Physics of Strongly Coupled Plasmas. 3. Nuclear Fusion in Dense Plasmas.

Abstract

Rates of pycnonuclear reactions in ultradense fluids and solids and the associated enhancement factors are evaluated by taking account of recent progress in quantum-statistical formulations of the equations of state and phase transitions in dense matter. On the basis of these theoretical developments, we explore outstanding issues on nuclear reactions in dense astrophysical and terrestrial plasmas, and thereby propose a novel scheme of fusion studies in dense liquid-metallic proton-deuteron mixtures, coupled with renovated experiments in ultrahigh-pressure metal physics.