In one minute

Forsley and DeChiaro review electron screening and set out its astrophysical and terrestrial implications. They report that it occurs at high electron densities that are Fermi degenerate, and is not applicable to tokamaks. Screening works below 10 keV of kinetic energy and increases nuclear reaction rates by potentially 20 orders of magnitude. Using a beryllium model system placed within a fullerene, interstitial palladium and a diamond anvil, they argue that a chemical environment interacts with a nucleus. They conclude that modelling allows optimum materials and conditions to be determined and helps guide theory, modelling and experiment through feedback.

Electron Screened and Enhanced Nuclear Reactions