  Tunneling of an harmonically bound two-body system through an external
Gaussian barrier is studied in a schematic model which allows for a better
understanding of intricate quantum phenomena. The role of finite size and
internal structure is investigated in a consistent treatment. The excitation of
internal degrees of freedom gives rise to a peaked structure in the penetration
factor. The model results indicate that for soft systems the adiabatic limit is
not necessarily reached although often assumed in fusion of nuclei and in
electron screening effects at astrophysical energies.
