I got my PhD in the engineering of nuclear fusion reactors (Princeton 1982). The most common version of these reactors use magnetic confinement. Here, two rare isotopes of hydrogen are held in a magnetic bottle at 100 million °C (10 KeV). They react at this temperature to produce helium, useful energy, and a neutron. The reason for the magnetic bottle and high temperature is the large repulsion between the hydrogen atoms.
A customer of ours has been building a different type of fusion reactor, without the need for high temperatures or a magnetic bottle. They do this by replacing a few electrons in the hydrogen with muons — particles that are like electrons, but about 207 times heavier. Fusion is quickly catalyzed at more normal temperatures, (described elsewhere). The muons recirculate to catalyze again until trapped by an impurity atom, often the product, helium.
Our company just shipped a specially made, hydrogen purifier, helium remover, tailored to this process. Lots of impurity removal is needed since muons are expensive. Also important is avoiding radioactive tritium leakage. We wish them all success, and wish success to our other fusion customers as well.
Robert Buxbaum, September 29, 2025
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