Known instances of nuclear reactions, aside from producing energy, also produce nucleons and particles on ballistic trajectories which are readily observable. In support of their claim that nuclear reactions took place in their electrolytic cells, Fleischmann and Pons reported a neutron flux of 4,000 neutrons per second, as well as detections of tritium. The classical branching ratio for previously known fusion reactions that produce tritium would predict, with 1 watt of power, the production of 1012 neutrons per second, levels that would have been fatal to the researchers.[1] In 2009, Mosier-Boss et al. reported what they called the first scientific report of highly energetic neutrons, using CR-39 plastic radiation detectors,[2][3] but the claims can not be validated without a quantitative analysis of neutrons.[4][5]
Initial experiments aimed at detecting the tell tail products of nuclear fusion, high energy neutrons, protons, and alpha particles, initiated after the Pons and Fleischmann announcement were inconclusive or gave negative results [6](see PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS Vol/Issue: 63 (18), Date: 1989, Pages: 1926-1929). Beginning in 2002, a research group headed by Pamela Mosier-Boss began to report qualitative observations of high energy particles using CR-39 detectors. In 2009 the group reported the observation of high energy neutrons which they claimed resulted from deuterium-tritium fusion in their electrolytic cells [2], criticisms of the qualitative nature of the results were leveled [4], and the group has attempted to address them with a more quantitative analysis [7]
- ^ Simon 2002, p. 49, Park 2000, pp. 17–18, Close 1992, p. 306–307
- ^ a b Mosier-Boss et al. 2009
- ^ Sampson 2009
- ^ a b Barras 2009
- ^ Berger 2009
- ^ Price et al. 1989
- ^ Mosier-Boss et al. 2010
- Mosier-Boss, Pamela A.; Dea, J.Y.; Forsley, L.P.G.; Morey, M.S.; Tinsley, J.R.; Hurley, J.P.; Gordon, F.E. (2010), "Comparison of Pd/D co-deposition and DT neutron generated triple tracks observed in CR-39 detectors", Eur. Phys. J. Appl. Phys., 51: 20901, doi:10.1051/epjap/2010087
- Price and , and , and ,, P.B.; Barwick, S.W.; Porter, J. D (1989), "Search for energetic-charged-particle emission from deuterated Ti and Pd foils", Phys. Rev. Lett., 63 (18): 1926–1929, doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.63.1926
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