To cut to the chase: Many who follow this sort of thing might wonder if
this older paper is consistent with Widom/Larsen (W/L)? That particular
theory is gaining a huge foothold among those 'in the know' in LENR, it
seems and at the expense of competing theories (D fusion).
[side note] Although W/L have thus far refused to include the
implication, their theory is ideally suited (almost to the point of
demanding it) to interpretation within the guidelines of 'below ground
state' hydrogen (Mills hydrino).
Widom/Larsen (with backing from Miley) postulate that many ultra-low
momentum neutrons are produced by the weak interaction annihilation of
electrons and protons when an electrochemical cell is driven strongly
out of equilibrium. The reason that neutrons are never seen (seldom is a
better word), going back as far as P&F, is that their momentum is so
exceedingly low (subthermal) that they are almost always captured before
leaving the matrix.
Large quantities of these neutrons are produced near the surface of a
metal hydride cathode in an electrolytic cell but still do not exit. The
low momentum implies extremely large cross-sections for absorption by
various "seed" nuclei present including Pd isotopes and especially boron
if there is any present even in ppm amounts.
This absorption is relieved by beta decay processes (or fission in the
case of boron). As stated in their paper, "most of the periodic table of
chemical elements may be produced, at least to some extent."
Query: is Karabut consistent with W/L ? IMHO: Probably.
In separate experiments, Karabut et al. measure excess heat output *five
times* exceeding the input electric power ! Even though this is an old
paper, it seems rather authoritative. The result for the charged
particle emission spectrum is presented. Charged particles with energies
up to 18 MeV and an average energy of 2-4 MeV were seen - however, The
summed energy of the registered products is three orders short of the
values needed to explain the calorimetric results.
This is MOST important! High energy ions and alphas are a red herring,
since they are at least three orders of magnitude too low to account for
the excess heat. IOW only one one part of one-thousand of the OU is
provided by the high energy particles!
Karabut:"Many new questions arise since the alphas, for instance, are
found in quantities 3-4 orders short of those needed to explain the
excess heat." They admit that they did not measure the lower energy
electron flux and this still leaves the possibility of K-electron
capture, or other forms of subthermal neutron production, with a
radioactive isotope formation and with a consequent beta decay."
Anyone 'care to rebut' Karabut ?
Jones
