Ok, after escalating from random-questions-embedded-in-a-long-posting to
open-conjecture-with-direct-questions and getting nowhere, I went with the
shakily-supported-but-loudly-declared-claim-of-fact route so popular on the
internet, and that elicited a couple of responses from kind and
knowledgeable researchers (Merci!). Although I did not resolve all of the
questions which formed the basis of my conjecture about a potential signal
hidden within the noise of the peak-69 artifacts, I am able to infer and
presume the following:
1) Although not directly specified, the sputter-cleaning ion source
was most likely also isotopically-pure Ga-69. This and many other models of
ToF-SIMS analyzers are apparently capable of performing sputter-cleaning and
SIMS-scanning with a variety of ion sources, using either the same or
different sources, notably including cesium, argon, oxygen, and gold. In
this case, given only a single ion source specified, common practice implies
that they are both performed with Ga69.
2) The high variability of residual Ga69 in different
post-sputtering sample spectra (particularly figure 11b) is apparently
within the normal variance range for different sample substances.
So, if there is something interesting to be found regarding a mass-69
species, it will need to be discovered using an analytic method that does
not employ Ga-69 such as this one does. I hope that other analytic results
will be published soon! Unless and until then, I'll just presume this to be
artifact.
-Bob
> From: Robert Ellefson
> Sent: Tuesday, October 14, 2014 5:29 PM
> Subject: [Vo]:Testing fuels without a reactor
>
> Given the results of the SIMS analysis from the Lugano report,
particularly
> as detailed in this posting:
> http://www.mail-archive.com/vortex-l@eskimo.com/msg98596.html
>
> I believe that it is possible to evaluate the nuclear activity of
candidate
> fuel samples simply by sputter-cleaning them as part of a ToF-SIMS
analysis.
> If researchers with access to such analytic equipment were willing to run
> the experiment, I believe that a successful replication of Rossi's
reaction
> can be observed occurring with before-and-after spectra of the fuel.
>
> So, skip the reactors, start evaluating powders in the SEM itself!
