Proton-proton fusion in leading order of effective field theory Original Research Article

Using a recently developed effective field theory for the interactions of nucleons at non-relativistic energies, we calculate the rate for the fusion process p + p → d + e+ + νe to leading order in the momentum expansion. Coulomb effects are included non-perturbatively in a systematic way. The resulting rate is independent of specific models for the strong interactions at short distances and is in agreement with the standard result in the zero-range approximation.