A primer for electroweak induced low-energy nuclear reactions, Srivastava, Widom, Larsen 2010 October: Rich Murray 2011.11.26
Reedited for clarity -- also helps me integrate the many ideas... Three ring circus ! What does Hagelstein think? Is neutron production via spark exploded wires reported by many independent labs? How hard would this be for amateurs? Could tiny experiments generate neutrons at low costs and high safety? What would happen if a wire was embedded in a diamond anvil hyper pressure cell and spark exploded? http://www.ias.ac.in/pramana/v75/p617/fulltext.pdf A primer for electroweak induced low-energy nuclear reactions Y N SRIVASTAVA 1;¤, A WIDOM 2 and L LARSEN 3 1 Dipartimento di Fisica & INFN, Universitµa degli Studi di Perugia, 06123 Perugia, Italy 2 Physics Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA 3 Lattice Energy LLC, 175 North Harbor Drive, Chicago, IL 60601, USA¤Corresponding author. E-mail: yogendra.srivast...@gmail.com MS received 28 January 2010; revised 9 May 2010; accepted 21 May 2010 Abstract. Under special circumstances, electromagnetic and weak interactions can induce low-energy nuclear reactions to occur with observable rates for a variety of processes. A common element in all these applications is that the electromagnetic energy stored in many relatively slow-moving electrons can ( under appropriate circumstances ) be collectively transferred into fewer, much faster electrons withenergies sufficient for the latter to combine with protons (or deuterons, if present) to produce neutrons via weak inter-actions. The produced neutrons can then initiate low-energy nuclear reactions through further nuclear transmutations. The aim of this paper is to extend and enlarge upon various examples analysed previously, present order of magnitude estimates for each and to illuminate a common unifying theme amongst all of them. Keywords. Nuclear transmutations; low-energy nuclear reaction; electroweak. ...6. Summary and concluding remarks We can summarize by saying that three seemingly diverse physical phenomena, viz., metallic hydride cells, exploding wires and the solar corona, do have a unifying theme. Under appropriate conditions which we have now well delineated, in all these processes electromagnetic energy gets collectively harnessed to provide enough kinetic energy to a certain fraction of the electrons to combine with protons(or any other ions present) and produce neutrons through weak interactions. The produced neutrons then combine with other nuclei to induce low-energy nuclear reactions and transmutations. Lest it escape notice let us remind the reader that all three interactions of the Standard Model (electromagnetic, weak and nuclear) are essential for an understanding of these phenomena. Collective effects, but no new physics for the acceleration of electrons beyond the Standard Model needs to be invoked. We have seen, however, that certain paradigm shifts are necessary. On the surface of a metallic hydride cell with surface plasmon polariton modes, protons collectively oscillate along with the electrons. Hence, the Born-Oppenheimer approximation (which assumes that the proton is rigidly fixed) breaks down andshould not be employed. Similarly, in the solar corona, the electronic density and the electrical conductivity are sufficiently low. Hence there is not much charge screening of the electric fields involved. Strong electric fields generated by time-dependent magnetic fields through Faraday's laws are sustained in the corona, and the betatron (or transformer) mechanism remains functional. Were it not so, electrons and protons could not have been accelerated to hundreds of GeVs and there would have been no production of high-energy muons, certainly not copious enough Pramana { J. Phys., Vol. 75, No. 4, October 2010 635 to have reached Earth in sufficient numbers to have been observed by the L3+C collaboration at LEP [23] or by the BAKSAN underground laboratory [47]. We are unaware of any other alternative scheme for obtaining this result. The betatron mechanism also naturally explains a variety of observed experimental results such as unexpected nuclear transmutations and high-energy cosmic rays from the exterior of the Sun or any other astronomical object endowed with strong enough magnetic activity such as active galactic nuclei. Also, our estimate of the muons detected at CERN are consistent with the CERN data on the Solar flare of 14 July2000. The analysis presented in this paper leads us to conclude that realistic possibilities exist for designing LENR devices capable of producing `green energy', that is, production of excess heat at low cost without lethal nuclear waste,dangerous gamma-rays or unwanted neutrons. The necessary tools and the essential theoretical know-how to manufacture such devices appear to be well within the reach of the technology available now. Vigorous efforts must now be made to develop such devices whose functionality requires all three interactions of the Standard Model acting in concert. [ End ]
