Dust Theory Vol. 9: Gradient-Constrained Fusion: A Reconstruction of Nuclear Fusion Mechanism and Cold Fusion Engineering Path Based on Gradient-Relational Ontology (Gradient Cosmos Research Series)

Traditional nuclear fusion theory is based on the substantial particle model and potential barrier mechanism, relying on high temperature and pressure to overcome Coulomb repulsion to achieve fusion. Both magnetic confinement and inertial confinement routes face core bottlenecks of low energy gain, high system complexity, and great engineering difficulty. Meanwhile, cold fusion phenomena have long been questioned by mainstream academia due to the lack of a self-consistent theoretical explanation. Based on the gradient coupling principle of Gradient-Relational Ontology, this paper fundamentally reconstructs the microscopic mechanism of nuclear fusion: both the nuclear force and the Coulomb force are different manifestations of gradient coupling. The essence of nuclear fusion is not a collision process in which particle kinetic energy overcomes the potential barrier, but a spontaneous process in which paths are deeply coupled and condensed into a more stable structure after the gradient oscillation phases of nucleons are matched. The study demonstrates that by precisely regulating the gradient oscillation phase of nucleons, the Coulomb repulsion barrier can be offset at room temperature and pressure, realizing controllable cold fusion reactions without tens of millions of degrees of high temperature and strong magnetic field confinement. This paper further proposes the engineering paradigm of gradient-confined fusion, presents a four-layer functional architecture and two core technical routes, and proves that its energy gain, system complexity, and engineering cost are significantly superior to traditional fusion schemes. This study extends relational ontology to nuclear physics and energy engineering, providing a brand-new theoretical path and engineering scheme for the realization of controllable nuclear fusion.