# Fusion hindrance effects in laser-induced non-neutral plasmas

## TL;DR

This paper investigates how positive net charges in laser-induced plasmas affect nuclear fusion rates, revealing that fusion can be hindered or enhanced depending on plasma conditions and reaction types.

## Contribution

It introduces an analytical approach to evaluate screening potentials in charged plasmas, highlighting the impact on fusion rates at ultra-low energies.

## Key findings

- Fusion is hindered for thermal fuel nuclei reactions.
- Secondary and beam-target reactions may be enhanced.
- Small net charges can significantly alter fusion rates.

## Abstract

Inertial confinement fusion hotspots and cluster Coulomb explosion plasmas may develop a positive net electric charge. The Coulomb barrier penetrability and the rate of nuclear fusion reactions at ultra-low energies ($\lesssim 10$ keV) are altered by such an environment. These effects are here studied via the screening potential approach. Approximate analytical results are developed by evaluating the average screening potential for some scenarios of interest. It is found that fusion is hindered for reactions between thermal fuel nuclei, while an enhancement is expected for secondary and "beam-target" reactions. Depending on the plasma conditions, the variations can be relevant even for relatively small net charges (several % difference or more in the fusion rate for an average net charge per nucleus of $10^{-5}$ proton charges).