Goodness, what sort of worm-can have we opened here?
First, what...? Quantum tunneling?
FWIW, that topic comes up a lot over on the Fusor.net forums. A simple search of the site provides what appears to be at least 100 references:
https://bityl.co/Juiv
I never quite understood the role or quantum tunneling in fusion, so I asked ChatGTP to explain it:
In nuclear fusion, two atomic nuclei come together and merge to form a heavier nucleus. However, in order for this to happen, the nuclei must overcome the strong electrostatic repulsion between their positively charged protons. This requires a tremendous amount of energy, which is typically provided by high temperatures and pressures.
Quantum tunneling allows atomic nuclei to overcome this energy barrier by "tunneling" through it. According to quantum mechanics, particles can sometimes pass through energy barriers that would be classically impossible to penetrate. This is because particles can exist in a state of superposition, where they exist in multiple states simultaneously, and can tunnel through barriers by taking advantage of this property.
In the case of nuclear fusion, quantum tunneling allows atomic nuclei to overcome the repulsive electrostatic forces between them and merge together to form a heavier nucleus. This process is crucial for the production of energy in stars, and is also being studied as a potential source of clean energy on Earth.
That makes a bit of sense. It also offers a suggestion why the electrostatic Farnsworth Fusor would actually hold more promise than the monolithic magnetic machines like the $20-billion ITER beast they're building in France.
While we're on the subject of all things quantum...
At some point when I've got my Rabbit Hole Dive Suit on again, I'll have to dig into my correspondence with Morgan, who encouraged me at some point to pay attention to 'Quantum Entanglement.' Again, ChatGPT to the rescue:
Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon in which two or more particles become correlated in such a way that the state of one particle is dependent on the state of the other, even if they are separated by large distances. This means that measuring the state of one particle can instantaneously affect the state of the other particle, regardless of the distance between them. Quantum entanglement is a key feature of quantum information processing and has important implications for quantum cryptography and quantum computing.
In other words, what Einstein called "spooky action at a distance."
I've been thinking a lot about Quantum Mechanics, the history of its evolution and the quirky personalities that developed the various thirties in the first half of the 20th century.
Not sure what else to say at the moment.
It's curious that all this stuff is coming to the surface as we await the arrival of "Oppenheimer" at the bijou this week. I've already got my ticket.
--PS