Leptons from decay of mesons in the laser-induced particle pulse from ultra-dense protium p(0)

2017

PLoS ONE

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Large signals of charged light mesons are observed in the laser-induced particle flux from ultra-dense hydrogen H(0) layers. The mesons are formed in such layers on metal surfaces using < 200 mJ laser pulse-energy. The time variation of the signal to metal foil collectors and the magnetic deflection to a movable pin collector are now studied. Relativistic charged particles with velocity up to 500 MeV u-1 thus 0.75 c are observed. Characteristic decay time constants for meson decay are observed, for charged and neutral kaons and also for charged pions. Magnetic deflections agree with charged pions and kaons. Theoretical predictions of the decay chains from kaons to muons in the particle beam agree with the results. Muons are detected separately by standard scintillation detectors in laser-induced processes in ultra-dense hydrogen H(0) as published previously. The muons formed do not decay appreciably within the flight distances used here. Most of the laser-ejected particle flux with MeV energy is not deflected by the magnetic fields and is thus neutral, either being neutral kaons or the ultra-dense HN(0) precursor clusters. Photons give only a minor part of the detected signals. PACS: 67.63.Gh, 14.40.-n, 79.20.Ds, 52.57.-z.

“…It is also reported in Ref. [18]. The short-lived neutral kaon may give positive and negative pions directly [55].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 52%

Mesons from Laser-Induced Processes in Ultra-Dense Hydrogen H(0)

2017

PLoS ONE

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“…This process is initiated by the laser photons which remove electrons from the clusters (mainly the highly excited superconductive electrons in Rydberg-like orbits [21]). The second type of process is nuclear giving meson ejection followed by meson decay [1,27,32,33], with final particle kinetic energies in the range up to 500 MeV. This process is instead initiated by the transfer of the clusters from spin level s = 2 to s = 1 which is the lowest level in D(0) having an internuclear distance of only 0.56 pm [10].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Laser-Induced Nuclear Processes in Ultra-Dense Hydrogen Take Place in Small Non-superfluid HN(0) Clusters

2018

J Clust Sci

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Charged and neutral kaons are formed by impact of pulsed lasers on ultra-dense hydrogen H(0). This superfluid material H(0) consists of clusters of various forms, mainly of the chain-cluster type H 2N. Such clusters are not stable above the transition temperature from superfluid to normal matter. In the case studied here, this transition is at 525 K for D(0) on an Ir target, as reported previously. Mesons are formed both below and above this temperature. Thus, the meson formation is not related to the long chain-clusters H 2N but to the small non-superfluid cluster types H 3 (0) and H 4 (0) which still exist on the target above the transition temperature. The nuclear processes forming the kaons take place in such clusters when they are transferred to the lowest s = 1 state with H-H distance of 0.56 pm. At this short distance, nuclear processes are expected within 1 ns. The superfluid chain-cluster phase probably has no direct importance for the nuclear processes. The clusters where the nuclear processes in H(0) take place are thus quite accurately identified.

“…15 The total energy in the ejected particles is so large that the nuclear reaction process is above breakeven. 16 The nuclear processes taking place are both laserinduced nucleon + nucleon annihilation-like processes [2][3][4][5][6] and ordinary D + D fusion partly of the muon-catalyzed type. That ordinary D + D fusion takes place is shown by neutron detection 17 and by TOF mass spectrometry studies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…15 One important aspect of our studies with laser induction in H(0) is that high-energy, unstable particles are observed to be ejected by relatively weak laser pulses. [3][4][5][6] A few types of methods have been used previously to form particles with energy in the mega-electron-volt range from hydrogen by fusion or other nuclear processes, normally requiring much higher laser energy intensities than used here. The high-energy particles studied previously are normally stable particles like protons and neutrons, not unstable mesons and leptons as reported from our laboratory.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Existing Source for Muon-Catalyzed Nuclear Fusion Can Give Megawatt Thermal Fusion Generator

Fusion Science and Technology

2019

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Fusion power generators employing muon-catalyzed nuclear fusion can be developed using a new type of laser-driven muon generator. Results using this generator have been published, and those data are now used to derive the possible fusion power using this generator. Muon-catalyzed fusion has been studied for 60 years, and the results found in such studies are used here to determine the possible power output. Since the muon source gives complex mixtures of mesons and leptons, which have very different interactions with the measuring equipment, the number of negative muons formed is not easily found exactly, but reasonable values based on numerous published experiments with different methods are used to predict the energy output. With deuterium-tritium as fuel, a fusion power generator employing the novel muon generator could give more than 1 MW thermal power. The thermal power using pure deuterium as fuel may be up to 220 kW initially: It will increase with time up to over 1 MW due to the production of tritium in one reaction branch. The power required for running a modern laser and the muon generator is estimated to be of the order of 100 W, thus giving a total energy gain of more than 10 000. The harmful radiation from such fusion power generators is mainly in the form of neutrons from the fusion reactions. Thus, thick radiation shields are necessary as for almost all other fusion concepts. This means that medium-scale thermal fusion power generators of the muon-catalyzed fusion type may become available within a relatively short time.