Enhancement of Thermonuclear Reaction Rate due to Strong Screening

N. Itoh, H. Totsuji, S. Ichimaru, H.E. DeWitt
1981 Symposium - International astronomical union  
The enhancement factor for the rate of thermonuclear reactions which involve two kinds of nuclei with charges Ziand Zjin the strong-screening regime is given for general cases of surrounding nuclear plasmas by the formula, exp[1.25Γij−0.095τij(3Γij/τij)2]. Here, Γij= 2ZiZje2/(ai+aj)T; ai= [3Zi/4πΣkZknk]1/3; τij= [(27π2/4)(2μijZi2Zj2e4Th2)]1/3; μijis the reduced mass for the two reacting nuclei Ziand Zj; and nkis the number density of nuclei Zk. The calculation is based on the recent results of
more » ... onte Carlo computations for binary ion mixtures, which have shown that the screening functions hij(r) at intermediate distances [0.5 ≤ r/[(ai+aj)/2] ≤ 1.6] can be expressed to a good degree of accuracy byApplication to the calculation of carbon ignition in the carbon-oxygen core of a highly evolved star is discussed. The carbon ignition temperature is found to be single-valued as a function of the density in contrast to the work of Graboske.
doi:10.1017/s007418090007412x fatcat:cuxbm5ryxvfdlho4lbafvlavae