Each molecule of heavy water is composed of two deuterium atoms and one oxygen atom, symbolized by D₂O. Electrolysis of heavy water will collect oxygen gas at the anode and deuterium gas at the cathode. The collected deuterium gas can then be ionized to free the electrons. Collectively, these free electrons and deuteron nuclei with their independent mean free path (MFP) motions constitute the 4th state of matter called plasma. A deuteron is a positive ion with 1 unit of electric charge and a binding energy of 2.2 MeV. If this amount of energy is absorbed then the deuteron will be separated into 1 proton and 1 neutron, forming a single alpha particle, which is really the nucleus of Helium-4. It is a positive ion with 2 units of electric charge and a binding energy of 28.3 MeV. This nuclear process is the ideal reaction for cold fusion with energy output of 26.1 MeV: D+D→He+26.1 MeV. This value is the difference of the mass defect of the alpha particle and the mass defect of the deuteron multiplied by the square of light speed.

Although only 2 major mass defects are involved in this cold fusion reaction, in comparison, there are at the least 9 major MFPs: (1) MFP of liquid D₂O molecules, (2) MFP of deuterium gas, (3) MFP of deuteron nuclei, (4) MFP of electrons, (5) MFP of protons, (6) MFP of neutrons, (7) MFP of Helium-4 nuclei, (8 ) MFP of Helium-4 atoms, and (9) MFP of Helium-4 gases. Each MFP is inversely proportional to the product of the square of particle radius and particle density: µ1/R��. Each effective MFP varies at different stages of the reaction. Moreover, these changes are directly proportional to the changes in absolute temperature using the thermal origin of gravity. By units’ conversion, 26.1 MeV is approximately .00000000000024 calorie of heat energy. To sustain mega joules energy output there must be about 40×10 participants as the critical number for each species of deuteron nuclei, of protons, of neutrons, and of electrons in this cold fusion reaction. This critical number is about 6 billion times the total world population. Still, it is 10000 times less than Avogadro’s number for 1 mole of any substance.