Cluster impact fusion explained

Cluster Impact Fusion is a suggested method of producing practical fusion power using small clusters of heavy water molecules directly accelerated into a titanium-deuteride target. Calculations suggested that such a system enhanced the cross section by many orders of magnitude. It is a particular implementation of the larger beam-target fusion concept.

The idea was first reported by researchers at Brookhaven in 1989.^{[1] [2]} Intrigued by recent reports of cold fusion, they attempted to study potential causes for the effect by accelerating tiny droplets of heavy water, about 25 to 1300 D₂O molecules each, into a target at about 220 eV. To their surprise they immediately saw fusion effects, at a rate that was many times what any of them could explain via conventional theory.^[3]

The experiment was fairly simple in concept but required an appropriate accelerator, so it was some time before other labs were able to repeat the experiments.^[4] One of the first was the University of Washington, who reported a null result in 1991. Further experiments and a review from MIT in 1992 solved the mystery: the fusion products were the results of contamination, which could be eliminated by filtering with a magnet.^{[5] [6] [7]} The Brookhaven experimenters tried this and the effect disappeared.

Cluster impact fusion references end abruptly at that point.

See also

• Impact fusion, which fires Macron (physics) or other projectiles into fuel to compress and heat it

Notes and References

1. Beuhler. R. J.. Friedlander. G.. Friedman. L.. 1989-09-18. Cluster-impact fusion. Physical Review Letters. en. 63. 12. 1292–1295. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.63.1292. 10040525. 1989PhRvL..63.1292B. 0031-9007.
2. Yang. S. N.. Cheng. Yi-Chen. Hwang. W.. Lee. Shyh-Tzong. Wu. C.. 1991. Cluster-Impact Fusion and Warm Atomic Plasma. live. 2021-04-21. Chinese Journal of Physics. 29. 4. 385. 1991ChJPh..29..385Y. 230385503. https://web.archive.org/web/20060616164911/http://psroc.phys.ntu.edu.tw/cjp/v29/385.pdf. 2006-06-16. en.
3. Carraro. C.. Chen. B. Q.. Schramm. S.. Koonin. S. E.. 1990-08-01. Estimates of cluster-impact fusion yields. Physical Review A. 42. 3. 1379–1389. 10.1103/PhysRevA.42.1379. 9904168. 1990PhRvA..42.1379C.
4. Rabinowitz. Mario. Cluster-Impact Fusion: New Physics or Experimental Error. 1990-05-20. Modern Physics Letters B. en. 04. 10. 665–671. 10.1142/S0217984990000830. 1990MPLB....4..665R. 0217-9849.
5. Web site: Thomson. Elizabeth A.. 13 May 1992. Cluster Fusion Is Illusion PFC Physicists Find. live. 2021-04-21. MIT News. Massachusetts Institute of Technology. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20190109024052/http://news.mit.edu:80/1992/cluster-0513 . 2019-01-09 .
6. Kim. Y. E.. Rabinowitz. M.. Bae. Y. K.. Chulick. G. S.. Rice. R. A.. 1992. Hot plasma shock-wave theory of cluster-impact fusion. AIP Conference Proceedings. en. Nikko (Japan). AIP. 250. 321–343. 10.1063/1.42021. 1992AIPC..250..321K.
7. Kim. Y. E.. Yoon. J.-H.. Rice. R. A.. Rabinowitz. M.. 1992. Cluster-impact fusion and effective deuteron temperature. Physical Review Letters. en. 68. 3. 373–376. 10.1103/PhysRevLett.68.373. 10045875. nucl-th/0304066. 1992PhRvL..68..373K. 25205387. 0031-9007.