Charles, I posted your point at Re: Questions for Miles Mathis about the Coulomb force, or proton-proton repulsion e.g., seemingly needing to vary, if protons intake and emit photons and if the emission varies as with temperature change.

My initial guess is that protons can intake only so many photons per second, so after a certain photon density is reached, which might correlate sometimes with temperature somewhat, the rate of emission remains the same thereafter, regardless of the density, except where the photon density is extreme, as in stellar interiors, where the protons may often dissolve and reform frequently. If I get time, I'll see if I can find anything Mathis may have already said on this subject.