Charles Weatherford

Background:
The United States has now narrowed its research focus in the quest to
produce fusion energy in a commercially viable way. The two primary
directions are magnetic confinement using Tokamaks (ITER—International
Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor at Cadarache, France) and fast ignition
(laser generated implosion) at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory NIF
(National Ignition Facility). Alternative fusion concepts are being de-
emphasized by the government funding. This patent proposal is concerned
with another alternative fusion concept (distinguished from alternative
confinement concept)—muon catalyzed fusion (?CF).

Statement of Problem:
The objective is to use X-ray lasers to enhance ?CF. The X-ray laser is used
in a quantum control mode (interference of laser beams to manipulate a
reaction) to catalyze the fusion of a deuterium nucleus and a tritium nucleus
having started with a deuterium-tritium-muon (dt?) molecule, and to eject a
muon for a subsequent molecule formation and fusion chain reaction. The
fundamental feature of this system which makes it interesting for fusion is that
the muon has a mass which is much larger than the mass of an electron and
thus the deuterium and tritium are much closer together in the molecule and
as a result, fusion is much more likely. The muon has a lifetime of about two
seconds and about one million fusions can occur in the lifetime of the muon.
The problem is that the molecule takes too long to form and the muon sticks
to the residual nucleus far too long. Thus, experimentally, only about one
hundred fusions have been achieved in the lifetime of the muon. About one
hundred and ninety fusions are needed to produce more output energy than is
imput into the muon fusion system.

Potential Solution:
The connection between X-ray lasers and ?CF has been considered before
but apparently not in terms of a quantum control application. The present
proposal is to use the X-ray laser to enhance the tunneling of the muon into
the continuum by Quantum Control, as well as to control the quantum states
of collision products in a way, which will increase the fusion rate. The core
idea is to use X-ray lasers in a quantum control mode to catalyze the fusion of
a deuterium nucleus and a tritium nucleus, having started with dt? and to eject
a muon for a subsequent molecule formation (reduced sticking fraction) and
fusion.
Commercialization Status:
The feasibility and reactor design are under study