Cold Nuclear Fusion in Dense Metallic Hydrogen
Abstract
Fusion rates for hydrogen isotopes in both liquid and solid metallic hydrogen are calculated as a function of temperature and density. For densities of 5-25 g/cu cm and temperatures below 20 eV the rate is greatly enhanced by both electron and ion screening. Deuterium burning could contribute noticeable heating to large planets/very small stars (brown dwarfs) at temperatures of only 10-15 eV. A more complicated mechanism, which somewhat enhances the deuterium fusion rate, could provide heating in Jupiter.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- January 1991
- DOI:
- 10.1086/169627
- Bibcode:
- 1991ApJ...367..288H
- Keywords:
-
- Brown Dwarf Stars;
- Hydrogen Isotopes;
- Metallic Hydrogen;
- Nuclear Astrophysics;
- Nuclear Fusion;
- Stellar Interiors;
- Electron Scattering;
- Ion Scattering;
- Liquid Hydrogen;
- Nuclear Reactions;
- Astrophysics;
- NUCLEAR REACTIONS;
- PLANETS: INTERIORS;
- STARS: BROWN DWARFS;
- STARS: INTERIORS