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arXiv · 1501.05906

The role of correlation entropy in nuclear fusion in liquid lithium, indium and mercury

M. Coraddu·M. Lissia·P. Quarati·A. M. Scarfone
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Abstract

Nuclear fusion cross-sections considerably higher than corresponding theoretical predictions are observed in low-energy experiments with metal matrix targets and accelerated deuteron beams. The cross-section increment is significantly higher for liquid than for solid targets. We propose that the same two-body correlation entropy used in evaluating the metal melting entropy explains the large liquid-solid difference of the effective screening potential that parameterizes the cross-section increment. This approach is applied to the specific case of the $^6$Li(d,$α$)$^4$He reaction, whose measured screening potential liquid-solid difference is $(235 \pm 63)$ eV. Cross sections in the two metals with the highest two-body correlation entropy (In and Hg) have not yet been measured: increments of the cross sections in liquid relative to the ones in solid metals are estimated with the same procedure.

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M. Coraddu, M. Lissia, P. Quarati, A. M. Scarfone. 2015-01-19. The role of correlation entropy in nuclear fusion in liquid lithium, indium and mercury. https://doi.org/10.1088/0954-3899%2F41%2F12%2F125105

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