CFRL English News No.13 (June 10, 2000)
Cold Fusion
Research Laboratory Prof. Hideo Kozima.
This is CFRL News (in English) No.13 translated from
Japanese version published for friend researchers of Cold Fusion Research
Laboratory directed by Dr. H. Kozima.
In this issue, there is following items.
1)
Report of ICCF8 (1), Brief Report and
2)
Abstracts of our papers presented at ICCF8 (for
readers not attended it). In the original Japanese version, there is a 3-pages
long essay, “A message on the Cold Fusion” (2) by Dr. T. Sawada, which is to be
translated by the author in near future and published in this news.
1) Report of ICCF8 (1).
The 8th International Conference
on the Cold Fusion (ICCF8) (Lerici, Italy May 21 - 26, 2000) has been held with
success. In the Conference, it was confirmed that the experimental data
obtained hitherto are reproduced with high qualitative reproducibility
researchers who have been working in this field for several years.
Theoretically, several models including the TNCF model have been presented and
explained in detail and become common property of the research community.
In this issue, it is
explained only abstract of the Conference and details will be reported in the
following issues published next and following months.
There have been presented
26 oral presentations (35 minutes presentations- 20, 20 minutes- 6) and 50
poster presentations. Many experimental works have shown confirmation of their
former results with higher credibility and qualitative reproducibility. In the
theoretical part, the oral presentation of the TNCF model contributed most to
make clear realization of the present status of CF research, from my point of
view.
Miley et al. obtained a
similar result in planar multi-layer films to PPC widely investigated several
years ago. McKubre et al obtained He-4 in proportion with heat in the Case cell
and also in the Arata cell. Miles and Fleischmann explained details of
calorimetric techniques and Miles demanded recognition of his positive result
obtained in NHE lab in Sapporo in 1998(?).
Hagelstein, P. declared
his success to obtain the probability of d-d fusion reaction in solids assisted
by phonons using second order perturbation calculation in accordance with the
experimental result obtained by McKubre et al. In my opinion, however, his
calculation has shown only existence of a channel of d-d fusion reactions and
not its reality in solids at room temperature. It is necessary to show relative
probability to other channels and also the effects of higher order terms. If
his result is correct, this is a very important work in physics showing an
inverse-dissipation process in solids with high-density deuterons. Details of
this problem will be discussed in forthcoming issues.
On the last day of the
Conference, several people selected regionally have presented Concluding
remarks.
Next Conference, ICCF9,
will be held in Beijing two years later in May of 2002.
2) Abstract of our three papers presented at ICCF8. (For readers not
attended to ICCF8)
(1) NUCLEAR TRANSMUTATION IN SOLIDS EXPLAINED BY TNCF MODEL
Hideo Kozima, Masayuki Ohta, Kunihito Arai, Mitsutaka Fujii, Hitoshi Kudoh and Koki Yoshimoto
<Abstract>
The TNCF (Trapped
Neutron Catalyzed Fusion) model for the cold fusion phenomenon (CFP) has been
recognized very useful as a model with a single adjustable parameter nn and with several premises
common for different materials to explain various events in the CFP.
In this paper, we
will give a self-consistent explanation of the nuclear transmutation (NT)
observed in thin films and surface layers by the TNCF model. Phenomenological
investigation of the real meaning of the parameter n_{n} of the
model is given.
With the TNCF
model, we can explain such phases of the NT as its localization and its species
explained by decays (NT_{D}) and fissions (NT_{F}) of new
isotopes of elements formed from elements in the original system by absorption
of a neutron(s).
The nuclear
transmutation in solids has been observed in CF experiments from around 1994 by
R.T. Bush et al., I. Savvatimova et al., M. Okamoto et al. and others in its NTD
form and from 1995 by J.O'M. Bockris et al., T. Mizuno et al., T. Ohmori et
al., R. Notoya et al., G. Miley et al. and others in its NT_{D} form.
The former (NT_{D})
had been explained by such reactions as (nu for Greek nu)
n + ^{23}Na = ^{24}Na = ^{24}Mg + e + nu_{e},
n + ^{27}Al = ^{28}Al = ^{28}Si + e + nu_{e},
n + ^{39}K = ^{40}K = ^{40}Ca + e + nu_{e},
n + ^{85}Rb = ^{86}Rb = ^{86}Sr + e + nu_{e},
n + ^{106}Pd = ^{107}Pd = ^{107}Ag + e + nu_{e},
n + ^{196}Pt = ^{197}Pt = ^{197}Au + e + nu_{e},
n + ^{16}O = ^{17}O = ^{13}C + ^{4}He.
In these cases, the experimental data suggest drastic shortening of
decay times of the compound nuclei formed by absorption of a neutron.
The latter (NT_{F}),
on the other hand, has been explained by such reactions as (A’’ = A - A’ + 1):
n + ^{A} Pd = ^{A+1}Pd*,
=
^{A’}Al + ^{A”}As,
=
^{A’}Cu + ^{A”}Cl,
=
^{A’}Ni + ^{A”}Ar,
=
^{A’}Fe + ^{A”}Ca,
= ^{A’}Cr + ^{A”}Ti,
= ^{A’}Zn
+ ^{A”}S,
=
^{A’}Ru + ^{A”}He,
n + ^{A}Cr = ^{A+1}Cr*,
= ^{A-3}Ti + ^{4}He,
In theses cases, the experimental data suggest drastic lowering of the
threshold energy of the fission reactions of nuclei formed by absorption of a
neutron. It was also necessary to consider simultaneous absorption of several
neutrons by a nucleus to explain the mass spectrum of the NT_F products
as a whole.
The real meaning of
the trapped neutron and its density n_{n}
should be elucidated from the first principles of physics and a
trial toward this goal is given in another paper presented at this Conference.
(2) THE COLD FUSION PHENOMENON AND PHYSICS OF NEUTRONS IN SOLIDS
Hideo. Kozima
<Abstract>
The cold fusion phenomenon (CFP) recognized clearly in 1989 has evolved
into a big science including several principal events from the excess heat
production and tritium, helium-4, gamma ray and neutron generations sought
initially in this field to nuclear transmutation confirmed in these several
years. Assuming a common cause for these events with wide variety, we proposed
a model (the TNCF model) with an adjustable parameter n_{n} based on an assumption of existence of thermal
neutrons in appropriate solids and gave a systematic and consistent
semi-quantitative explanation of the whole events in the CFP.
In this paper, we
investigate physics of neutrons in solids using quantum mechanics on one hand
and experimental facts revealed in the CFP on the other. Such concepts as the
trapped neutron, the energy band of a neutron in solids, neutron affinity of
elements in solids, local coherence of neutron Bloch waves at crystal boundary
and the neutron drop n{N} p{Z} composed of N neutrons and
Z protons with N very large compared with Z are proposed as useful concepts to
support the model and they are treated quantum mechanically to realize in
solids with appropriate characteristics suggested by experiments where observed
positive results of the CFP. The real meaning of nn is investigated.
The energy band of a neutron in solids
is a corresponding concept to that of an electron well known in solid state
physics. The neutron band, however, is an important concept to treat neutrons
in solids even if this conventional concept has not been noticed hitherto in
neutron physics due to the short life of neutrons in free space of about 887 s.
The neutron in an
energy band interact with lattice nuclei coherently through the nuclear force
and the energy becomes lower and stable than that of a state after the decay of
the neutron into proton emitting an electron and a neutrino. A measure of this
stability will be described by the
neutron affinity of lattice nuclei proposed by us. The neutron affinity of
an element is defined as an energy difference of two states, one with a neutron
in the band and another with a neutron absorbed by a lattice nucleus of the
element.
It is interesting
to notice that materials giving positive results for CF phenomenon usually have
positive values of the neutron affinity, i.e. the trapped neutron is stable in
the material against decay into proton, electron and anti-neutrino.
Neutrons in an
energy band with the minimum at Brillouin zone boundary and expressed by Bloch
waves show the local coherence due to
the energy coincidence in the band at a region where neutrons are reflected by
a potential wall too thick to penetrate through it. Density of trapped neutrons
at the boundary region becomes as huge as 10^{12} times that of a single
neutron when there are as many neutrons as 10^{6} cm^{-3} with wave
vectors near the Brillouin zone boundary.
These conclusions on the
single-particle picture have to be supplemented by many-body picture forced to
take into consideration when density of neutrons becomes high in a region where
the local coherence realized and the nuclear reaction between neutrons becomes
important. In this situation, the neutron
drop n_{N}p_{Z} will be formed by condensation of
neutrons at a seed made of neutrons and protons (and lattice nuclei) in the
region of condensation.
(3) TNCF MODEL - A PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACH
Hideo Kozima
<Abstract>
There has been an
abyss between researchers of the cold fusion phenomenon (CFP), more precisely
“nuclear reactions and accompanied events in solids including high density
hydrogen isotopes”, and critics against it since its discovery in 1989.
To construct a
bridge between banks of opposing two communities separated by the abyss, it is
necessary to have a common language, the scientific logic achieved in these
four centuries of modern science; positivism based on the facts.
In the case in
front of us, the most controversial points are the reproducibility of the
events in the phenomenon and the applicability of modern physics, especially
quantum mechanics, to CFP. In terms of the former point, any theoretical work
should explain the poor reproducibility of CFP, and of the latter, it should
recognize own relationship with physical principles including quantum
mechanics, which are common properties of modern science.
We have endeavored
to explain various events in CFP as a whole characterized by the poor
reproducibility in the framework of modern physics using a model - the TNCF
model. A model is, in general, a system of working hypotheses (or premises) not
explained for a while by the existing principles and is distinguished from a
theory which is a system constructed by logical deduction from the principles
even if a model and a theory belongs to theoretical means.
Usefulness, or
reason for being, of a model is estimated by its ability to explain facts
obtained by experiments or observation. The premises assumed in the model
should be verified logically from general principles. There are special cases
in history of science where a premise opened the door to a new principle as
illustrated by Planck’s assumption of the quantum of action.
In this paper, we
will give the logical structure of the TNCF model and typical examples of its
successful explanation of various events in CFP.
The TNCF model is a
system of Premises with a single adjustable parameter nn. The Premises are based on facts obtained in
experiments of CFP and therefore the TNCF model is a phenomenological one.
Fundamental Premises are 1) existence of quasi-stable thermal neutrons (trapped
neutrons) with a density n_{n} in solids, 2) effective
reaction of the trapped neutron and a nucleus on the lattice (a lattice
nucleus) in the boundary region of the solids.
About 60 data sets
of various events in CFP from the excess heat to the transmuted nuclei through
tritium, helium-4, neutron, and gamma and the poor reproducibility of CFP are
successfully explained qualitatively and quantitatively in some cases using the
parameter n_n of values
from 10^{6} to 10^{12} cm^{-3}. At last,
physical basis of the Premises assumed in the model is discussed briefly.