Robin, * If the energy from the ZPE is being replenished by Te125m, decaying to Te125 (stable), then you need some Te125m to start off with. However this isotope has a half life of only 57 days, so there isn't any in nature.
True but the point (not explained well) is that there is lots of Te125 - over 7% in nature. IOW one kg of tellurium has a lot of energy content, even if we limit it to the 125 isotope - consistent with the results claimed. In fact, going into the "m state" or metastable isomer may be more common than anyone thinks, and may happen with other isotopes besides this one. How so? Well, the 57 day half-life could be extreme. and in fact - the extremely long half-life is the only reason that this particular one stands out, and is known to us - when in fact "IT" (as an energy dumping mechanism) could be far more common in "neutron heavy" elements than realized when they are under stress. There are only a few candidate elements anyway - and they are rare, so this lack of understanding about the IT mechanism - would not be unexpected. It was not even taught in University until relatively recently. How would the nucleus deform into the active isomer is the real question, and/or can the deformation be itself be exothermic so that there is a 'double exotherm' all caused by the same stimulus ? There are too few papers to base an informed opinion. The instability needed to deform any nucleus and create the isomer - could be related to the ZPF deficit itself. or else come from the close approach of pycno, or from relativistic effects as Fran suggests. Obviously most of this kind of detail would need to come from experiment, and the focus is shifting to that. If this analysis is correct, it is limited to the few elements in nature that can have deformed nuclei and that could be the crux of the Rossi discovery - that he has stumbled on the critical mass level of one of the most active "IT" element in nature, if not the most active. If so - Rossi has no clue. Jones
