The possibility of measuring the DD-fusion cross section at {approx}0.2 keV

The study of interactions between nuclei at ultralow energies (T {approx} 1 keV) is of considerable importance, for example, for plasma physics and astrophysics. However, experiments at such energies involve serious difficulties. In this energy range, accelerators cannot be used to obtain particle beams of intensity sufficient for measuring interaction cross sections, such as cross sections for hydrogen isotopes on the order of 10{sup -32} cm{sup 2}. The cross sections for DD fusion are available at energies above 6 keV. Anomalously high values of the cross section ({approx}10{sup -32} cm{sup 2}, which is many orders of magnitude larger than the theoretical values) were obtained in a recent experiment devoted to the measurement of the DD-fusion cross section at energies of about 100 eV. 9 refs.