In reply to Axil Axil's message of Fri, 13 May 2011 15:16:47 -0400: Hi, [snip] >[quote] Muon-catalyzed fusion is a process allowing nuclear fusion to take >place at temperatures significantly lower than the temperatures required for >thermonuclear fusion, even at room temperature or lower. A muon with a unit >negative charge can substitute for the single electron of a hydrogen atom. >The muon, 207 times more massive than the electron, effectively shields and >reduces the electromagnetic resistance between two nuclei and draws them >much closer into a covalent bond than an electron can. The effective radius >of the modified hydrogen is 207 times smaller than a normal hydrogen atom. >Because the nuclei are so close, the strong nuclear force is able to kick in >and bind both nuclei together.[/quote]
The range of the nuclear force is on the order of 10 fm. The radius of an ordinary Hydrogen atom in the ground state is approx. the Bohr radius, i.e. about 52000 fm. Divide this by 207 and you get about 250 fm (or about 25 times further than the reach of the nuclear force). So even in a muonic molecule fusion is still a result of tunneling. This reaction is only fast because the tunneling probability is insanely dependent upon separation distance. Regards, Robin van Spaandonk http://rvanspaa.freehostia.com/project.html
