  Employing the weak interaction reaction wherein a heavy electron is captured
by a proton to produce a neutron and a neutrino, the neutron production rate
for neutral hydrogen gases and for fully ionized plasmas is computed. Using the
Coulomb atomic bound state wave functions of a neutral hydrogen gas, our
production rate results are in agreement with recent estimates by Maiani {\it
et al}. Using Coulomb scattering state wave functions for the fully ionized
plasma, we find a substantially enhanced neutron production rate. The
scattering wave function should replace the bound state wave function for
estimates of the enhanced neutron production rate on water plasma drenched
cathodes of chemical cells.

High Energy Physics - Phenomenology