Plasma-Induced Electron Screening at the Bragg Peak

Over 36 years of laboratory astrophysics experiments employing accelerated hydrogen isotope beams have demonstrated the role of electron screened, enhanced nuclear reactions. The astrophysical role of weak and strong electron screening was first discussed by Saltpeter [1] in 1954 and later by Hagino and Balantekin [2] in 2002. Assenbaum, et al. [3], Czerski, et al. [4], and Schenkel, et al., [5] have used accelerated deuteron beams on various metal targets and observed increased fusion rates over the expected Astrophysical, S(E), and Gamow Factors for bare deuteron-deuteron fusion rates. The Pines calculated both electron screened direct and asymptotic enhancement factors, f(E) [6]. Arguably, electron screening makes LENR possible.