CFRL English News No. 21 (2001. 2. 10)

Cold Fusion Research Laboratory Dr. Hideo Kozima

This is CFRL News (in English) No. 21 translated from Japanese version published for friend researchers of Cold Fusion Research Laboratory directed by Dr. H. Kozima in Portland State University. The e-mail address in PSU is cf-lab.kozima@pdx.edu.

In this issue, there are following items. There are our two papers accepted and scheduled for publication:

1) Possible Explanation of ^{4}He Production in Pd/D_{2} System by TNCF Model (Fusion Technol. Vol. 40, July, 2001),

2) Analysis of Zn and Excess Heat Generation in Pd/H_{2} (D_{2}) System by TNCF Model (J. New Energy, 5, No. 3, 2001),

3) On the Book Review on my book “Discovery of the Cold Fusion Phenomenon” by G. Mallove,

4) Quantum Mechanics and the Medawar Zone (H. Kozima), and finally

5) G. Mallove’s, “Book Review” on the “Discovery”

1) H. Kozima, M. Ohta, M. Fujii, K. Arai and H. Kudoh, “Possible Explanation of ^{4}He Production in Pd/D_{2} System by TNCF Model” Fusion Technol. Vol. 40 (July, 2001) (to be published),

Abstract

Experimental data showing generation of ^{4}He from Pd sheet-D_{2} gas system observed by E. Botta et al. are analyzed by the TNCF model. The proposed mechanism of ^{4}He generation is not the direct d-d reaction but the reactions between the trapped neutron and a Pd isotope, n-^{A}_{46}Pd reactions, with a supplemental assumption, decrease of threshold energies for (n, alpha) reactions of ^{A}_{46}Pd in solids. The arbitrary parameter n_{n}, the density of the trapped neutron, of the model is determined to be ~ 10^{12} cm^{-3} consistent with values determined in analyses of data in various events in the cold fusion phenomenon.

2) H. Kozima, K. Yoshimoto, H. Kudoh, M. Fujii and M. Ohta, “Analysis of Zn and Excess Heat Generation in Pd/H_{2} (D_{2}) System by TNCF Model” J. New Energy Vol.5, No.3 (to be published)

Abstract

Experimental data sets by X.Z. Li et al. showing generation of the excess heat and nuclear transmutation of Pd into Zn in Pd-D_{2} gas and Pd-H_{2} gas system are analyzed by the TNCF model. The mechanism generating Zn and the excess heat is assumed to be the n-^{A}_{46}Pd reaction followed by fission of thus formed compound nucleus ^{A+1}_{46}Pd^{*} into Zn and S and the arbitrary parameter n_{n} of the model is determined by the value of the excess heat in the Pd-D_{2} gas system to be ~ 10^{10} cm^{-3} consistently with values determined by the amount of Zn observed in the system, while the excess heat was not observed in Pd-H_{2} gas system. Possible cause of this discrepancy is discussed.

3) On the Book Review “Discovery of the Cold Fusion Phenomenon”

by G. Mallove appeared in Infinite Energy No. 35, p.43 (2001)

Gene Mallove, Editor of the above Journal wrote a book review on my book published in 1998 from Ohtake Shuppan, Japan. The book review itself is printed in Item 5) of this News and here I comment some words on it.

The first paragraph of the Review starts as follows:

“Professor of Physics Hideo Kozima of Shizuoka University in Japan can rightfully lay claim to having written the first “textbook” on cold fusion, so comprehensive is its content. Written in English, this is evidently a labor of love by one who is both a thoughtful observer of the history of science and a physicist who has developed his own theoretical understanding of diverse cold fusion phenomena. He calls this the “Trapped Neutron Catalyzed Fusion” (TNCF) model, for which he has exhibited considerable passion at international cold fusion conferences and in numerous technical publications.” (In the original sentence, TNCF is written as TCNF by careless mistakes.)

This is a fairly correct abstract of the book written by one who read it thoroughly and understood some of its essential parts. In the review of half-page long sentences of the Journal, there are appropriate citations showing the essence of the TNCF model.

A sentence “Kozima’s book is a mixture of highly technical content with very accessible historical and philosophical discussions that illuminate the process of science in the cold fusion controversy” gives the author of the book an impression of a little over evaluation. The following sentences give him similar impression but are true:

“It is a first work by a pioneer in what are certain to be many more such texts. We understand that other cold fusion scientists may be contemplating or preparing such books.”

The concluding paragraph gives appropriate evaluation on the efforts paid in editing of a book and also on friendship of researchers working together to a common object which the author feel pleasure to read it; “Some of the extras offered by Prof. Kozima’s work are independent name and subject indices, thirty-seven pages of cited references, generous presentation of pertinent graphical data, and scientist contributed essays by Makoto Okamoto, Akito Takahashi, Francesco Celani, Benjamin Filimonov, and Peter Glueck. All in all, an impressive book that deserves to be read widely.”

4) Quantum Mechanics and the Medawar Zone (H. Kozima)

In the essay ”A Message from the Right Side of the Medawar Zone” (“Discovery” p. 308) contributed by Peter Gluck in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, he discussed the adventure that scientists have to dare in their research works. In the frontier region, there is a finite zone (Medawar zone) between science and non-science where scientists find their themes and work on them to obtain their fame or dishonors.

It has been discussed for more than 12 years whether Cold Fusion Phenomenon (CFP) belongs to science or not. This is a result of poor results we have obtained in this field not making it a heritage of science world in the final decade of 20^th century. Even if the scientific progress is limited by difficulty of the problem, it is surprising to see critics have not changed at all for more than ten years.

In the Website (www.aps.org) of American Physical Society (APS), there is a page with a name ”WHAT’S NEW”(WN) written by someone called Bob Park, seemingly a spokesman of APS. Looking into the pages of WN in these twelve years from 1989, we can see a short history of physics in society reflected in eyes of a “spokesman” in APS. About the CFP, the situation pointed out in the above paragraph has been depicted in WN. Two examples in WN of such opinions are in the fourth article of WN 5/5/1999 and the first of WN 11/6/1999 issues. (Underlines are drawn at citation.)

Friday, 5 May 1999 Washington, DC

“4. FREE ENERGY: STATE DEPARTMENT OPENS ITS DOORS TO NEW AGERS.

Something called the Integrity Research Institute [IRI] has announced the First International Conference on Free Energy (CoFE), April 29-30. IRI markets books and videos with such titles as The Race to Zero Point Energy, Anti-Gravity: The Dream Made Reality, and Holistic Physics and Consciousness. --- The speakers list for CoFE is certainly open minded; topics include: assisted nuclear reactions (a.k.a. cold fusion), sonoluminescence (a.k.a. cold fusion), hydrogen technologies (a.k.a. cold fusion), tabletop nuclear transformations (a.k.a. cold fusion), as well as zero point energy generation, negative resistance and----well, you get the idea. Where would you hold such an uh, um open-minded conference? ---. [a.k.a. = so-called]

(Note: Opinions are the author's and are not necessarily shared by the APS, but they should be.)” ([ ]s are inserted at citation.)

Friday, 11 June 1999 Washington, DC

“1. SUPPRESSION OF "NEW SCIENCE": BUDDY CAN YOU PARADIGM?

Those attending last weeks Annual Meeting of the Society for Scientific Exploration in Albuquerque (WN 4 Jun 99), take pride in "thinking outside the box." Talks on such uh, diverse topics as divine intervention, cold fusion, biological transmutation, precognitive dreams, psychosurgery, after-death communication, alien breeding experiments, clairvoyance, electronic signaling from the dead and prayer healing, were all accepted as serious science. There is no internal criticism in a community that believes it is under siege. Convinced that powerful vested interests, including the scientific establishment, are conspiring to hold back a scientific revolution, speakers complained that "new" science is denied funding, rejected by journal editors and even subjected to ridicule, just because it doesn't fit some outdated paradigm. Alas, to wear the mantle of Galileo it is not enough that you be persecuted by an unkind establishment, you must also be right.”

It is true that quantum mechanics gives fundamental principles for phenomena in the field of atomic and molecular processes and also in many phenomena of nuclear physics. Some people try to ignore this fact in explaining experimental results obtained in CFP, on one hand. Other people ignore the experimental results claiming that nuclear fusion is confined only to proven mechanisms.

In my opinion, both attitudes are not scientific. We have to be careful not to listen to such opinions, which are influenced by commercialism and/or authoritarianism.

5) Book Review to the H. Kozima, “Discovery of the Cold Fusion Phenomenon --- Development of Solid State-Nuclear Physics and the Energy Crisis in the 21^st Century” by Eugene Mallove, Infinite Energy 35, p.43 (2001).

“Professor of Physics Hideo Kozima of Shizuoka University in Japan can rightfully lay claim to having written the first “textbook” on cold fusion, so comprehensive is its content. Written in English, this is evidently a labor of love by one who is both a thoughtful observer of the history of science and a physicist who has developed his own theoretical understanding of diverse cold fusion phenomena. He calls this the “Trapped Neutron Catalyzed Fusion” (TNCF) model, for which he has exhibited considerable passion at international cold fusion conferences and in numerous technical publications.” (In the original sentence, TNCF is written as TCNF by careless mistakes.)

The book blends some of the history of the cold fusion controversy with extensive coverage of the experimental evidence for cold fusion phenomena (including effects in ordinary hydrogen systems), how the author’s TNCF model can explain these, and a perceptive review of many other episodes in the history of physics that seem to have relevance to cold fusion. He posits the existence of catalytic thermal energy neutrons, for which he says: ”If we assume an existence of thermal neutrons in a material, almost all the riddles of the cold fusion phenomenon disappear.”

Kozima’s book is a mixture of highly technical content with very accessible historical and philosophical discussions that illuminate the process of science in the cold fusion controversy. Kozima’s work is not a thorough history of various phases of the cold fusion saga, as are the positive cold fusion books, my own Fire from Ice (1991) and Beaudette’s Excess Heat (2000), which were clearly aimed at more general audiences, though this book too in large measure is certainly accessible to a wide audience. As mentioned, this is more like a textbook of the subject, which offers a potpourri of diverse and expanding areas, such as heavy element transmutation. It is a first work by a pioneer in what are certain to be many more such texts. We understand that other cold fusion scientists may be contemplating or preparing such books. There is a great need for such works to cover the topics of cold fusion calorimetry, nuclear instrumentation, material science, and theory.

It is noteworthy that Kozima’s book is the second excellent cold fusion book from Japan (in English by Japanese cold fusion scientists), the other being Nuclear Transmutation; The Reality of Cold Fusion, by Dr. Tadahiko Mizuno (Infinite Energy Press, 1999). While the latter was expertly translated by Jed Rothwell from its original Japanese, the slight difficulty with the Kozima’s book is its “Japanese English” unevenness, which was not particularly bothersome to this reviewer, and occasionally enjoyable. One very charming example (p. 296): “This Huizenga’s conclusion is one deduced by a poor brain only working on an extension line from muon catalyzed nuclear fusion where occurs surely d-d direct fusion reaction.” It should be noted that Kozima’s book first appeared in hardcover edition in Japanese in March 1997.

Some of the extras offered by Prof. Kozima’s work are independent name and subject indices, thirty-seven pages of cited references, generous presentation of pertinent graphical data, and scientist contributed essays by Makoto Okamoto, Akito Takahashi, Francesco Celani, Benjamin Filimonov, and Peter Glueck. All in all, an impressive book that deserves to be read widely.”