Question

Calculate the height of the potential barrier for a head on collision of two deuterons. (Hint: The height of the potential barrier is given by the Coulomb repulsion between the two deuterons when they just touch each other. Assume that they can be taken as hard spheres of radius 2.0 fm.)

Answer 1

In the head on collision of two deuterons, the two nuclei come close up to a distance equal to the sum of their radii
∴r = 2 + 2 = 4fm = 4 × 10^-15m
The charge on a deuteron
e = charge on a proton = 1.6 x 10^-19c
∴ Potential energy of the deuterons during head-on collision,

∴ A deuteron will require a Kinetic energy of 360 keV to surmount the potential barrier.