Pyrofusion

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Under pyroelectric fusion refers to the possibility of nuclear fusion using a pyroelectric to achieve crystal.

Seth Putterman of the University of California (UCLA) and his coworkers Brian Naranjo and Jim Gimzewski published an article on pyroelectrically induced nuclear fusion in Nature in 2005. The working group presents an easy-to-use, small device that enables the fusion of deuterium nuclei .

technology

To ionize deuterium atoms and then accelerate them to the speed required for fusion, the researchers used a pyroelectric crystal as a voltage source. Pyroelectric crystals have electrical dipole moments that reorient themselves when the temperature changes and thus build up an electrical voltage between the two base surfaces of the crystal. It is already known that a kind of mini accelerator for electrons can be realized with such a crystal.

Putterman and his colleagues now applied the acceleration principle to deuterium. The centimeter-sized crystal of lithium tantalate (LiTaO 3 ) used in the experiment reached voltages of more than 100 kV when heated. An electric field strength of over 25 GV / m was then concentrated on the tiny tungsten tip attached to the positive side of the crystal . If the tip is in a container filled with deuterium gas, the atoms in front of the tip are ionized ( field ionization ). The deuterium ions are then repelled by the tungsten tip and accelerated to a deuterium-containing target (erbium deuteride ErD 2 ) 10 cm away . Nuclear meltdowns occur on impact. It can be neutrons with an energy of 2.45 MeV and X-rays detected.

application

With a yield of almost 1,000 neutrons per second and an energy yield of only around joules per heating cycle, the device cannot be used to generate energy, but the device is suitable as a handy neutron source , for example for safety or material investigations. A significantly higher yield of neutrons with an energy of 14 MeV would be expected when bombarding tritium .

literature

  • B. Naranjo et al., Nature 434: 1115 (2005);
  • J. Geuther et al., J.Appl.Phys. 95: 074109 (2005);
  • G. Brumfiel, Nature 437: 1224 (2005);
  • H. Dittmar-Ilgen, Naturwissenschaftliche Rundschau 9, 484 (2006);
  • S. Putterman, J. Gimzewski, B. Naranjo: Method for the production of high electric fields for pyrofusion, world patent WO002006113783A1 (April 18, 2006);

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