Lepton-Catalyzed Nuclear Fusion: Vacuum Field Moderated Nuclear Fusion

Lepton-catalyzed nuclear fusion has been explored since the 1940s. Muons are 206 times heavier than an electron and can orbit closer to a hydrogen nucleus, leading to a lower coulombic potential barrier and increased quantum tunneling probabilities. S. E. Jones first proposed in 1986 the possibility of electron-catalyzed nuclear fusion. We propose that, through using cavities and metal deuterides, we can explore electron-catalyzed fusion. Previous experiments in our lab have shown that scoring metal deuterides with a knife leads to more observed fusion events. We claim this is a result of vacuum-field changes due to vertical cavities from the grooves. My research is focused on creating and testing the effects of horizontally oriented cavities on fusion rates. These cavities are made through thin film deposition techniques such as sputtering and physical vapor deposition. Using titanium bulk material as a base, depositing an insulating material, and then sputtering a layer of titanium creates the desired cavity. This is then deuterated and placed in a vacuum chamber surrounded by an array of detectors to observe fusion products.