Re: Proton-Proton Fusion- the easy way


What about helium fusion? This is probably a silly idea - I know it requires considerably higher temperatures - but as I understand it, He fusion involves only strong interactions, and one thing we can do is make fuel very hot for very short periods of time, at least. Is there any prospect of that working? I mean ever at all even in principle, not just in the near future?



The problem with helium fusion is that *three* nuclei have to react.
This is because the 8Be nucleus is unstable; its ground state decays
back to 2 4He nuclei with a halflife of 70 attoseconds.

For helium fusion to occur at a significant rate, the plasma has
to be sufficiently dense that the 8Be nucleus can react with another
4He nucleus before it falls apart.  This only happens in the very
dense cores of old stars.

	Paul
.

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