Experimental investigations of muon-catalyzed fusion in solid, liquid and gaseous deuterium/tritium mixtures

To gain information about the reaction chain of muon catalyzed fusion in mixtures of deuterium and tritium, 23 different cycling rates were measured and a global fit with a kinetic model was performed. The tritium concentrations ranged from 3% to 89%. The target densities varied between 0.3% and 150% of liquid hydrogen density (N0=4.25x1022s-1). For the first time measurements in frozen deuterium/tritium mixtures were performed. For the first time combined fits of cycling rates measured at different tritium concentrations and different target densities were performed. Different fits were done including and neglecting hyperfine effects in dtμ formation, respectively. Both assumptions are consistent with the experimental data but influence the values of q1s, of the deuterium-tritium transfer rate λdt and of the molecular formation rate on the D2 molecule from the F=0 hyperfine state of the tμ atom λ0(dtμ)d. The molecule formation rate λ0(dtμ)d has a value of about (480±60)x106s-1 at liquid density (fit including hyperfine effects) and shows a nonlinear density dependence. The cycling rates also show a dependence on the tritium concentration ct. The fit results yield a maximum at ct about 38% (for liquid density). Today's theory predicts different rates for molecular formation on D2 and DT molecules. The highest cycling rate Ac=Φλc=(185±13)x106s-1 measured so far was found in a non-equilibrated solid mixture at 40% tritium concentration. This corresponds to a fusion yield of (118±8) fusions per muon. The influence of 'hot' (non-thermalized) components on the cycling rates was tested by use of an extended kinetic model including a 'hot' tμ state