Strongly Enhanced Li + D Reaction in Pd Observed in Deuteron Bombardment on PdLi_x with Energies between 30 and 75 keV

Abstract

Thick target yields of α particles emitted in the ^6,7Li(d,α)^4,5He reactions in PdLi_x and AuLi_x were measured as a function of the bombarding energy between 30 and 75 keV. It was found that the reaction rate in Pd at lower energies is enhanced strongly over the one predicted by the cross section for the reaction with bare nuclei, but no enhancement is observed in Au. A screening energy is introduced to reproduce the excitation function of the thick target yield for each metal. The deduced value for Pd amounts to 1500±310 eV, whereas it is only 60±150 eV for Au. The enhancement in the Pd case cannot be explained by electron screening alone but suggests the existence of an additional and important mechanism of screening in metal.