The electron screening puzzle and nuclear clustering
Abstract
Accurate measurements of nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest within, or close to, the Gamow peak show evidence of an unexpected effect attributed to the presence of atomic electrons in the target. The experiments need to include an effective "screening" potential to explain the enhancement of the cross sections at the lowest measurable energies. Despite various theoretical studies conducted over the past 20 years and numerous experimental measurements, a theory has not yet been found that can explain the cause of the exceedingly high values of the screening potential needed to explain the data. Furthermore, in this letter we show that instead of an atomic physics solution of the "electron screening puzzle", the reason for the large screening potential values is in fact due to clusterization effects in nuclear reactions, in particular for reaction involving light nuclei.
- Authors:
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Texas A & M Univ., College Station, TX (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF); Italian Ministry of University MIUR
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1476950
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1262219
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FG02-08ER41533
- Resource Type:
- Journal Article: Published Article
- Journal Name:
- Physics Letters B
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Name: Physics Letters B Journal Volume: 755 Journal Issue: C; Journal ID: ISSN 0370-2693
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
- Country of Publication:
- Netherlands
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS; fusion reactions; dependence
Citation Formats
Spitaleri, C., Bertulani, C. A., Fortunato, L., and Vitturi, A. The electron screening puzzle and nuclear clustering. Netherlands: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2016.02.019.
Spitaleri, C., Bertulani, C. A., Fortunato, L., & Vitturi, A. The electron screening puzzle and nuclear clustering. Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2016.02.019
Spitaleri, C., Bertulani, C. A., Fortunato, L., and Vitturi, A. 2016.
"The electron screening puzzle and nuclear clustering". Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physletb.2016.02.019.
@article{osti_1476950,
title = {The electron screening puzzle and nuclear clustering},
author = {Spitaleri, C. and Bertulani, C. A. and Fortunato, L. and Vitturi, A.},
abstractNote = {Accurate measurements of nuclear reactions of astrophysical interest within, or close to, the Gamow peak show evidence of an unexpected effect attributed to the presence of atomic electrons in the target. The experiments need to include an effective "screening" potential to explain the enhancement of the cross sections at the lowest measurable energies. Despite various theoretical studies conducted over the past 20 years and numerous experimental measurements, a theory has not yet been found that can explain the cause of the exceedingly high values of the screening potential needed to explain the data. Furthermore, in this letter we show that instead of an atomic physics solution of the "electron screening puzzle", the reason for the large screening potential values is in fact due to clusterization effects in nuclear reactions, in particular for reaction involving light nuclei.},
doi = {10.1016/j.physletb.2016.02.019},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1476950},
journal = {Physics Letters B},
issn = {0370-2693},
number = C,
volume = 755,
place = {Netherlands},
year = {Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
Web of Science
Works referencing / citing this record:
Revisiting the cold case of cold fusion
journal, May 2019
- Berlinguette, Curtis P.; Chiang, Yet-Ming; Munday, Jeremy N.
- Nature, Vol. 570, Issue 7759
An overview of the scientific contribution of Andrea Vitturi to nuclear physics: Being an account of the recent TNP19 meeting held in Padova
journal, February 2020
- Fortunato, L.; Alonso, C. E.; Arias, J. M.
- The European Physical Journal A, Vol. 56, Issue 2