Jetter and Post nuclear fusion cycles: new fire to an old idea

TL;DR

This paper revisits nuclear fusion cycles involving lithium-6 deuteride using modern reaction data, demonstrating potential for energy generation without plasma confinement.

Contribution

It provides updated calculations of Jetter and Post nuclear fusion cycles with modern cross-sections, assessing their viability for energy production.

Findings

Significant energy can be generated from these cycles.

Modern reaction data enhances the accuracy of cycle predictions.

Both ideal and realistic models show promising results.

Abstract

New calculations of the time evolution and isotopic composition for a network of nuclear reactions breathe new life into an old idea in nuclear fusion, burning solid room temperature lithium-6 deuteride ($^6$LiD) with neutrons. Modern-day compilations of nuclear cross-sections are nowadays available and we use them to predict the full course of networks of thermonuclear reactions, re-examining the Jetter (n+$^6$Li) and Post cycles (p+$^6$Li), that offer great prospects for energy production in devices not based on plasma confinement. We present ideal calculations, i.e. not including the energy loss due to the Stopping power, and more realistic calculations that include the Bethe-Bloch formula. We find that a significant amount of energy can, in principle, be generated.