>The emission of barely detectable amounts of 23.8 MeV alphas from >thin foils or co-deposition experiments is not consistent with the >excess heat observed
It is not consistent with anything in the real world (of hot fusion). If you are going to accept the helium which is there, admittedly, as coming from deuterium fusion, then it is fruitless to try to shoehorn it into what is known about hot fusion. The secondary gamma radiation from 24 MeV alphas would be no different than if the alpha particles were accelerated in a beam line. If you contend otherwise then explain how it would be different, please. IOW there should be easily detected secondaries ! One can shrug-off the issue of the BEC at high temperature easier than one can shrug off the lack of secondary gamma radiation, I would think.
