Coulomb tunneling for fusion reactions in dense matter: Path integral Monte Carlo versus mean field

Chugunov, A. I.; DeWitt, H. E.; Yakovlev, D. G.

Coulomb tunneling for fusion reactions in dense matter: Path integral Monte Carlo versus mean field

Authors

Chugunov, A. I.

DeWitt, H. E.

Yakovlev, D. G.

Description

We compare Path Integral Monte Carlo calculations by Militzer and Pollock (Phys. Rev. B 71, 134303, 2005) of Coulomb tunneling in nuclear reactions in dense matter to semiclassical calculations assuming WKB Coulomb barrier penetration through the radial mean-field potential. We find a very good agreement of two approaches at temperatures higher than ~1/5 of the ion plasma temperature. We obtain a simple parameterization of the mean field potential and of the respective reaction rates. We analyze Gamow-peak energies of reacting ions in various reaction regimes and discuss theoretical uncertainties of nuclear reaction rates taking carbon burning in dense stellar matter as an example.
13 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. D