Electron Capture in a Fully Ionized Plasma

TL;DR

This paper investigates electron capture in fully ionized water plasmas, correcting previous models by applying proper Debye screening and rigorous wave function analysis, supporting quantum field theory predictions of nuclear transmutations in chemical batteries.

Contribution

It introduces corrected modeling of electron capture rates in plasmas by addressing limitations in prior approximations, validating quantum field theory predictions.

Findings

Debye screening length validity is clarified.

WKB approximation is replaced with Calogero inequalities.

Previous quantum field theory results are confirmed.

Abstract

Properties of fully ionized water plasmas are discussed including plasma charge density oscillations and the screening of the Coulomb law especially in the dilute classical Debye regime. A kinetic model with two charged particle scattering events determines the transition rate per unit time for electron capture by a nucleus with the resulting nuclear transmutations. Two corrections to the recent Maiani et al. calculations are made: (i) The Debye screening length is only employed within its proper domain of validity. (ii) The WKB approximation employed by Maiani in the long De Broglie wave length limit is evidently invalid. We replace this incorrect approximation with mathematically rigorous Calogero inequalities in order to discuss the scattering wave functions. Having made these corrections, we find a verification for our previous results based on condensed matter electro-weak quantum field theory for nuclear transmutations in chemical batteries.