Atom Interferometry for Nuclear Reactions

[Morbius]

Atom lasers have been shown to have interference patterns -- these occur when they are interfering with themselves.

An atom laser beam can be split, and then re-collided with itself.

sanman,

NOT at the temperatures in which you get fusion!

You are taking the physics of degenerate matter and applying them to circumstances
where the matter is not degernerate.

Dr. Gregory Greenman
Physicist

 

[Astronuc]

10ps secs to form a Muonic D or T atom. 5 ns to make a DD+ or DT+ Mu molecule. 1ps for fusion.

I strongly disbelieve these numbers. Please show the calculations!

One has to look at the initial energy of the muon. How are the mouns created - e.g. electron-positron annihilation or pion decay? What about the precursor nuclear or subatomic reactions.

Let's say a muon has KE ~ 1 MeV, how long will it take to slow down to ~1 eV to be captured by a d? Then what is the density of d's, or conversely, what is the mean free path between d's?

Even starting with a mass of D₂, as soon a one fusion takes place (and produces a few MeV) - the solid is vaporised, AND one will SCATTER muons, much more than they will be combining with d's.

The physics is what it is!

 

[mheslep]

One has to look at the initial energy of the muon. How are the mouns created - e.g. electron-positron annihilation or pion decay?

Pion decay as I stated above

What about the precursor nuclear or subatomic reactions.

Yes there are several such and are energy expensive as I stated above

Let's say a muon has KE ~ 1 MeV, how long will it take to slow down to ~1 eV to be captured by a d?

Thats an engineering problem of placing the D in the same frame as the muon. It requires energy (as I stated above) but its not an impediment to whether or not one can do cyclic muon fusion. <- This is the subject of my post; I make no claim about net power in fact implied the opposite.

Even starting with a mass of D₂, as soon a one fusion takes place (and produces a few MeV) - the solid is vaporised, AND one will SCATTER muons, much more than they will be combining with d's.

Solid? Where did that come from? Plasma. I assume you are again thinking of some thermal Tokamak like containment. Try a beam for instance.

 

[mheslep]

I strongly disbelieve these numbers. Please show the calculations!
...
Let's say a muon has KE ~ 1 MeV, how long will it take to slow down to ~1 eV to be captured by a d?

The 5ns D-T-muon is the rate limiting factor and the most complicated. However you seem to be challenging the initial picosecond muon atomic capture. D. Wightman first calculated that in 1950.
"[URL
A.S. Wightman
Moderation of Negative Mesons in Hydrogen I: Moderation from High Energies to Capture by an H2 Molecule [/URL] Phys. Rev. 77, 521 - 528 (1950)

The moderation of negative μ- and π-mesons, as well as of hypothetical negative particles of mass 1000 m and 1837 m is described for a hydrogen moderator and a meson energy range: 10 Mev→0 ev (capture by an H2 molecule). In this energy range, there are three principal modes of energy loss by the mesons: 1. High energy ionization loss, describable by the ordinary stopping power theory. 2. Energy loss due to nuclear collisions. 3. Low energy ionization loss caused by non-adiabatic processes special to hydrogen. From estimates of the probability of these three processes, the moderation times of a meson in liquid hydrogen from 10 Mev to capture by an H2 molecule are calculated:

I simplified the table here -

μ-
From 10 Mev to v / c=5×10-2 : 8.6×10-10 sec.
From v / c=5×10-2 to v / c=6×10-3: 7.4×10-13
From v / c=6×10-3 to v / c=5×10-5{in 1H2}{in 2H2}{in 3H2}:
7.9×10-13
9.0×10-13
9.4×10-13

Something before diving in is that the muon base ionization energy is on 1-2 eV, not ~13 as per the usual atomic hydrogen.

 

[Astronuc]

Solid? Where did that come from? Plasma. I assume you are again thinking of some thermal Tokamak like containment. Try a beam for instance.

I used the phrase "Even starting with . . . .", because that represents the minimum distance between deuterons in a material. I am responding to the ~103 fusion reactions/muon, and in a plasma that means something on the order of 103 mean free paths if everything else was ideal.

From estimates of the probability of these three processes, the moderation times of a meson in liquid hydrogen

This is fine for a small number of reactions, but very impractical for a power source.

If one wants to produce a few fusion reactions, there are easier and more practical ways than using muons.

 

[mheslep]

I'll take that to mean that you no longer:

...strongly disbelieve these numbers...

and that this

...No. One is not going to get 103 reactions before a muon decays - half-life ~ 2 microseconds or so. One might be fortunate to get a d and t or d traveling nearly parallel (highly improbable, but could happen) and the muon just happens to pass by at the right moment (even more improbable). One is lucky to get one reaction...

and this

Any given muon can only catalyze exactly ONE fusion reaction!
This is NOT like a catalyst that can be used over and over again.
Muons are a ONE SHOT catalyst - so this is all NONSENSE!

are understood to be incorrect (since the 70's)

BTW here's a http://npre421.ne.uiuc.edu/2007%20files/Reports/slides/Manley%20muon%20catalyzed.pdf" from Miley and Dolan's 421 class at Univ. Ill this past Spring.

mheslep

 

[Astronuc]

Fusion reactions may occur at temperatures as low as room temperatures as low as room temperature (cold fusion) - I'm still skeptical.


Current experiments report up to 200 fusions possible per muon - under what conditions.


In order for µCF to become practical with current pi-meson production designs, each muon must catalyze meson production designs, each muon must catalyze reactions ~300 fusion reactions.


I'd like to see the evidence of 200 fusions/muon. I'm still skeptical.


I see cold fusion (neutron sources) - not commercial power generation.