Perhaps someone here can shed light on the frequently seen ~900 Mega eV putative activation energy requirement to overcome the coulomb barrier, for d+d and the like (P+p, p+D, D+D and p+p). It does not take much Web searching to show that this level in no way truly reflects the actual barrier, even in an extremely energetic plasma. Such a high "activation energy" would make hot fusion, cold fusion and even thermonuclear weapons inherently unworkable.
Is the 900 MeV perhaps a large typographical error? Could the barrier actually be 900 kilo eV, or even less?
My own "back of an envelope" calculation shows, with perhaps unjustifiable oversimplifications, that the putative temperature at which D+D [or more correctly in a plasma, d+d], overcomes coulombic repulsion is at 400 million Kelvin. Since one degree K is 8.62 X 10e -5 eV, I get an equivalent energy of 34.5 keV. Such a number, or even one as large as 900 keV, would make chemically catalyzed fusion, and all other forms of fusion, far more reasonable to contemplate-- For example, at 900 keV, the uncatalyzed activation "cost" would be around 5% of the yield. Uncatalyzed COPs of 20 then become reasonable. Catalysis could lower the "barrier" greatly... then immense COPs become theoretically possible, since the activation "cost" may well be nearly completely eliminated.
Looking more closely, I see that the situation may well be even more favorable. That is at 34.5 keV, the activation "cost", even without catalysis, is but 0.15 % of the final 24 MeV yield.
It makes me wonder why someone repeatedly placed the ridiculously high 930 MeV coulomb barrier in the public, web based, discourse. Is this an example of "innumeracy" in the skeptic community? -- or is it a deliberate obfuscation?
Thanks in advance for any informed answer, correction or learned speculation. [Please feel free to cross post this to other online venues.]
Longview