Niko Speck
Research Mentor(s): Mark Hammig
Mentor Department: Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences
Authors:
Session: Session 5 (2:00pm – 2:50pm)
Presentation Type: Poster 78
Abstract
The existence of “cold fusionâ€â€”potential nuclear reactions in a condensed matter, room-temperature environment—has been controversial since the 1990s when possible evidence of low energy nuclear reactions (LENR) emerged. Previous LENR experiments focused on heat generation in electrolytic cells, but heat-based experiments failed to demonstrate direct nuclear origin because they didn’t marry a nuclear active environment (NAE) with in situ, high-resolution radiation detectors. This study aims to discover evidence of LENR via measuring radiation by-products with solid-state detectors coupled to isotopic changes in the palladium nanoscale composite, as measured via energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The study is experimental with the aim of developing a model of LENR. Palladium nanoparticles are solution-grown via a potassium tetrachloropalladate solution that is mixed with trisodium citrate dihydrate and tannic acid, centrifuged, and grafted upon an aramid nanofiber porous hydrogel. The dried composite is exposed to deuterium gas while adjacent silicon detectors survey the charged particle and photonic environment. The experiment is predicated on previous observations that the NAE resides in nanoscale potential wells which motivates the utilization of nanoparticles interconnected into a percolating network. The results indicate that after some period of deuterium loading, photons consistent with gamma-rays were produced as well as internal conversion electrons. Specifically, depending on the particular preparation conditions, gamma-rays and internal conversion electrons with energy of 477, 94, and 37 keV were spectroscopically detected. In some cases, these prompt reactions were accompanied by isotopic changes as measured via EDS. The appearance of gamma-rays suggests that nuclear reactions are occurring within the nano-composite. Next steps focus on reproducing the various measurements and localizing the NAE via transmission electron microscopic studies. Through discovering evidence of LENR, this research will allow for a greater understanding of nuclear reactions and the development of higher efficiency energy generation.
