen film target composed of 1 mm hydrogen-deuterium layer and 2 µm deuterium-tritium layer, we have numerically simulated the time evolution of the muonic states and their populations in these layers. The muon atomic and molecular processes in the layers are solved simultaneously by introducing a probability of muonic deuterium atoms traveling between the layers via the Ramsauer-Townsend effect. The use of T2 amplifies the recycling muon emission. A weak dependence of the emission fraction of the recycling muons on the T2 concentration is predicted, which can be utilized to minimize the usage of tritium.

A bidimensional quasi-adiabatic model for muon-catalyzed fusion in muonic hydrogen molecules

A two-dimensional model for muonic molecules with nuclei composed of proton-proton, deuterium-deuterium, and tritium-tritium is proposed and solved. The effective molecular potential is analytically calculated within a quasi-adiabatic approximation. The molecular wave-functions and energies involved in the elementary process of muon-catalyzed nuclear fusion described by a Schrodinger equation were numerically calculated. Predictions are compared with three-dimensional results, showing that the dimensionality of space and the choice of potential energy have a great influence on some parameters used to calculate the probability of nuclear fusion. In particular, a 109 times greater probability was found for the ttμ molecule compared to the prediction in three-dimensions. Finally, we conclude that, from the theoretical point of view, these results highlight the distinguished role of the ``centrifugal potential’’ in the 2D effective potential, showing that the geometrical nature of planar space plays a quite relevant role in s-state muonic molecules in two spatial dimensions.

Nature’s Pick-Up Tool, the Stark Effect Induced Gailitis Resonances and Applications

A simple universal physical mechanism hidden for more than half a century is unexpectedly discovered from a calculation of low excitation antihydrogen. For ease of reference, this mechanism is named Gailitis resonance. We demonstrate, in great detail, that Gailitis resonances are capable of explaining p+7Li low energy nuclear fusion, d-d fusion on a Pd lattice and the initial transient fusion peak in muon catalyzed fusion. Hopefully, these examples will help to identify Gailitis resonances in other systems.

Four-body calculation of energy levels of muonic molecule dtμe in muon catalyzed fusion

SynopsisWe investigate dtμe (= d + t + μ + e) four-body system which includes the most important bound states (dtμ)11 in muon catalyzed fusion (μCF). We directly estimate the energy shift more accurately than the previous perturbation calculation. The shift found to be one order of magnitude larger than previous calculation and to be more significant in the calculation of the μCF reaction rate.

A planar model for the muon-catalyzed fusion

The basic principle of muon catalyzed fusion is that it is possible to obtain energy with temperatures much lower than that required for thermal nuclear fusion. The ground-state energies of muonic molecules formed by ionized proton-proton, deuterium-deuterium and tritium-tritium nuclei plus a negative muon confined in a two-dimensional spatial region are investigated, assuming a electrostatic potential instead of the Coulomb potential frequently used. The effective two-dimensional potential of these molecules is analytically calculated within a quasi-adiabatic approximation, and the probability of fusion is numerically computed for some molecules. In this letter some unexpected theoretical results are given and compared to those of the same molecules described in three dimensions, using the same approach. For example, for the ddμ molecule, the fusion rate is of the order of 108 times greater than the predicted value in 3D. For the same molecule, the tunneling rate is also amplified by a factor .

Lysosome activates AKT inducing cancer and metastasis

Hyperactivated lysosome causes cancer and induces metastasis or cancer relapse. Such activation occurs during excessive, intense, and protracted oxidative burst in the lysosome. The burst induces the formation of the constitutively active (permanently active) AKT locus generating cancer complexity and robustness. Such condition has the tendency to persist by stabilized intense signaling inducing upregulation of cell function and metabolic setup at the higher level. Most intense activator of the lysosome is the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus, which activates the AKT, a critical element in lysosome control, inducing cancer development, metastatic progression, or cancer relapse. Targeting the AKT active site of hydrogen network, by redox balance change or hydrogen balance change or muon-catalyzed fusion or laser-induced fusion with anti- A. fumigatus medication converts active AKT locus into inactive element, inducing disappearance of malignant phenotype.

Existing Source for Muon-Catalyzed Nuclear Fusion Can Give Megawatt Thermal Fusion Generator

ABSTRACTFusion power generators employing muon-catalyzed nuclear fusion can be developed using a new type of laser-driven muon generator. Results using this generator have been published, and those data are now used to derive the possible fusion power using this generator. Muon-catalyzed fusion has been studied for 60 years, and the results found in such studies are used here to determine the possible power output. Since the muon source gives complex mixtures of mesons and leptons, which have very different interactions with the measuring equipment, the number of negative muons formed is not easily found exactly, but reasonable values based on numerous published experiments with different methods are used to predict the energy output. With deuterium-tritium as fuel, a fusion power generator employing the novel muon generator could give more than 1 MW thermal power. The thermal power using pure deuterium as fuel may be up to 220 kW initially: It will increase with time up to over 1 MW due to the production of tritium in one reaction branch. The power required for running a modern laser and the muon generator is estimated to be of the order of 100 W, thus giving a total energy gain of more than 10 000. The harmful radiation from such fusion power generators is mainly in the form of neutrons from the fusion reactions. Thus, thick radiation shields are necessary as for almost all other fusion concepts. This means that medium-scale thermal fusion power generators of the muon-catalyzed fusion type may become available within a relatively short time.