CONCEPT OF A NOVEL MUON-CATALYZED FUSION-REACTOR

A muon-catalyzed fusion (mu-CF) reactor uses the negative muon to catalyze deuteron-triton (d-t) fusion via d-mu-t molecules. The novel reactor whose concept is outlined works with the deuterium-tritium (D-T) mixture in a single volume within a magnetic bottle. This volume serves simultaneously for pion production, pion decay into muons, muon stopping, d-t fusion, and muon reactivation. The pions are produced by proton bombardment of the D-T. The muon reactivation is done by stripping off the muons from muonic alpha particles by continuously moving the muonic alpha particles in cyclotron resonance. The protons for pion production are injected through a hole in the bottle and are kept moving in cyclotron resonance as well. Energy is supplied to the protons and muonic alpha particles in the bottle by a rotating electric field of constant amplitude. Some details of the phase-space behavior of the moving protons and muonic alpha particles are given. An optimistic estimate leads to a net cost of W = 3 GeV per negative muon and an energy yield of Y = 50 GeV per negative muon, both energies in the form of heat.