Observation of unexpected density effects in muon-catalyzed d<i>-</i>t fusion
Steven JonesIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415A. N. AndersonIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415A.J. CaffreyIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415Clinton DeW. Van SiclenIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415K.D. WattsIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415J. N. BradburyIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415James S. CohenIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415P. A. M. GramIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415M. LeonIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415H. R. MaltrudIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415M. A. PaciottiIdaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83415
1986en
ABI
Abstract
New experimental results on muon-catalyzed d-t fusion are reported. Unexpected target-density effects have been discovered both in dt\ensuremath{\mu} molecular formation in t\ensuremath{\mu}+${\mathrm{D}}_{2}$ collisions and in the effective sticking probability. The dt\ensuremath{\mu} formation rate is significantly enhanced at high density, presumably because of a strong three-body contribution. The origin of the observed reduction of the sticking probability at high density remains unclear. Both effects increase the number of fusions per muon that can be achieved; 150\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}4(stat.)\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}20(syst.) fusions per muon have been observed.
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