CFRL News No.17 (2000..10. 10)

                常温核融合研究所      小島英夫

   CFRL News (Cold Fusion Research Laboratory News) No.17をお届けします。

Portland State Universityに赴任して、10日ほどは時差ぼけに悩まされましたが、ようやく普通の時間に順応できるようになりました。Portlandは噂に違わぬよい町で、充実した研究生活が送れそうです。

大学でのe-mail addressは、以下の通りです:cf-lab.kozima@pdx.edu

e-mailはこちらへお願いします。

さて、Newsですが、今のところ順調に発行できそうです。内容を充実させるためにも、投稿をおねがいします。

 17 号では、

1)   Fusion Technologyに投稿した新しい論文の内容,

2)   1011日にWednesday Seminar of Physics”Thermal Neutrons and Their Influences on Nuclear Reactions in Solids” を講義すること、

3)   Infinite Energy No.32 (2000) E. Stormsが書いたCFReviewの中のCFRLモデルに関する部分、

4)   アメリカ原子核学会の秋の大会のCF関係の分科会の様子、

5)   J. Dashの最近のデータ、

を掲載しました。

 

1)   H. Kozima, “Neutron Bands in Metal Hydrides - Effects of Occluded Hydrogen on Nuclear Reactions in Solids” (Submitted to Fusion Technology)

 この論文のアイデアは、格子間位置に吸蔵された水素あるいは重水素が、陽子あるいは重陽子として格子核内の中性子と相互作用し、隣り合った格子核の間に間接的な相互作用を生み出し、中性子バンドができる、というものです。色々な経験事実から、陽子波動関数の格子核位置での確率振幅がゼロではなさそうなので、ここで考えたsuper-nuclear interactionの現実性は高いと思っています。生憎、陽子波動関数が知られていないようなので、具体的な計算には工夫が必要でしょう。

2)   H. Kozima “Thermal Neutrons and Their Influences on Nuclear Reactions in Solids” (to be presented at Wednesday Seminar of Physics on Oct. 11)

Abstract

  There are several remarkable discoveries in science and technology related with properties of neutrons. These include the discovery of such exotic nuclei as He-10, Li-11, Na32 and so on in nuclear physics, and techniques to control neutrons such as a neutron trap and a neutron guide which are used to investigate properties of neutrons.

   We have worked with thermal neutrons in solids and found some new and interesting features not noticed before. The most important fact is the formation of band structure in the energy spectrum of neutrons in solids. A simplified calculation of the band structure gave the result that there is a strong localization of thermal neutrons in the boundary region of crystals with appropriate structures. The results of the calculation also suggest that a new state of neutrons, a neutron drop, which is an aggregate of a large number of neutrons and a few protons, occurs in the boundary region.

   These new properties of neutrons have a strong influence on interactions of particles in the solids where aggregates of neutrons occur. In the surface region of crystals, high density neutrons localized in the region will react with nuclei and nuclear reactions confined in this region should be observed as new elements and particles emitted from the crystal. The new state of crystals with high density neutrons free from nuclear binding will open a new science which should be called solid state-nuclear physics and give rise to new technology using nuclear reactions in solids.

 

3) E. Storms, “A Critical Evaluation of the Pons-Fleischmann Effect: Part 2” Infinite Energy 32, 52 (2000)

“ --- Kozima proposes that trapped thermal neutrons catalyze the cold fusion reaction (TNCF Model). In an attempt to identify a source of such neutrons, he has proposed formation of metastable neutron clusters of various sizes. Several questions have not been answered, including exactly what conditions cause the clusters to interact with the surrounding nuclear environment, why individual neutrons are not emitted from the material during such interaction, and why the clusters do not produce “normal” nuclear products. In addition, his efforts to compare the concentration of these neutrons to the observed effects are doomed to failure because nuclear activity is highly localized and impossible to relate to the measured volume of the samples, a variable used in his model.”

この文章でも、これまでに為された多くの批判と同様に、Stormsがモデルの本質である「無前提な仮定」の意義を全く理解していないことが分かります。 metastable neutron clusterの存在と彼が言うのは、多分最近の論文のneutron dropのことでしょうが、これはモデルそのものとは関係のない話だということが、全く理解されていません。成功したモデルの基礎に関する物理的考察を、モデルの評価に当て嵌める過ちです。不確定性原理が理解できないからといって、Bohrモデルの有効性を否定するような物理学者も1920年代には居たのかもしれませんが。日本では方法論の有効性が150年代に盛んに議論されたものですが、それもベルリンの壁と一緒に昔の話になってしまったようです。アメリカは元々プラグマテイズムの国ですから、方法論には関心が薄いのでしょうが、もっとプラグマチックにものを考えてくれないのか、とも思います。困ったことです。

 

4) 2000 ANS/ENS International Meeting with cooperation from NEI. November 12 - 16, 2000, “Nuclear Science and Technology: Supporting Sustainable Development World Wide”

Technical Sessions, (この中に、次の常温核融合関係の分科が含まれている。)

“Low Energy Nuclear Reactions - I” Wednesday, November 15, 1:00 p.m. ( 8 papers)

Low Energy Nuclear Reactions - II” Thursday, November 16, 8:30 a.m. ( 7 papers)

Low Energy Nuclear Reactions - III” Thursday, November 16, 1:00 p.m. ( 7 papers)

このMeetingの案内は64ページの立派な小冊子で、表題のENSが何を意味するのか分かりませんが、Internationalに関係するのでしょう。Washington D.C. Marriott Wardman Park Hotelで開催されます。因みに、このホテルのRoom Rates “the discounted meeting rate ”SingleDoubleとも$174.00です。

発表される論文の内容はICCF8のものと大差ないので、出席しないことにしました。会議名の副題から窺われる、このMeetingの構造は、興味のあるものではないでしょうか。

 実験関係の論文の表題だけを、以下に記します。およその傾向が分かるでしょう。

“Experimental Observation of Nuclear Reactions in Palladium and Uranium”

“Recent Results from Collaborative Research at ENEA-Frascati on Reaction Phenomena in Solids”

“Evidence of d-d Fusion Products in Experiments Conducted with Palladium at Near Ambient Temperature”

“Radiation-less Fission Products by Selective Channel Low-Energy Photo-Fission for A > 100 Elements”

“Excess Heat and Helium Production in the Palladium-Boron System”

“Heat and Products Induced by plasma Electrolysis”

“Characterization of Uranium Co-Deposited with Hydrogen on Nickel Cathodes”

“Advances in Thin-Film Proton-Reaction Cell Experiments”

 

5) John Dash研究室の最近の研究

J. Warner and J. Dash, “Heat Produced during the Electrolysis of D2O with Titanium Cathodes” Proc. ICCF8 (to be published)

Abstract

Cold rolling 20appears to increase both the amounts of excess heat and reproducibility obtained by electrolysis of acidified D2O with titanium cathodes. Unexpected elements such as chromium and iron were detected on the surfaces of cathodes after electrolysis. The presence of chromium was confirmed by neutron activation analysis.

G. Goddard, J. Dash and S. Frantz, “Characterization of Uranium Co-deposited with Hydrogen on Nickel Cathodes” Proc. ANS/ENS Meeting 2000 (to be published)

Summary

Previously, it has been reported that nuclear transmutation reactions are accelerated when radioactive elements are subjected to low-level electric fields during electrolysis of aqueous electrolytes. Our research investigated the co-deposition of U3O8 and H on Ni cathodes, using an acidic electrolyte and a Pt anode. Then the radiation emitted by the electroplated U3O8 was compared with radiation emitted by unelectrolyzed U3O8 from the same batch. Radiation measurements were made over a period of about two months with a matched pair of Geiger-Mueller (GM) detectors using10 mg of each sample.  Consecutive three-minute counts were taken for 15 hours each day and stored in a computer. The results are shown in Fig. 1. The electroplated U3O8 initially produced about 2900 counts in three minutes (4-17-00). This rose sporadically in steps to about 3700 counts in three minutes on 5-11-00, and it remained relatively constant at this level until the GM measurements ended on 6-8-00. The unelectrolyzed U3O8 from the same batch emitted radiation at a much lower rate, about 1250 counts in three minutes, and is remained almost constant over the entire period of measurement.

   After the GM measurements, a gamma ray spectrometer was used to measure radiation from the same two, 10 mg electroplated and unelectrolyzed U3O8 samples. The net integral of the same 36 peaks for the same measurement time (25 hours) gave 53,000 counts for the electroplated sample and 31,000 counts for the unelectrolyzed sample. Alpha and beta measurements are underway for both samples.

   The cathodes are characterized before and after electrolysis using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The unelectrolyzed U3O8 is also analyzed using the SEM and EDS. Fig. 2 shows SEM micrograph of typical surface structure of uranium electroplated on a nickel cathode. The donut-like features appear to be the result of microscopic surface eruption, which produced voids surrounded by raised circular rims. Fig. 3 shows an EDS spectrum from electroplated U3O8 on a nickel cathode. In addition to oxygen and uranium, cesium, iron and nickel are present. A peak at 16.36 keV, which overlaps wit a uranium peak at 16.44 keV is tentatively labeled as fermium. Mass spectrometer and x-ray diffraction studies are also underway. (Figures are omitted.)

Prof. John Dashは冶金学の専門家で、1989年からCFに取り組んできました。既に定年を迎えて退職したのですが、67歳の今も大きい実験室を持ち、大学院生を4人抱えて、大学で研究を続けています。日本の国立大学にも、名誉教授に無料で大学のinternet網を利用させてくれる所があります。しかし、研究室を必要に応じて提供してくれるという融通は効かず、一方で画一的に定年まで飼い放しにするという悪弊は未だ改まっていません。負の学長裁量金も作り、使い方をもっと自由にしたら、面白いことになるかも知れません。