Yes Joe, and the term is used for the same reason. Nuclear decay,
which looks at the barrier from the inside instead of from the
outside, also does not fit the theory. Consequently additional
variables are added in the "tunneling" process. Normal decay and
conventional nuclear interaction are all high energy reactions. LENR
is a low energy reaction. Therefore, the tunneling concept does not
apply. Trying to use ideas based on a high energy process to describe
a low energy reaction is where the conceptual problem starts. LENR
takes very little energy to start and emits the energy is small
quanta. This process is in contrast to a "normal" nuclear reaction
that requires high energy to get started and results in high energy
products. Consequently, the tunneling concept is not useful.
Ed Storms
On May 3, 2013, at 10:25 AM, Joseph S. Barrera III wrote:
On 5/3/2013 8:56 AM, Edmund Storms wrote:
> We were discussing nuclear reactions. Tunneling is applied when a
reaction that should not be possible based on a theory is found to
actually occur at an unexpected rate.
I kind of understand. The confusing thing is that tunneling is
*already* used to compute the expected rate of nuclear decay.
- Joe
