Development of a model of a quasi-molecular state for low-temperature synthesis of nuclei and interpretation of the formation of chemical elements in the process of vacuum melting of a metal by an electron beam

Abstract

Earlier, a model of an intermediate quasimolecular state (IQS) was proposed, aimed at finding an electronic configuration that would allow the approach of nuclei to a critical distance sufficient for the start of low-temperature nuclear fusion. Рairs of electrons (with zero spins) were located in the same circular orbit. The size of a pair of about 1F = 10−15 m is due to the contact interaction of electrons exceeding the Coulomb repulsion. It was shown that a critical approach is achieved even when the mass of a pair is equal to twice the mass of a free electron. The condition for localization of a pair on a hadron scale allows one to associate a pair with an energy of about 400 MeV. Therefore, in a realistic IQS model, pairing of no more than a fifth of the electrons is required. The observed synthesis of elements then obtains a completely natural explanation, which is close in essence to muon catalysis. The variants of synthesis when melting a metal with electron beams, or when exploding wires and foils when passing electric current pulses, are naturally considered in the scheme of binary reactions. Moreover, the synthesis is realized as an exothermic reaction and for the selection of the initial isotope with a charge number > 26 in the region of a monotonic decrease in the dependence of the specific binding energy on the mass number. Experiments on the melting of metals with one stable isotope are proposed. The results are discussed. © 2022 SPIE.