OPTIMAL CONDITIONS FOR MUON CYCLING IN INHOMOGENEOUS MEDIA

Abstract

A methoشd to reach a large number of muon catalysis cycles in a pulsed muon catalyzed fusion system using inhomogeneous media (liquid drops of deuterium and tritium surrounded by hot deuterium plasma) is suggested. The effective sticking coefficient of 4 He at the optimum temperature of plasma (Tp = 100eV) is calculated as a function of plasma density using recently available data. The optimum plasma density and effective sticking coefficient of Φ p = 0.2LHD and eff = 0.0025 ω s are determined. For the mentioned optimum conditions, the liquid drop density of Φm = 5LHD , life-time,τ m = 7.08×10−7 sec and average radius, rD = 0.004cm with diffusion rate of muonic deuterium from plasma to liquid drops, λ D = 1.6×107 sec −1 are determined. Written point dynamical equations for the time change of muons, muonic atoms and muonic-molecules in both liquid drops and plasma are solved in time duration of liquid drops life-time using the RKF45 numerical method. It is shown that for a relative deuterium density of Cd = 0.35 (in liquid drops) and in optimum conditions, the muon catalysis cycle, χ dtμ is 325. It is also shown that for an appropriate blanket design and muon injection rate, the energy gain of 71.2 in hybrid design of the suggested inhomogeneous system is achievable, which is three times higher than the gain of similar homogeneous systems under compression and heat conditions.