MUON-CATALYZED FUSION ON THIN-ATMOSPHERE PLANETS OR MOONS USING COSMIC RAYS FOR MUON GENERATIONS

Abstract

A method is provided for heating or lighting a designated local area of a planet, moon or other space body in the presence of an ambient flux of cosmic rays by employing either or both muon-catalyzed or particle-target fusion of deuterium-containing fuel material. A series of packages of the fuel are directed to a location that is a specified distance from the local area to be heated or illuminated, for example at a specified altitude above that local area. The fuel material is then released, e.g. chemical explosive, to form a localized cloud that is exposed to and interacts with the ambient flux of cosmic rays and with muons generated from the cosmic rays. The resulting nuclear micro-fusion produces energetic reaction products together with usable heat and light radiating from the localized cloud of material.

Claims

1. A method for providing heating, illumination, or both to a designated local area of a planet, moon, or other space body in the presence of an ambient flux of cosmic rays, comprising: directing a series of packages of deuterium-containing particle fuel material to a location that is a specified distance from a designated local area; dispersing the deuterium-containing particle fuel material as a localized cloud, the fuel material being exposed to and interacting with the ambient flux of cosmic rays and muons generated from the cosmic rays to produce energetic reaction products together with usable heat and light for the designated local area.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the packages are projected skyward and the fuel material is dispersed at a specified altitude above the designated local area.

3. The method as in claim 2, wherein the packages are artillery projectiles fired from a gun to an altitude of up to 5 miles (8 kilometers), and the fuel material is dispersed via chemical explosion.

4. The method as in claim 2, wherein the packages are projected skyward from a mountain top or plateau.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the packages are dropped from an orbiting platform and the fuel material is dispersed at a specified altitude above the designated local area.

6. The method as in claim 1, wherein dwellings and other structures in the designated local area are equipped with skylight roofing covers to receive the light from the energetic reactions in the localized cloud.

7. The method as in claim 1, wherein one or more greenhouse structures are set up over ice in the designated local area to trap infrared radiation from the received heat and light and to raise gas-vapor pressure within the greenhouse structures to promote melting.

8. The method as in claim 7, wherein each greenhouse structure is weighted around bottom sides thereof to contain liquid water from the melted ice within the structure.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the deuterium-containing particle fuel material comprises Li.sup.6D.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein the deuterium-containing fuel material comprises D.sub.2O.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the deuterium-containing fuel material comprises D.sub.2.

12. The method as in claim 1, wherein the deuterium-containing fuel material is in solid powder form.

13. The method as in claim 1, wherein the deuterium-containing fuel material is in pellet or chip form.

14. The method as in claim 1, wherein the deuterium-containing fuel material is in frozen form.

15. The method as in claim 1, wherein the deuterium-containing fuel material is in liquid droplet form.

16. The method as in claim 1, wherein the deuterium-containing fuel material also contains up to 20% by weight of added particles of fine sand or dust.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a scheme for producing cosmic-ray and muon induced micro-fusion for heating and illumination of a local surface area, as well as a supply of liquid water by using the heat to melt surface ice.

[0016] FIG. 2 is a graph of cosmic ray flux at the Earth surface versus cosmic ray energy, after very significant cosmic ray absorption by Earth's atmosphere has occurred.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] With reference to FIG. 1, one technique to provide heating and lighting is to project the micro-fusion target material 11 skyward and release it as a localized cloud 13 at a specified altitude above a designated local area 15 to be heated, illuminated, or both. For example, from the top of a mountain 17, one can send up fuel packages 11, much like fireworks or artillery, which then disperses the fusion material as a localized cloud 13 via chemical explosion. One might choose a mountain on Mars that is as much as 5-10 miles (8-16 kilometers) in elevation, possibly with a suitable 10-acre (4-hectare) flat plateau region 19 near the top for a shell projection site. A 120 mm stratosphere antiaircraft gun 21, or similar apparatus, can fire a series of projectiles 11, e.g. at least once every minute, about 3-5 miles (5-8 kilometers) high and up to 15-20 miles (25-30 kilometers) downrange in Mars' lower-gravity and thinner atmosphere. Alternatively, any convenient method that brings the material to the desired altitude can be employed. For example, packages 21 might be successively dropped from a satellite platform 23, preferably one in synchronous orbit so as to maintain its relative position above the designated surface location. The satellite-dropped packages 21 enter the atmosphere and release the material as a localized cloud 25 at a predetermined altitude.

[0018] The fuel can be D.sub.2O ice crystals, droplets of (initially liquid) D.sub.2, or even solid Li.sup.6D in powder form. The quantity of active fuel material needing to be released is generally small, since only a microgram of micro-fusion material consumed per second will produce a kilowatt of output. To assist muon formation, especially when D.sub.2O or D.sub.2 is used, the target package 11 or 21 may contain up to 20% by weight of added particles of fine sand or dust. (This is particularly important if one desires to create a similar fusion reaction over the Moon, which has no atmosphere.)

[0019] Besides D-D micro-fusion reactions from D.sub.2O or D.sub.2, other types of micro-fusion reactions may also occur when using Li.sup.6D material. Cosmic rays impacting the lithium-6 will generate tritium for D-T micro-fusion reactions. Additionally, direct cosmic ray collisions can cause Li.sup.6D reactions via particle-target fusion. It should be noted that naturally occurring lithium can have an isotopic composition ranging anywhere from as little as 1.899% to about 7.794% Li.sup.6, with most samples falling around 7.4% to 7.6% Li.sup.6. Although LiD that has been made from natural lithium sources might be used in lower energy yield applications or to inhibit a runaway macro-fusion event, fuel material that has been enriched with greater proportions of Li.sup.6 is preferable for achieving greater energy output per microgram of fuel. (Lithium hydride is periodically of interest for hydrogen storage, but practical terrestrial applications have been thwarted by its chemical instability and its violent reactiveness in the presence of water. However, this should not be a problem on the Moon or Mars, where water is scarce and doesn't occur in liquid form.)

[0020] Packages 11 or 21 may be shielded to reduce or eliminate premature fusion events (e.g. during transport through space) until delivered to the desired location. Soon after the projectile 11 has reached peak altitude and is beginning its downward traversal the package releases its target material. For example, a chemical explosion can be used to locally disperse the fusion material. The dispersed cloud 13 of target material will slowly settle down above or downrange from the plateau 19 and be exposed to both cosmic rays 31 and their generated muons . As cosmic rays 31 collide with fusion targets and dust, they form muons that are captured by the deuterium and cause fusion. Other types of fusion reactions may also occur (e.g. D-T, using tritium generated by cosmic rays impacting the lithium; as well as Li.sup.6D reactions from direct cosmic ray collisions).

[0021] The muon-catalyzed micro-fusion reactions, where the muons are generated from cosmic rays 31, may be used to create successive miniature suns shining from the clouds 13 or 25 on or near mountain tops 17 on Mars, much like a bright flare. The miniature suns shining upon the ground, a kind of external combustion in the sky, will illuminate and heat the local area 15 below. As such, they will function in much the same way the sun does to heat the atmosphere and ground surface, including any water ice 41 on the Martian surface, by infrared radiation. The amount of heat and light energy that is generated depends upon the quantity of fuel released and the quantity of available cosmic rays 31 and muons . An estimated 10.sup.15 individual micro-fusion reactions (less than 1 g of fuel consumed) per second would be required for 1 kW output. But as each cosmic ray 31 can create hundreds of muons and each muon p can catalyze approximately 100 micro-fusion reactions, the available cosmic ray flux is believed to be sufficient for this purpose following research, development, and engineering efforts to optimize fuel release rates and altitude.

[0022] The needed rate of firing of fuel projectiles 11 or 21 depends on the amount of heat and light energy required, the dispersal rate of the fuel cloud 13 or 25, the amount of fusion obtained from the ambient cosmic ray and/or muon flux at the designated altitude of material cloud dispersion, and the efficiency of conversion of the micro-fusion products' kinetic energy into heat and light, but could be expected to be at least one shell per minute for the needed duration.

[0023] One application is to use the heat energy (infrared radiation) to melt surface water ice 41. The amount of heat needed will depend upon both initial ambient surface temperatures and the quantity of water to be heated. Inasmuch as the atmospheric pressure on Mars is too thin for water to exist in liquid form (water sublimates directly from solid to gas if pressure is less than 612 Pa), the target area 15 may have greenhouse structures 43 set up to raise the gas-vapor pressure immediately above the ice 41 and support melting. Pressure in the greenhouse structures need only be increased slightly. (At just 1200 Pa, boiling point has already increased to about 10 C.) The greenhouse structures 43 placed on the ice may be weighted around the bottom sides 45 to contain the liquid water 47 and supporting atmosphere. As the radiation from the muon-fusion generated mini-suns shines through the greenhouse 43, it heats the ice 41, while the greenhouse 43 also traps the infrared radiation so that the interior stays warm enough to keep the water 47 in liquid form until it can be drawn off and used.

[0024] Besides local heating and illumination of specified surface areas, the mini-suns may also serve as nighttime illumination of underground dwellings 51 via skylight roofing covers 53.