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The first kind of muon–catalyzed fusion to be observed experimentally, by L.W. Alvarez et al., [6] was protium (H or 1 H 1) and deuterium (D or 1 H 2) muon-catalyzed fusion. The fusion rate for p–d (or pd) muon-catalyzed fusion has been estimated to be about a million times slower than the fusion rate for d–t muon-catalyzed fusion. [7 ...
Muonic heavy hydrogen atoms with a negative muon may undergo nuclear fusion in the process of muon-catalyzed fusion, after the muon may leave the new atom to induce fusion in another hydrogen molecule. This process continues until the negative muon is captured by a helium nucleus, where it remains until it decays.
Muon-catalyzed fusion was a field of some interest during the 1980s as a potential energy source; however, its low energy output appears to be unavoidable (because of alpha-muon sticking losses). Jones led a research team that, in 1986, achieved 150 fusions per muon (average), releasing over 2,600 MeV of fusion energy per muon , a record which ...
The term "cold fusion" was used as early as 1956 in an article in The New York Times about Luis Alvarez's work on muon-catalyzed fusion. [27] Paul Palmer and then Steven Jones of Brigham Young University used the term "cold fusion" in 1986 in an investigation of "geo-fusion", the possible existence of fusion involving hydrogen isotopes in a ...
Muon-catalyzed fusion is a technical application of muonic atoms. Other muonic atoms can be formed when negative muons interact with ordinary matter. [4] The muon in muonic atoms can either decay or get captured by a proton. Muon capture is very important in heavier muonic atoms, but shortens the muon's lifetime from 2.2 μs to only 0.08 μs. [4]
Muon-catalyzed fusion is a fusion process that occurs at ordinary temperatures. It was studied in detail by Steven Jones in the early 1980s. Net energy production from this reaction has been unsuccessful because of the high energy required to create muons , their short 2.2 μs half-life , and the high chance that a muon will bind to the new ...
Articles dealing specifically with using this process to produce useful power are contained in the subcategory Fusion power. Articles about nuclear processes that are speculative or poorly understood (like cold fusion ), or whose potential for power production is remote (like muon-catalyzed fusion ) are kept in the main category.
Penning fusion (PFX, LANL) Plasma jets (HyperV, Chantilly) Magnetized target fusion with mechanical compression (General Fusion, Burnaby) Field-reversed colliding beams (Tri-Alpha) Muon-catalyzed fusion (Berkeley, Alvarez) Dense Plasma Focus (Focus fusion, Lawrenceville Plasma Physics, Lerner) Rotating lithium wall (RWE, Maryland)