CFRL English News No.9 (February 10, 2000)

　Cold Fusion Research Laboratory Prof. Hideo Kozima

This is CFRL News (in English) No.9 translated from Japanese version published for friend researchers of Cold Fusion Research Laboratory directed by Dr. H. Kozima.

In this issue, there are following items.

1) Abstract of my paper to be published in Fusion Technol.,

2) The paper to be published in Il Nuovo Cimento and the Editorial Principle of EPJ,

3) About CF Session of APS Meeting on March, 2000,

4) On Magnetic Trapping of Neutrons appeared in Nature,

5) On Science (an essay).

1) Following paper introduced in the former News (No.4) accepted by Fusion Technol. will be published in its Vol.37, No.5:

H. Kozima, “Neutron Drop; Condensation of Neutrons in Metal Hydrides and Deuterides”

Abstract

The possible formation of the neutron drop n_{A-Z}p_{Z} composed of N_{n} = A−Z neutrons and N_{p} = Z protons in metal hydrides and deuterides is discussed on the basis of experimental facts using the evaporation model of the decay of the compound nucleus. Exotic nuclei and the neutron drop will be formed at a region with a high neutron density in crystals including hydrogen isotopes. Successful explanation of the anomalous nuclear reaction phenomenon in solids by models assuming neutrons in a solid lattice is legitimated.

In this paper, possible formation of the neutron drop composed of many neutrons and few protons at a region where is huge density of neutrons due to local coherence of neutron Bloch waves reflected by a crystal boundary as discussed in the previous paper (Fusion Technol. 36, 337 (1999)). The polyneutron used in the explanation of mass spectrum of elements generated in NT_{F} by J.C. Fisher using liquid-drop model of nucleus should be replaced more reasonable neutron drop suggested its existence in this paper.

2) The paper announced in the former News (No.7, (1)) had been published (I believe) in Il Nuovo Cimento, Vol. 112A (1999):

H. Kozima, M. Ohta, M. Fujii, K. Arai, H. Kudoh and K. Kaki, “Analysis of Energy Spectrum of Neutrons in Cold Fusion Experiments on the TNCF Model”

It is announced that the Journal Il Nuovo Cimento Published by Italian Physical Society will be merged with European Physical Journal (EPJ) from the year 2000. And The Editorial Board of EPJ decided to exclude Cold Fusion from its repertory as expressed in the following letter from a member of the Board.

“I have received your paper mentioned above which you submitted originally to Il Nuovo Cimento and was subsequently with your consent directed to The European Physical Journal A.

Up to now the Editors of EPJA have never considered the topic of Cold Fusion for their journal. We have discussed whether after the merger with Il Nuovo Cimento this policy should be changed.

However, we have decided that we do not want to enlarge the scope of our journal by this topic. Therefore, I have, to my great regret, to tell you that we cannot further consider your paper for publication.”

It is really regrettable to lose the traditional name Il Nuovo Cimento (The New Trial) from scientific world. The reconfirmed policy to exclude CF from EPJ is similar to that of Nature since 1990 after exciting printing of CF news for several months from 1989. These policy seems leaving a frontier of science out of its editorial repertory and anti-scientific in a sense. Considerations related with this will be given in the item 5) of this issue.

3) The Internet circle Vortex by R. Murray reported a Session “Palladium/Deuteron” at March Meeting of American Physical Society (APS) as follows:

“1. At the American Physical Society March meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, scheduled for 20-24 March, there will be a session, titled, "Palladium/Deuteron."

The session (#C32) will be held on 20 March, beginning at 14:30, in room 213A of the Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis MN.

2. Abstracts for the session may be viewed on-line:

http://www.aps.org/meet/MAR00/baps/tocC.html#SC32.001

3. Information about the meeting is available on-line:

http://www.aps.org/meet/MAR00/”

Authors of 12 papers to be presented at the Meeting is as follows; S. Chubb and T. Chubb; R.S. Stringham; E.F. Mallove; M. H. Miles; K.P. Sinha; T. Chubb and S. Chubb; P. Hagelstein; T.N. Claytor; D.G. Tuggle; J. Thompson; M. C. H. McKubre, F. L. Tanzella and P. Tripodi; and E. K. Storms. The contents will be seen in the above Web-site.

As we know, R. Murray has endeavored to check CF phenomenon as rigorously as possible through discussion in the Vortex and made definite success. His comment on the Meeting is as follows:

“Jan 6 1999, Hello all,

Here are ten abstracts, indicating that the "undead", as Bart Simon termed it two years ago, field of cold fusion is yet once again, apparently unkillable, lurching up from the proper grave lot assigned by skeptics for these ten years, going on eleven. Notice that the eminent theorist Peter Hagelstein is joining with the McKubre team, while notably missing are direct references to the names Case or Arata or Mills, and a new player, K. P. Sinha, offers his "Lochon" theory, while Claytor at Los Alamos reports on his results for tritium from deuterium glow discharges on Pd, to my mind the least debunked of all CF claims. It seems that a proper scientific process is continuing to examine evidence and scrutinize theories. I will be happy to distribute any reports sent to me in email form.

Regards, Rich Murray”

4) Dr. Peter Glueck in Romania noticed me an article on the neutron trapping appeared in a recent issue of Nature. Through the Web site <www.nature.com> taught by him, I could read the following paper by free subscription:

P.R. Huffman, et al. “Magnetic trapping of neutrons” Nature 403, No. 6765 p. 062-064 (06-Jan-2000)

Abstract

“Accurate measurement of the lifetime of the neutron (which id unstable to beta decay) is important for understanding the weak nuclear force and the creation of matter during the Big Bang. Previous measurements of the neutron lifetime have mainly been limited by certain systematic errors; however, these could in principle be avoided by performing measurements on neutrons stored in a magnetic trap. Neutral-particle and charged-particle traps are widely used for studying both composite and elementary particles, because they allow long interaction times and isolation of particles from perturbing environments. Here we report the magnetic trapping of neutrons. The trapping region is filled with superfluid He-4, which is used to load neutrons into the trap and as a scintillator to detect their decay. Neutrons in the trap have a lifetime of 750+330-200 seconds, mainly limited by their beta decay rather than trap losses. Our experiment verifies theoretical predictions regarding the loading process and magnetic trapping of neutrons. Further refinement of this method should lead to improved precision in the neutron lifetime measurement.”

In this paper, the principle of magnetic trapping of particles with a magnetic moment is applied to ultra-cold neutrons with energies down to 1 mK to measure lifetime of neutrons. The tentative value of the life time reported in this paper is 750 + 330 - 200 s compared with the most reliable value 885.7 ±1.9 s obtained by now. This is a little small compared with the value we have used but the difference has nothing with our result of analysis.

We have investigated CFP for more than seven years assuming existence of thermal neutrons in substances used in the experiments. Many people including Dr. P. Glueck of Romania, Mr. N. Yabuuchi of HSRL, Dr. T. Ebisawa of Kyoto University, Dr. K. Komura of Kanazawa University have helped me giving new information about behavior of neutrons explored in these ten years which made the TNCF model proposed by me profound and productive. The neutron discovered in 1932 has been investigated slowly and steadily but there remain many features of neutron behavior waiting to be discovered by new techniques including CFP. Especially important will be behavior of thermal neutrons in solids with coincidence of their de Broglie wavelength and lattice constants.

Dr. P. Glueck has retired from Institute for Isotope and Molecular Technology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania last year and is working as a consultant for some companies.

5) An essay on Science (Hideo Kozima)

It was ironically cited a sentence of a physicist in US (R. Park?) in Editorial of a Journal: ”But ideas that once seemed as outlandish as cold fusion, gravity modification, or beanstalk tethers have outlived their detractors before” (Italicized by H.K.)

There was also a referee of Physical Society of Japan who confused CF with UFO, occultism and supernatural phenomenon.

These opinions widely prevailing in conventional scientists, especially in physicists, have their cause partly in some theoretical tendency in CF community neglecting minimum axioms in modern science already stated in the preceding News No.8, Item (4). The fact, however, does not depend on neither neglects of principles in physics by some of CF researchers nor denial of its existence by critics on the basis of existing principles. The principles we know are essence of scientific facts confirmed by now. They do not exclude new facts, which may limit their applicability or may expand their realm by adding new entities or conditions not noticed before. In this case, it is also said ”E pur si muove” (Galileo Galilei), i.e. “But however it moves”.

In the process when the modern science has grown up from complex experiences and knowledge of mankind, boundary region (not necessarily a narrow line but broad belt with curved shape and varying character) between science and non-science has been extending out. Scientists have worked in this boundary region with motivation conditioned by their historical situation. In one side, there are always scientists self-contented in their juubakos (established frameworks inside the boundary) who deny existence of world outside. On another side, there are amateurs who do not care existence of juubakos in their work to treat new facts. Scientists in the boundary region are attacked from both sides; from one side, they look like belonging to another, and vice versa.

There is also misunderstanding about the nature of the model; theory and model are two working hypotheses to treat new facts even if the boundary has a finite width destined to any classification. They are easily confused because the boundary is sometimes ambiguous where it starts and where it ends. It should be remembered clearly characters of the theory and the model. Theory is a logical extension from principles established on the facts accepted by majority of scientists. Model, on the other hand, is a system of logic based on a priori premises assumed to explain new facts without sound bases on the principles.

　I have noticed already in my book “Discovery” the time lag between J. Watt’s patent for practical steam engine and formulation of the second law of thermodynamics. There are 80 years between the two events. I guess there have been many “scientists” who used to ignore the work of steam engine on one side and many “inventors” who tried to make perpetuum mobile, or perpetual motion on the other. And in between few endeavored to investigate “science of heat and work” and finally established thermodynamics.