Constraints on energetic particles in the Fleischmann-Pons experiment

• Published in: Die Naturwissenschaften Vol. 97; no. 4; pp. 345 - 352
• Main Author: Hagelstein, Peter L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Berlin/Heidelberg : Springer-Verlag 01.04.2010; Springer-Verlag
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Deuterium; Environment; Helium; Kinetics; Life Sciences; Neutrons; Nuclear Reactors; Radiation Monitoring - methods; Radiation Protection - methods; Review; Thermodynamics; X-Rays; Fleischmann–Pons effect
• ISSN: 0028-1042; 1432-1904
• DOI: 10.1007/s00114-009-0644-4

In recent Fleischmann-Pons experiments carried out by different groups, a thermal signal is seen indicative of excess energy production of a magnitude much greater than can be accounted for by chemistry. Correlated with the excess heat appears to be ⁴He, with the associated energy near 24 MeV per helium atom. In nuclear reactions, the energy produced is expressed through the kinetic energy of the products; hence, it would be natural to assume that some of the reaction energy ends up as kinetic energy of the ⁴He nucleus. Depending on the energy that the helium nucleus is born with, it will result in radiation (such as neutrons or x-rays) that can be seen outside of the cell. We have computed estimates of the expected neutron and x-ray emission as a function of helium energy and compared the results with upper limits taken from experiments. Experimental results with upper limits of neutron emission between 0.008 and 0.8 n/J are found to correspond to upper limits in alpha energy between 6.2 and 20.2 keV.