Nuclear fusion in a dense plasma

TL;DR

This paper revises nuclear fusion rate calculations in dense plasmas, especially when energy release is comparable to plasma energies, revealing potential inaccuracies in conventional models and proposing a new theoretical framework.

Contribution

It introduces a new approach to calculate finite Q corrections in fusion rates, addressing limitations of standard theories in strongly coupled dense plasmas.

Findings

Conventional fusion rate models may be significantly inaccurate at high densities.

A new theoretical basis for finite Q corrections is proposed.

groundwork for path integral calculations of these effects is established.

Abstract

The standard theory of nuclear fusion rates in a strongly interacting plasma can be (correctly) derived only when the energy release, Q, is large compared to other energies in the problem. We exhibit a result for rates that provides a basis for calculating the finite Q corrections. Crude estimates indicate a significant defect in the conventional results for some regions of high density and strong plasma coupling. We also lay some groundwork for a path integral calculation of the new effects.