Jones, interesting, what's your interpretation of this? On Tue, Sep 23, 2014 at 7:30 PM, Jones Beene <jone...@pacbell.net> wrote:
> *Of interest: * > > > > *BRIEF HISTORY OF COLD FUSION AT BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY Secondary title: > * > > > > *PIEZONUCLEAR FUSION AT BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY * > > *By BYU Professors Jae Ballif, William Evenson, and Steven Jones* > Compiled in 1989 > > > I. Scientific Team > II. History > > Quote > > > I. Scientific Team > A. Brigham Young University Faculty Members - Department of Physics and > Astronomy Steven E. Jones (PI) E. Paul Palmer J. Bart Czirr, Daniel L. > Decker Gary L. Jensen > B. Brigham Young University Faculty Members - Department of Chemistry > James M. Thorne > C. Brigham Young University students Stuart F. Taylor Rod Price J. W. Wang > David Mince Eugene Sheeley Paul Dahl Paul Banks S. Seth Jones David E. > Jones > D. University of Arizona Faculty Members - Department of Physics Johann > Rafelski > > II. History > A. Scientific paper published March 1986 (submitted June 1985) > The roots of our work regarding piezonuclear fusion are described in a > scientific paper published in the Journal of Physics G: Nuclear physics, > 12: 213-221. This paper was received by the journal on 12 June 1985 (over > three years before we heard of Pons and Fleischmann, or of Andrei Lipson in > Russia, or of their related work) and published in March 1986. > > A1. Theory proposed which presages Brigham Young University experiments > The detailed mathematical framework given in the paper was worked out > primarily by Dr. Clinton Van Siclen, author on the paper with Dr. Steven E. > Jones. The paper discusses fusion at room temperature and how this might be > enhanced by increasing the density of hydrogen isotopes. The paper > discusses the transition of hydrogen to the metallic state under high > pressures and other technical points. One significant concept explored in > this paper is that a hypothetical particle "with mass twice that of the > electron" could lead to room temperature fusion at a rate of approximately > one fusion per minute per kilogram of deuterium. This is close to the > actual rates observed in later experiments at Brigham Young University by > Jones and colleagues, and the theoretical framework given in this early > publication continues to be a possible explanation for the > cold/piezonuclear fusion effect. Indeed, this paper is referred to in our > later papers on the Brigham Young University experiments since it provides > a theoretical, mathematical foundation for cold fusion. > > A2."Piezonuclear fusion" used by Steven Jones of Brigham Young University > to describe cold fusion In addition to initiating the 1985 study, Steven > Jones (one of the authors) coined the term "piezonuclear fusion" in analogy > to the term "thermonuclear fusion," to indicate that the proposed approach > is to induce fusion by "squeezing" the hydrogen nuclei together at near > room temperatures rather than by heating them to very high temperatures. > (The prefix "piezo-" comes from a Greek work meaning to squeeze or > compress.) > > > > *Dr. Paul Palmer used the term "cold fusion" beginning in early 1986.* > > B. Brigham Young University Physics Colloquium 12 March 1986 > E. Paul Palmer suggested geophysical applications > The paper was published in March 1986, and on March 12, 1986 many of the > concepts in the paper were described by Dr. Jones at a Colloquium of the > BYU Physics Department. BYU Physics Professor Paul Palmer was present and > associated these ideas with geological data on heat and helium-3 which are > correlated in volcanoes and other thermal regions of the earth. Both heat > and helium-3 are released in fusion reactions (proton-deuteron and > deuteron-deuteron reactions). Dr. Palmer suggested that rock, lava, or > crystals in the earth might help to catalyze the fusion reaction. This > creative leap is recorded in Dr. Palmer's logbook, dated March 13, 1986 in > some detail (copies available on request to BYU Physics Department). > > C. Report to DOE 13 May 1986 > Our work on cold piezonuclear fusion was reported to the DOE in the > 1985-86 Annual Performance Report, dated 13 May 1986, along with three > related documents: the Van Siclen/Jones paper on piezouclear fusion, a note > entitled "Experiments in Cold Fusion" dated 28 March 1986 by Paul Palmer; > and "Comments on Catalyzed Fusion," a note by Steven Jones dated 1 April > 1986. It was at this time that Prof. Jones received permission from the DOE > funding agent R Gajewiski to pursue research on this aspect of cold nuclear > fusion under an already existing DOE grant to Brigham Young University for > muon-catalyzed fusion research. > > D. Brigham Young University's experimental program D1. Planning began in > March 1986 > As a result of discussions generated by the Physics Department > colloquium by Dr. Jones on March 12, 1986, an experimental program was > worked out to test these new ideas. An important discussion meeting was > held at BYU on April 7, 1986, involving Profs. Czirr, Jones, and Palmer of > BYU, and Johann Rafelski of the University of Arizona, along with student > researchers. Plans for the research were extensively developed at the > meeting. Prof. Rafelski had been very active in theoretical work on > piezonuclear fusion since late 1985 and strongly urged the active pursuit > of this experimental effort at BYU. > > D2. *Use of Pd*, Li, Al, Cu, Ni, Pt under non-equilibrium conditions, was > outlined 7 April 1986 - notarized lab notebook page. > Prof. Jones's brief notes from the April 7, 1986, meeting record that the > metals aluminum, copper, nickel, platinum, *palladium (*because it > "absorbs hydrogen readily"), and lithium were discussed as prime candidates > for the process. The importance of non-equilibrium conditions was > discussed; in particular, "shocked hydrides" and "electric discharge" were > considered. These notes were notarized that day by Lee R. Phillips, a > notary and BYU attorney, showing the importance attached to these ideas by > the physicists present. > > D3. Geophysical evidence for cold fusion was sought in the scientific > literature as early as April 1986 > On April 13, 1986, Prof. Palmer noted in his logbook a number of > fusion reactions to be studied, including the deuteron + lithium reaction. > (On March 18, he had noted the high amounts of sodium and lithium in > magmas; these later became ingredients in our electrolyte solution, > commonly known as "Mother Earth Soup".) On April 16, he records the > findings of a paper by the Russian physicists B.A. Mamyrin, L. V. Khabarin, > an V. S. Yudenich [Dokl. Adad. Nauk. SSSR, 237: 1054 (1987)] in which they > report excess helium-3 found in various metals. This paper was encouraging > to us, but we were surprised that no follow-up work was recorded in the > literature. > D4. Electrochemical cell built and measurements taken beginning May 1986 > On May 22, 1986, our first electrochemical cell for "electrolytic infusion > of hydrogen into metals" was > built (see Prof. Palmer's logbook) and on May 23, D2O (heavy water) was > added. Using a sodium- > iodide detector, we looked first for gamma rays from proton-deuteron > fusion, and found on May 27 that the foreground rate when the cell > operating was slightly higher than the background rate when the cell was > not operating, but the result was not statistically significant. In June, > we developed another means of loading hydrogen isotopes into metals, using > pressurized gases, and added a neutron detector. > > D5.. Work on a highly sensitive, energy resolving neutron detector was > begun in 1986, since neutrons of the correct energy are a sure indicator of > nuclear fusion > Throughout the summer of 1986, work was done on the neutron detector, > while different electrolytes were tried, including the addition of NaOH or > H2SO4 to D2O and the addition of "impurity salts" of > various metals. We also tried loading the cathode with deuterium gas > before beginning the electrolysis (see, e.g., 10 September 1986 entry). By > September 3, 1986, we saw a foreground minus background > rate of about 5x10-3 in the neuron counter, but the result was neither not > consistently repeatable. However, this rate proved to be consistent with > the rate obtained in later work when the neutron counter system had been > dramatically improved. As the Fall 1986 school term began anew, we > concluded that in order to make progress in our work we had to first > improve the neutron detector. Bart Czirr and Gary Jensen continued this > work. Some of the effort went into trying to find suitable hydrogen-rich, > inorganic scintillator. While this work continued, Dr. Jones pursued > muon-catalyzed fusion research. > > D6. Student papers presented on piezonuclear fusion experiments in March > and April 1988 > In January, 1988, Prof. Jones organized a student research class > along with Prof. Palmer and Prof. Larry Rees. Cold or piezonuclear fusion > was one of the principal research topics, pursued by students Paul Dahl and > Paul Banks. Both wrote term papers on the topic. On 12 March 1988, Paul > Dahl presented an oral paper at the Spring Research Conference of the BYU > College of Physical Sciences and Mathematics; his paper was entitled "An > Experimental Investigation of Piezo-nuclear Fusion." On 25 March 1988, we > prepared some deuterided metal samples, which we sent to Harmon Craig of > the University of California at San Diego, for helium and tritium analysis. > These examples were later sent to Al Nier of the University of Minnesota, > but analysis had not been completed as of 30 March 1989 as our paper for > Nature neared completion. > > D7. Further experiments planned, research program set out and pursued > vigorously from August 1988 > > >
