Will seeding nuclear fuel with (low speed) neutrons increase the efficiency of fusion reactors?

v. 3 n. 18

It seems that we have been on the cusp of virtually free clean energy with nuclear fusion for decades, and only a small increase in reaction efficiency would push fusion into high gear.

Technological aspects aside, in the cover image of a common fusion reaction the black units represent protons and the white, neutrons. In the conventional reaction at the top of the illustration the fuel on the left side of the equation is two isotopes of Hydrogen, deuterium and tritium respectively; the products on the right are Helium, an energetic neutron from one of the fuel constituents and usable energy.

This reaction occurs because the mass of the products on the right is less than the mass of the fuel constituents on the left. The mass difference is converted to the usable energy according to E=mc^2, a controlled nuclear reaction.

The input energy implied on the left is used to overcome the electrostatic repulsive effect of the constituent protons and is non-nuclear, and wasted energy. Ordinary Hydrogen, without the bound neutrons would waste even more energy. The bound neutrons tend to reduce the independence of the constituents making them more amenable to fusion.

Proposed seeding with low speed neutrons. Adding isolated low speed neutrons to the fuel mix of Hydrogen isotopes (ions) is equivalent to adding energetic neutrons, because while the isotopes are accelerated due to their positive charge in the reactor field, the neutron seeds are dragged along but lag behind because of neutral charge. There should be a high relative velocity between the ions and seeds, which should tend to destabilize the ions by their contact with the seeds at high relative velocity, even though they might not necessarily formally bind to the ions -- possibly acting as a catalyst, facilitating but not taking part in the fusion reaction. (Recall, more neutrons tend to reduce the independence of the separate fuel ions making them more amenable to fusion.)

Also, at high relative speeds time would slow down for the ion/seed combination, tending to stabilize the neutrons in this environment regarding the tendency for isolated neutrons to decay into electrons, protons and antineutrinos. In any case, fresh neutron seeds would be added to fresh ion fuel in a continuous operation. And the added friction between ions and seeds, and any seed neutron decay, could increase the temperature and pressure of the reaction, increasing efficiency in these regards as well. If efficiency is increased enough it might then be possible to use deuterium fuel exclusively to ensure a steady low cost fuel supply.

Neutron star image credit: https://www.google.com/search?q=neutron+star&hl=en&authuser=0&tbm=isch&sxsrf=ALiCzsZVJ6vgrdv92jaiwCmals96DRk03g%3A1672441397695&source=hp&biw=948&bih=920&ei=NW6vY5DaJ8jLytMP5Y-Y8A8&iflsig=AJiK0e8AAAAAY698RYVDn7vBy4NP2Siv-XEv7quvk084&oq=neut&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQARgAMgQIIxAnMgQIIxAnMggIABCABBCxAzILCAAQgAQQsQMQgwEyBQgAEIAEMgUIABCABDIFCAAQgAQyBQgAEIAEMggIABCABBCxAzIICAAQgAQQsQM6BwgjEOoCECc6CAgAELEDEIMBOgQIABADUABYolVgh3JoAXAAeACAAVuIAZQCkgEBNZgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nsAEK&sclient=img#imgrc=fMA44Fubz7DRCM