When hydrogen molecules and charged atoms of deuterium collide, they’ll change a proton by way of a quantum course of referred to as tunnelling, however this solely occurs as soon as in 10 billion collisions.
Quantum tunnelling is an odd impact that permits particles like electrons to journey by way of obstacles in nano-sized units or protons to maneuver between molecules. The latter is essential for chemistry, the place a tunnelling proton can change the make-up of molecules even once they don’t have sufficient vitality for a traditional response that …
Source: www.newscientist.com