Metastability of electron-nuclear astrophysical plasmas: motivations, signals and conditions (Q863249)

Physical motivations indicating that the electron-nuclear plasma of the stellar core (like the solar core) is not in a global thermodynamic equilibrium but satisfies the conditions of a metastable state are described. Therefore, the authors start with the introduction of the generalized nonextensive reaction rate, which is then widely used in the work because it is directly related to experimental measurements of the atomic and nuclear astrophysical phenomena discussed. Through the particle distribution function, the reaction rate is also related to the environment, in its complexity, where reactions take place. Further, motivations are reported for the use of stationary distributions in astrophysics differing from the Maxwellian one. Many open astrophysical problems are discussed (Jupiter's energy production, lithium abundance, atomic radiative processes in electron-nuclear plasmas, resonant nuclear reactions, neutrino fluxes: the case of hep) and it is shown that they might be solved assuming that the systems may be described by generalized nonextensive statistical distributions. Conditions of metastability of electron-nuclear astrophysical plasmas are discussed.