From: henry@spsystems.net   
      
   In article <45022fc8.0403311409.5450ccd2@posting.google.com>,   
   Iain McClatchie  wrote:   
   >It sounds like fusion in the Sun is rate limited by the production of   
   >deuterium...   
      
   Quite so.  The other reactions in the proton-proton chain are not exactly   
   speed demons either -- if memory serves, the average time to add a proton   
   to deuterium to make He3 is seconds, and then the time for two He3's to   
   fuse to make He4 and two protons is thousands of years -- but production   
   of deuterium is definitely the rate-limiting step.   
      
   >I suppose we don't know much about the rate vs (temperature, density)   
   >curve for the H+H->D reaction if it's so slow.   
      
   My understanding is that we have no experimental data at all, but the   
   theoreticians could probably venture a guess.  I don't know what it would   
   be, though.   
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   MOST launched 30 June; science observations running     |   Henry Spencer   
   since Oct; first surprises seen; papers pending.        | henry@spsystems.net   
      
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