Muon regeneration in muon catalyzed dt-fusion

Rafelski, Helga E

Muon regeneration in muon catalyzed dt-fusion

Doctoral Thesis

1988

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Physics

Faculty

Faculty of Science

Abstract

The origin of the experimentally observed density dependence of the effective muon alpha sticking fraction will in muon catalyzed deuterium- tritium fusion has been comprehensively reanalyzed with the particular emphasis put on the density dependence of the stopping power in dense hydrogen. The main technical details and improvements in this work are: The (aμ)+ 2s and 2p states are treated independently and are assigned individual reaction rates. The essential muonic excitation rates have been recalculated taking into account finite nuclear mass effects. The stopping power for a charged projectile in liquid heavy hydrogen is modified to account for dynamic screening effects and a density dependent effective ionization potential. It is shown that the medium dependent stopping power for the (aμ)+ ion is the crucial entity controlling the density dependance of the effective sticking fraction. It is also pointed out that the muonic helium Ka X-ray yield and the sticking fraction at high density can not be simultaneously brought into agreement with the experimental results without invoking novel mechanisms suppressing Stark mixing in the (Heμ) L-shell.