Modified Debye-Huckel Electron Shielding and Penetration Factor

TL;DR

This paper derives a modified screened potential considering non-standard electron cloud distributions affecting nuclear fusion in astrophysical plasmas, providing tools to evaluate penetration probabilities across energies.

Contribution

It introduces a new form of the screened potential accounting for depleted electron cloud tails, derived from statistical mechanics and Bernoulli equation solutions.

Findings

Modified potential applicable to astrophysical plasma conditions

Provides plots and tables for penetration probability evaluation

Addresses effects of non-standard electron distributions on fusion screening

Abstract

Screened potential, modified by non standard electron cloud distributions responsible for the shielding effect on fusion of reacting nuclei in astrophysical plasmas, is derived. The case of clouds with depleted tails in space coordinates is discussed. The modified screened potential is obtained both from statistical mechanics arguments based on fluctuations of the inverse of the Debye-Huckel radius and from the solution of a Bernoulli equation used in generalized statistical mechanics. Plots and tables useful in evaluating penetration probability at any energy are provided.