If the main function of the Mizuno heater wire (very thin resistance wire) was merely to raise the gas temperature of the reactor – then an external heater could do the same.
However, if the more important function of the heater wire is to provide a IR light source for plasmon/polariton formation on the nickel mesh, then that scenario will explain elegantly the importance of a low pressure gas fill which matches the wavelength of the IR emission. It is very likely that the mean free path of the deuterons in the low pressure gas is indeed resonant with the IR wavelength of the photon emission from the heater when high COP is reached- or else it is big coincidence that the two match. There is almost no reason to chose a thin wire heater other than to achieve a desired IR emission. In fact, it is easy to calculate a specific mean free path MFP within Mizuno’s parameters which is exactly identical to the IR wavelength at say 300 C - or at any temperature within the published parameters. It would probably be advantageous to figure out in advance a target range of pressure and wire temperature which are resonant - in advance in order to quickly reach an optimal operating regime. Jones Here is a further comment about the Mizuno heater and its possible non-obvious functionality. Think of the heater as a IR light source. The heat is actually not the purpose so much as the photons, which may be close to coherency at the best setting. IOW the “heater” may server the same purpose as a filament on an incandescent lightbulb and the “light” in question is in the IR range and semi-coherent. There ha been a lot of speculation over the years that plasmon/polaritons play a role in LENR. Brillion was promoting this plasmon/polariton at one time but they have not been able to show anything near as exciting as the Mizuno. This may also be the reason for the very low pressure fill – maintaining the coherence ! From: Jed Rothwell I asked Mizuno what sort of sheath heater he uses. He uses a 500 W model, such as the Flexible heater "M2 type micro heater"
