Widom-Srivastava-Larsen have just replied to the paper by Ciuchi, et al, critical of Widom-Larsen theory -
Erroneous Wave Functions of Ciuchi et al for Collective Modes in Neutron Production on Metallic Hydride Cathodes A. Widom, Y. N. Srivastava, L. Larsen http://arxiv.org/abs/1210.5212 Abstract: There is a recent comment (Ciuchi et al., 2012) concerning the theory of collective many body effects on the neutron production rates in a chemical battery cathode. Ciuchi et al employ an inverse beta decay expression that contains a two body amplitude. Only one electron and one proton may exist in the Ciuchi et al model initial state wave function. A flaw in their reasoning is that one cannot in reality describe collective many body correlations with only a two particle wave function. One needs very many particles to describe collective effects. In the model wave functions of Ciuchi et al there are no metallic hydrides, there are no cathodes and there are no chemical batteries. Employing a wave function with only one electron and one proton is inadequate for describing collective metallic hydride surface quantum plasma physics in cathodes accurately. Gigi DiMarco wrote on Tue, 02 Oct 2012 06:24:20 - >The following paper: >Low Energy Neutron Production by Inverse-beta decay in Metallic Hydride >Surfaces >has just been uploaded to ArXiv http://arxiv.org/abs/1209.6501 > >The paper addresses the WLT as presented by Widom, Larsen and Srivastava in >peer-reviewed journals and presents very strong objections to the theory >that can be summarized as: > >It has been recently argued that inverse-beta nuclear transmutations might >occur at an impressively high rate in a thin layer at the metallic hydride >surface under specific conditions. In this note we present a calculation of >the transmutation rate which shows that there is little room for such a >remarkable effect. >[...]
