Experimental Signatures of a New Channel of the Deuteron-Deuteron Reaction at Very Low Energy

The discovery of a new, <a:math xmlns:a="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><a:mrow><a:msup><a:mrow><a:mi>e</a:mi></a:mrow><a:mrow><a:mo>+</a:mo></a:mrow></a:msup><a:msup><a:mrow><a:mi>e</a:mi></a:mrow><a:mrow><a:mo>−</a:mo></a:mrow></a:msup></a:mrow></a:math> reaction channel in deuteron-deuteron (DD) fusion at very low energies might have major implications for understanding primordial and stellar nucleosynthesis, where electron-positron reaction channels are typically not considered. It could also enable research on metal hydride fusion, potentially paving the way for the design and construction of next-generation fusion energy sources. Following the first experimental indications of electron emission, we present here an extensive experimental study confirming emission of high-energy electrons from DD reaction at very low energy. A simultaneous use of Si charged particle detectors of different thicknesses and large-volume NaI(Tl) and HPGe detectors has allowed the determination of the branching ratios between emitted protons, neutrons, and <c:math xmlns:c="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><c:msup><c:mi>e</c:mi><c:mo>+</c:mo></c:msup><c:msup><c:mi>e</c:mi><c:mo>−</c:mo></c:msup></c:math> pairs for deuteron energies down to 5 keV. The high-energy positrons could be unambiguously detected by their bremsstrahlung spectra and annihilation radiation, supported by the eant4 Monte Carlo simulations. The theoretical calculations, based on a destructive interference between the threshold resonance and the known broad resonance in <e:math xmlns:e="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><e:mrow><e:mmultiscripts><e:mrow><e:mi>He</e:mi></e:mrow><e:mprescripts/><e:none/><e:mrow><e:mn>4</e:mn></e:mrow></e:mmultiscripts></e:mrow></e:math>, agree very well with experimentally observed increase of branching ratios for lowering projectile energies. The partial width of the threshold resonance for the internal <g:math xmlns:g="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><g:msup><g:mi>e</g:mi><g:mo>+</g:mo></g:msup><g:msup><g:mi>e</g:mi><g:mo>−</g:mo></g:msup></g:math> pair creation should be at least 10 times larger than that of the proton channel.